Kenyan manufacturers have requested a one- to two-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) as it approaches its expiration at the end of this month.
The manufacturers, along with their counterparts in Africa, are lobbying the United States Congress in a last-ditch effort to protect them from the effects of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
AGOA is a trade initiative passed in 2000 under former US President Bill Clinton, designed to give African products duty-free access to the US market and is set to expire this September.
Under the Act, Kenyan exports, especially in important sectors like textiles, tea, and coffee, were exempt from tariffs, earning the country billions in revenue.
Delegations from Kenya and four other AGOA beneficiaries visited Washington last week to advocate for a temporary extension, engaging in over 30 meetings, including with members of Congress and their aides.
According to reporting from Reuters, there was widespread support from both Republican and Democratic members of Congress, including staffers for House Speaker Mike Johnson, to renew AGOA.
However, it remains uncertain whether Congress can pass legislation in the next two weeks to include a renewal.
Without an extension, manufacturers would face significant increases in tariffs on their products, such as a rise from 10 per cent to 43 per cent for synthetic textiles.
Despite bipartisan support in Congress, attempts to extend AGOA faced setbacks after last year’s effort to renew it for 16 years did not reach a vote.
AGOA’s prospects were further jeopardised when Trump took office, as his aggressive trade policies and tariff impositions suggested there would be no extension.
In April 2025, Trump signed an executive order imposing a ten percent reciprocal tariff on Kenyan exports under AGOA, significantly impacting Kenya’s trade with the US, valued at approximately Ksh109.7 billion (784 million USD).
In announcing the tariffs, Trump stated that the main purpose was to protect America's trade interests.
Besides affecting revenue streams, the tariffs were expected to cause mass layoffs, especially in the textile sector, and reduce exports to the US.
