Sub-Saharan Africa Trade Preference Extension and User Fee Stability Act of 2027

This Act extends the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) duty-free treatment for eligible sub-Saharan African countries through December 31, 2028, consistent with the original bill. It also extends the third-country fabric provision and apparel duty-free treatment for lesser-developed beneficiary countries under the same terms. The extension applies only to countries that meet the existing eligibility criteria under the Trade Act of 1974, including compliance with rule-of-law, human rights, and labor standards. The Act extends the authorization for customs user fees and merchandise processing fees through December 31, 2031, at the existing rates and without increasing the fee schedule. These fees shall be dedicated to the operation of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the modernization of trade facilitation systems, with a required annual report to Congress on fee collection and expenditure. For retroactive refunds, the Act directs CBP to accept refund requests for duties paid on eligible AGOA/GSP articles that entered the United States after September 30, 2025, and before the date of enactment. The Secretary of Homeland Security shall promulgate a streamlined refund application process within 60 days of enactment, requiring only the entry number or sufficient documentation to reconstruct the entry. CBP shall process and refund eligible entries within 90 days of a complete application. Refunds shall be paid from the Customs User Fee account, subject to a cap of $250 million for this retroactive refund program. The Act includes a sunset clause: all extensions and the refund authority expire on December 31, 2028, except the user fee extension, which expires December 31, 2031. The Government Accountability Office shall conduct an independent evaluation by December 31, 2027, of the economic impact of AGOA on beneficiary countries and U.S. importers, and submit recommendations to Congress on whether to further extend or modify the program. No extension shall be automatic; any future continuation requires new legislation.