AGOA Extension Act
This bill extends through December 31, 2028, trade preferences that provide duty-free access to the U.S. market for most exports from eligible countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The bill also extends through December 31, 2031, customs user fees and merchandise processing fees.
Specifically, the bill extends through 2028 the duty-free treatment of the products of beneficiary SSA countries under the Trade Act of 1974 (specifically, the Generalized System of Preferences) and the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). (Currently, there are 32 countries eligible for AGOA.)
Additionally, the extended period applies to the following provisions of AGOA: (1) the duty-free treatment of certain apparel articles from beneficiary SSA countries; and (2) the third-country fabric provision, which allows limited amounts of apparel articles from lesser developed beneficiary SSA countries to qualify for duty-free treatment, even if the yarns and fabrics used in their production are imported from non-AGOA countries (e.g., apparel assembled in Kenya with Chinese fabrics).
The bill also provides for the refund of duties (i.e., liquidation or reliquidation of entries) on articles from eligible SSA countries that entered into the United States after September 30, 2025, and before the date of this bill's enactment. A refund request must be filed with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and must contain sufficient information for CBP to locate the entry or, if the entry cannot be located, reconstruct the entry. CBP must refund any duties previously paid with respect to the entry within 90 days.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6500 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6500
To extend duty-free treatment provided with respect to imports from
certain countries in Africa under the African Growth and Opportunity
Act, to extend customs user fees, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 9, 2025
Mr. Smith of Missouri (for himself and Mr. Smith of Nebraska)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Ways and Means
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To extend duty-free treatment provided with respect to imports from
certain countries in Africa under the African Growth and Opportunity
Act, to extend customs user fees, 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 ``AGOA Extension Act''.
SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT FOR CERTAIN COUNTRIES IN
AFRICA UNDER THE AFRICAN GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY ACT;
RETROACTIVE APPLICATION.
(a) Extension.--
(1) Trade act of 1974.--Section 506B of the Trade Act of
1974 (19 U.S.C. 2466b) is amended by striking ``September 30,
2025'' and inserting ``December 31, 2028''.
(2) African growth and opportunity act.--
(A) In general.--Section 112(g) of the African
Growth and Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 3721(g)) is
amended by striking ``September 30, 2025'' and
inserting ``December 31, 2028''.
(B) Regional apparel article program.--Section
112(b)(3)(A) of the African Growth and Opportunity Act
(19 U.S.C. 3721(b)(3)(A)) is amended--
(i) in clause (i), by striking ``21
succeeding'' and inserting ``24 succeeding'';
and
(ii) in clause (ii)(II), by striking
``September 30, 2025'' and inserting ``December
31, 2028''.
(C) Third-country fabric program.--Section
112(c)(1) of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (19
U.S.C. 3721(c)(1)) is amended--
(i) in the paragraph heading, by striking
``September 30, 2025'' and inserting ``December
31, 2028'';
(ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking
``September 30, 2025'' and inserting ``December
31, 2028''; and
(iii) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking
``September 30, 2025'' and inserting ``December
31, 2028''.
(b) Retroactive Application.--
(1) In general.--Notwithstanding section 514 of the Tariff
Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1514) or any other provision of law, and
subject to paragraph (2), any entry of a covered article to
which duty-free treatment or other preferential treatment under
section 506A of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2466a) would
have applied if the entry had been made on September 30, 2025,
that was made--
(A) after September 30, 2025, and
(B) before the date of the enactment of this Act,
shall be liquidated or reliquidated as though such entry
occurred on the date of the enactment of this Act.
(2) Requests.--A liquidation or reliquidation may be made
under paragraph (1) with respect to an entry only if a request
therefor is filed with the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act that contains sufficient information to
enable such Commissioner--
(A) to locate the entry; or
(B) to reconstruct the entry if it cannot be
located.
(3) Payment of amounts owed.--Any amounts owed by the
United States pursuant to the liquidation or reliquidation of
an entry of a covered article under paragraph (1) shall be
paid, without interest of any kind, not later than 90 days
after the date of the liquidation or reliquidation (as the case
may be).
(4) Definitions.--In this subsection:
(A) Covered article.--The term ``covered article''
means an article from a country that is designated by
the President as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African
country under section 104 of the African Growth and
Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 3703) as of the day before
the date of the enactment of this Act.
(B) Entry.--The term ``entry'' includes a
withdrawal from warehouse for consumption.
SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF CUSTOMS USER FEES.
(a) In General.--Section 13031(j)(3) of the Consolidated Omnibus
Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (19 U.S.C. 58c(j)(3)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``September 30, 2031''
and inserting ``December 31, 2031''; and
(2) in subparagraph (B)(i), by striking ``September 30,
2031'' and inserting ``December 31, 2031''.
(b) Rate for Merchandise Processing Fees.--Section 503 of the
United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (19 U.S.C.
3805 note) is amended by striking ``September 30, 2031'' and inserting
``December 31, 2031''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 37 - 3.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 119-416.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 119-416.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 362.
Mr. Smith (MO) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H637-642)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6500.
At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
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Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H646)
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 340 - 54 (Roll no. 14). (text: CR H637)
Roll Call #14 (House)On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 340 - 54 (Roll no. 14). (text: CR H637)
Roll Call #14 (House)Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Received in the Senate.
Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 320.