Bill Summary
The Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act of 2025 is a bill that aims to extend duty-free treatment for imports from Haiti under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act. This act also includes provisions to restore eligibility for preferential treatment for certain articles that were previously eligible but became ineligible due to revisions in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. The bill specifies that the duty-free treatment will remain in effect until September 30, 2035 and any necessary modifications to the tariff schedule will take effect no earlier than 2 business days after the President submits a report to the Senate and House committees explaining the reasons for the changes.
Possible Impacts
1. This legislation could affect people in Haiti by extending duty-free treatment for their imports, potentially helping to boost their economy and create more job opportunities.
2. The amendment of subsection (h) stating that this duty-free treatment will remain in effect until September 30, 2035 could affect people in the United States who rely on these imports, as it provides certainty and stability for their businesses and trade.
3. The restoration of eligibility for certain articles for preferential treatment could positively impact businesses and individuals who produce and export these articles, as they will now be able to receive the benefits of preferential treatment under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 742 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 742
To extend duty-free treatment provided with respect to imports from
Haiti under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 26, 2025
Mr. Cassidy (for himself, Mr. Warnock, Mr. Durbin, and Mr. Scott of
Florida) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To extend duty-free treatment provided with respect to imports from
Haiti under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Haiti Economic Lift Program
Extension Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF SPECIAL RULES FOR HAITI UNDER CARIBBEAN BASIN
ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT.
Section 213A of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (19
U.S.C. 2703a) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by amending subparagraph (B)(v)(I) to
read as follows:
``(I) Applicable percentage.--The
term `applicable percentage' means 60
percent or more on and after December
20, 2017.''; and
(ii) by amending subparagraph (C) to read
as follows:
``(C) Quantitative limitations.--The preferential
treatment described in subparagraph (A) shall be
extended, during each period after the initial
applicable 1-year period, to not more than 1.25 percent
of the aggregate square meter equivalents of all
apparel articles imported into the United States in the
most recent 12-month period for which data are
available.''; and
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``in each of the
16 succeeding 1-year periods'' each place it appears
and inserting ``in any of the succeeding 1-year
periods''; and
(2) by amending subsection (h) to read as follows:
``(h) Termination.--The duty-free treatment provided under this
section shall remain in effect until September 30, 2035.''.
SEC. 3. RESTORATION OF ELIGIBILITY OF CERTAIN ARTICLES FOR PREFERENTIAL
TREATMENT.
(a) In General.--The President shall proclaim such modifications to
the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States as may be necessary
to restore the eligibility of articles described in subsection (b) for
preferential treatment under section 213A of the Caribbean Basin
Economic Recovery Act (19 U.S.C. 2703a).
(b) Articles Described.--An article described in this subsection is
an article that--
(1) was eligible for preferential treatment under section
213A of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (19 U.S.C.
2703a) on December 20, 2006; and
(2) became ineligible for such treatment after that date
and before the date of the enactment of this Act as a result of
revisions to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
(c) Effective Date of Proclamation.--A proclamation under
subsection (a) shall take effect not earlier than 2 business days after
the President submits to the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the
Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives a report on
the proclamation and the reasons for the modifications to the
Harmonized Tariff Schedule under the proclamation.
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