Trade & Tariff Round-Up

By SPESA

While tariffs are always at the top of every news cycle these days, we have also seen a surprising amount of actual trade deals in recent weeks. President Trump has signed reciprocal trade agreements with India, Guatemala, and El Salvador, and approved short-term extensions of two trade preference programs: the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act (HOPE/HELP) (retroactively extended from their expiration date on September 30, 2025 for 15 months).

See below for a round-up of news and information on each of these actions as well as some additional insights on the current administration’s trade and tariff policies.

Guatemala Trade Agreement:

• U.S. Signs Reciprocal Trade Agreement with Guatemala Covering Textiles, Apparel - Just Style

• Reciprocal Trade Agreement with Guatemala Reinforces U.S. Textile-Western Hemisphere Partnership - NCTO Press Release via Textile World

• Trade Deal Highlights Guatemala’s Role Beyond Nearshoring Hype - RFDTV

El Salvador Trade Agreement:

• U.S.-El Salvador Reciprocal Trade Agreement To Boost Textile Exports - Just Style

• U.S. Textile Industry Commends Administration on Reciprocal Trade Agreement with El Salvador that Bolsters the Domestic Supply Chain - NCTO Press Release via Textile World

The U.S. trade agreements with Guatemala and El Salvador will remove reciprocal tariffs on exports to the U.S. for certain products, including textile and apparel products, originating under the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). Learn more here.

India Trade Agreement:

• India-U.S. ‘Strike Trade Deal’ but Apparel Sector Holds Off on Celebrating - Just Style

• Trump Touts Trade Deal with India, Drastically Slashing Duties - Sourcing Journal

• India’s Modi Praised for U.S. Trade Deal as Opposition Questions Impact on Agriculture - AP News

• Modi, Trump Announce India-US ‘Trade Deal’: What We Know and What We Don’t - Aljazeera

• Trump Tariff Cut: India’s Textiles and Leather Set for U.S. Revival - The Economic Times

• India-U.S. Deal Gives New Lease of Life to Indian Footwear Industry - Apparel Resources

AGOA & HELP/HOPE:

• Critical Trade Preference Programs AGOA and Haiti HOPE/HELP Extended - Sourcing Journal

• Industry Recognizes Progress with Enactment of AGOA and Haiti HOPE/HELP Programs - AAFA Press Release

• What They Are Saying: Africa and Haiti Trade Programs Support American Producers, Promote America’s Strategic Interests, Improve National Security - Press Release, U.S. House Committee on Ways & Means

• U.S. Textile Sector Applauds Renewal of AGOA, HOPE/HELP Trade Agreements - Just Style

• Trump Extends AGOA by a Year – but Wants More U.S. Benefits - African Business

• AGOA’s Short-Term Renewal May Not Be a Long-Term Win - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Other Trade & Tariff News:

• Navigating Change: Experts Share Their Insights on Trade, Tariffs and the U.S. Textile Industry - Textile Technology Source

• The Effects of Tariffs, One Year into Trump’s Trade Experiment - The New York Times

• U.S. Manufacturing Is in Retreat and Trump’s Tariffs Aren’t Helping - The Wall Street Journal

• Trump’s Tariffs: Tracking the Status of International Trade Actions - Manufacturing Dive