Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027

H.R. 6500, the AGOA Extension Act, sponsored by Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO), extends duty-free import treatment for eligible sub-Saharan African countries under the African Growth and Opportunity Act. It pushes the expiration date for AGOA preferences, the Regional Apparel Article program, and the Third-Country Fabric program from September 30, 2025 to December 31, 2028, and extends certain customs user fees from September 30, 2031 to December 31, 2031. The bill also allows retroactive duty-free treatment for qualifying goods entered between the prior expiration and enactment, provided a request is filed with U.S. Customs and Border Protection within 180 days of enactment, with any refunds owed paid within 90 days.

The bill primarily affects importers of goods from eligible sub-Saharan African countries, those countries' exporters, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which administers the preference program and processes the retroactive claims.

The House passed the bill on January 12, 2026. The Senate passed it with an amendment and a title amendment on August 8, 2026 (90-6), sending it back to the House, which must now agree to the Senate's changes before the bill can go to the President for signature.

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