House Ways and Means advances 3‑year extension of AGOA after debate over offsets and reforms

The House Ways and Means Committee on [date] voted to favorably report HR 6,500, the AGOA Extension Act, sending a three‑year reauthorization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act to the full House. The measure would extend AGOA through Dec. 31, 2028.

Chairman Smith framed the bill as both an economic and strategic step to preserve market access for U.S. exporters and to strengthen ties with Sub‑Saharan African trading partners. Committee counsel Josh Snead described the measure as three sections: a short title, the three‑year AGOA extension, and a three‑month extension of certain customs user fees to cover the cost of the reauthorization.

Members pressed staff and the counsel over budget treatment and whether the Haiti-related bill in the package included offsets. Snead said the informal pre‑markup offset estimate tied to customs user fees was roughly $1.1 billion and that $578 million of the cost was estimated for AGOA, with $93 million estimated for the Haiti extension. He told the committee that the combined offset would more than cover both measures as drafted.

Debate ranged across priorities. Some members pushed for a longer reauthorization or for mandatory labor and environmental reforms. Rep. Doggett warned that the administration’s unilateral tariff actions can undercut AGOA’s predictable benefits for partner countries. Rep. Sewell, speaking in support, said, “AGOA expired on 09/30/2025. That lapse is doing real harm,” and urged swift congressional action to restore certainty for exporters and workers in both Africa and the U.S.

Other members argued that a short clean extension provides a runway for more comprehensive reform. The committee rejected several amendments that would have curtailed executive discretion on tariffs or added immediate offsets and programmatic changes. The committee adopted an amendment in the nature of a substitute as the base text and, in a roll call, voted to report HR 6,500 (37 yeas to 3 nays).

The committee ordered the bill favorably reported and authorized staff to make technical and conforming changes. Members were given two additional days to file supplemental minority or dissenting views.

What’s next: The bill will go to the House floor for further consideration; supporters urged quick action to avoid further disruption for exporters reliant on AGOA preference treatment.