Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027
American businesses can continue importing qualifying goods—particularly clothing and textiles—from approved sub-Saharan African countries without paying U.S. tariffs through December 31, 2028. Importers who paid duties on eligible items during any gap between the prior program's expiration and this law's passage can request a full refund, which the government must pay back without interest. To help offset the cost of waiving these import taxes, the measure extends standard federal customs and cargo processing fees on commercial shipments through the end of 2031.
What this bill touches.
Who it helps · who it burdens.
Who it helps
- Importers of goods from beneficiary sub-Saharan African countriesReceive duty-free treatment on qualifying imports through December 31, 2028, and may request refunds for customs duties paid on eligible entries made between September 30, 2025, and the date of enactment (Sec. 2).
- Producers and exporters in beneficiary sub-Saharan African nationsMaintain duty-free access to the U.S. market for their exports, including eligible apparel and third-country fabric goods, through December 31, 2028 (Sec. 2(a)).
Who it burdens
- U.S. Customs and Border ProtectionMust process importer requests to locate and reliquidate eligible entries and issue duty refunds without interest within 90 days of liquidation or reliquidation (Sec. 2(b)).
Who backs it
- Commercial shippers, international travelers, and commercial importersSubject to extended customs inspection fees and merchandise processing fees through December 31, 2031, three months longer than the previous expiration date (Sec. 3).
The provisions, in plain language.
Extends duty-free trade benefits for eligible sub-Saharan African countries under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)—including special trade programs for apparel and third-country fabrics—through December 31, 2028.
Directs U.S. Customs and Border Protection to refund, without interest and within 90 days of processing, customs duties paid on qualifying African imports that entered the U.S. between September 30, 2025, and the date of enactment, provided the importer files a request within 180 days of enactment.
Extends customs inspection fees on arriving passengers, commercial vessels, trucks, and railcars, as well as the current merchandise processing fee rate on imported goods, through December 31, 2031.
How your members of Congress line up
How members voted on Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027.
Recorded roll calls on this bill, most recent first. Open one to see each member's position.
How it moved.
Show all 32 actions
- Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Yea-Nay Vote. 90 - 6. Record Vote Number: 228.
- Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Yea-Nay Vote. 90 - 6. Record Vote Number: 228.
- Motion by Senator Thune to commit to Senate Committee on Appropriations with instructions to report back forthwith with the following amendment SA 6740 fell when cloture on amendment SA 6732 was invoked in Senate.
- Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S4542, S4546-4547, S4553-4555)
- Cloture motion on the measure presented in Senate. (CR S4449)
- Motion by Senator Thune to commit to Senate Committee on Appropriations with instructions to report back forthwith with the following amendment SA 6740 made in Senate.
- Measure laid before Senate by motion. (consideration: CR S4448-4449)
- Motion to proceed to consideration of measure agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote. (CR S4448)
- Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate. (CR S4448)
- Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate. (CR S4415)
- Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate. (CR S4414)
- Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 89 - 4. Record Vote Number: 218. (CR S4405)
- Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to the measure presented in Senate. (CR S4365)
- Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate. (CR S4360)
- Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 320.
- Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
- Received in the Senate.
- Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- 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)
- 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)
- Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H646)
- 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.
- DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6500.
- Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H637-642)
- Mr. Smith (MO) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 362.
- Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 119-416.
- Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 37 - 3.
- Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
- Introduced in House
- Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Yea-Nay Vote. 90 - 6. Record Vote Number: 228.
- Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Yea-Nay Vote. 90 - 6. Record Vote Number: 228.
- Motion by Senator Thune to commit to Senate Committee on Appropriations with instructions to report back forthwith with the following amendment SA 6740 fell when cloture on amendment SA 6732 was invoked in Senate.
- Cloture motion on the measure presented in Senate. (CR S4449)
- Motion to proceed to consideration of measure agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote. (CR S4448)
- Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 89 - 4. Record Vote Number: 218. (CR S4405)
- Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to the measure presented in Senate. (CR S4365)
- Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- 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)
- 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)
- Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 119-416.
- Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 37 - 3.
- Introduced in House
Read it for yourself.
Sources & provenance
Cite this page
Civic Herald. “Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 (H.R. 6500, 119th Congress).” https://civicherald.app/bills/119-hr-6500. Congress.gov record as of Aug 18, 2026.