Bill > S1009

This bill, the AGOA Extension and Enhancement Act of 2015, aims to extend and improve trade programs that benefit sub-Saharan African countries and Haiti. Specifically, it extends the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a program designed to boost trade and investment between the U.S. and sub-Saharan Africa, by ten years, until September 30, 2025, and makes modifications to its rules of origin to potentially increase utilization. It also extends the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), a program that provides duty-free treatment for certain goods from developing countries, until December 31, 2017, and includes provisions for retroactive application and specific rules for cotton articles. Furthermore, the bill extends Haiti's preferential duty treatment program until September 30, 2025, and makes adjustments to its eligibility requirements. The bill also includes provisions for monitoring and reviewing country eligibility for these programs, encouraging the development of utilization strategies by beneficiary countries, and deepening trade and investment ties between the U.S. and sub-Saharan Africa.