PROSPER in the Pacific Act
Sponsored By: Representative Case, Ed [D-HI-1]
Introduced
Summary
Creates a U.S.-led preferential trade program for Pacific Islands to boost trade, jobs, and economic resilience while tying benefits to worker rights, environmental enforcement, and anti-corruption standards.
Show full summary
- Pacific Islands countries: Eligible nations would qualify for preferential, duty-free treatment on designated imports if they meet standards drawn from the African Growth and Opportunity Act and the Trade Act, including protections for worker rights, human rights, and environmental enforcement. Duty-free treatment ends December 31, 2036.
- Exporters and civil society: Within 180 days the bill would launch a trade facilitation and capacity-building program to help exporters, financial institutions, and governments with export finance training, publishing trade rules online, and outreach to civil society and indigenous groups.
- U.S. trade policy and oversight: The President would be required to deliver a plan within 12 months for negotiating free trade agreements with interested Pacific Island beneficiaries and to provide an annual trade and investment implementation report through 2036 to guide U.S. engagement in the region.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
Trade help for Pacific exporters
Within 180 days after enactment, the President would set up a trade facilitation and capacity-building program for eligible Pacific Islands. The program would help exporters and potential exporters with outreach, export-finance training, and publishing trade rules and forms online. It would also encourage public-private dialogue to reduce trade costs and improve access to U.S. tariff-preference programs.
Annual U.S. Pacific trade report
The President would submit a comprehensive trade and investment policy and implementation report for the Pacific Islands within one year of enactment. The report would then be required every year through 2036. The reports would inform Congress, businesses, and stakeholders about progress and any implementation problems.
Duty-free access with worker standards
This bill would create a new U.S. preferential trade program for 13 named Pacific Islands. The President would decide which countries and which exported articles get duty-free or other preferential treatment. Countries would be evaluated using trade-act style criteria, and income-threshold tests would be waived. Countries that fail worker-rights tests, commit gross human-rights violations, or fail to enforce environmental laws (including IUU fishing) could lose benefits. Any duty-free treatment under the program would end after December 31, 2036.
Plan to negotiate Pacific trade deals
The President would have 12 months to send Congress a plan for negotiating one or more free trade agreements with willing Pacific Islands countries. The plan would list negotiation objectives, a timetable, anticipated subjects, roles for regional groups, and consultation procedures with Congress and the private sector. The plan is intended to prepare for FTAs but would not itself change tariffs.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Case, Ed [D-HI-1]
HI • D
Cosponsors
Del. Radewagen, Aumua Amata Coleman [R-AS-At Large]
AS • R
Sponsored 3/25/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov