Wayne Lumbasi
Kenya is racing to finalize a bilateral trade agreement with the United States before the end of 2025 while lobbying Washington for a five year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
President William Ruto said the negotiations aim to secure long term access for Kenyan exports such as apparel, tea, coffee and avocados to the US market.
AGOA, first enacted in 2000, gives duty free access to thousands of African goods but is set to expire later this year unless renewed by Congress. Kenya, one of the program’s largest beneficiaries, fears thousands of jobs especially in its textile and apparel sector could be lost if the scheme lapses without a replacement.
Ruto said he has raised the issue with senior US officials and urged lawmakers to approve a multi year extension to give African economies stability while new trade frameworks are negotiated. “AGOA has been a bridge between Africa and the US and must not be disrupted,” he told reporters.
Kenya’s trade ministry says substantial progress has been made toward a bilateral agreement, but uncertainty in Washington and shifting US trade priorities under President Donald Trump’s administration have complicated the process. Trump has signaled a tougher stance on trade preferences, warning they must deliver reciprocal benefits to American workers.
Business groups and African manufacturers have mounted an intensive lobbying effort on Capitol Hill to extend AGOA even temporarily. Without renewal, many goods currently entering the US duty free could face steep tariffs, threatening Kenya’s competitiveness.
Officials in Nairobi hope a new bilateral deal combined with an AGOA extension will provide certainty for exporters and encourage US investment, positioning Kenya as a gateway for American businesses into the wider African market.
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