The American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic (AMCHAMDR) welcomed the U.S. Congress' final approval of legislation extending the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) and Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) on an unspecified date. ^[1] Juan Del Rosario, an economist and specialist in international business, stated that the Dominican Republic could use a potential bilateral trade negotiation with the United States to eliminate a 12.5% tariff and establish protection against new unilateral tariff measures. ^[2] AMCHAMDR said the extension will support Haiti's garment industry, which benefits from preferential access to the U.S. market, while helping preserve formal jobs and encourage investment. ^[3] The extended legislation now awaits the U.S. president's signature to become law. ^[4] Juan Del Rosario emphasized that the negotiation should create a 'umbrella' to prevent new general or reciprocal tariff impositions from affecting Dominican exports. ^[5] Juan Del Rosario explained that the Dominican Republic should negotiate better access for agricultural products, especially meat, and other Dominican products with export potential to the US market. ^[6] Juan Del Rosario stated that any modification to market access, tariffs, or quotas must be based on the DR-CAFTA treaty and submitted to the US Congress, arguing that a memorandum of understanding would contradict the legal framework. ^[7] AMCHAMDR highlighted the programs' role in a regional supply chain linking Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the United States. ^[8]