Questions linger over Africa-US trade future as punitive Trump tariffs clip possible benefits of AGOA extension
According to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the extension applies retroactively from September 30, 2025, when the programme expired. Implemented in 2000, AGOA provides duty-free treatment for selected products such as textiles, agricultural goods and vehicles from designated sub-Saharan African countries.
Ginnery construction at Mpeketoni revitalises cotton farming in Lamu County, raises off farm prices
The project has also sparked renewed interest in cotton farming among young people, reversing years of decline in the sector. Chairman of Lamu Farmers’ Cooperative Society Migwi Mwangi said the deliberate inclusion of the youth will spur cotton farming in the region.
Kenya on the verge of duty-free trade deal with China as it negotiates with US renewal of Agoa
Kenya is also a close ally of Washington and is negotiating a separate bilateral trade accord with the Trump administration, giving rise to recent reports in domestic media outlets that closer engagement with China could anger the US. Officials have denied those reports.
AGOA extension by US coincides with Kenya’s accelerated export diversification push
On December 2, during Kenyan President William Ruto’s visit to Washington, US President Donald Trump’s administration announced that it supports a one-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, the trade initiative with sub-Saharan Africa that was to expire last Tuesday, according to a White House official.
Kenya to forge modern, investment-steered trade deal with US after AGOA expiry
In 2024, US exports to Kenya totalled $771 million, representing a 60 per cent increase from the previous year, while Kenyan exports to the US reached $737 million, driven by $470 million in apparel, alongside coffee and cut flowers.
As African nations worry about AGOA trade window lapse, there are signs US is considering extension
Experts say AGOA needs major reforms to live up to its promise. Some companies flag the requirement that eligible countries be re-certified each year as a source of uncertainty that deters long-term investments.
Textile exporters to US plan massive job cuts in Kenya and rest of Africa as AGOA runs full course
A key example of the deal’s impact can be found in Kenya, where it has allowed the country’s textile and apparel sector – makers of jeans, for instance – to effectively compete with Asian exporters such as in Bangladesh and Vietnam.
Kenya’s trade minister holds talks with US counterpart in Washington to address volatile business outlook
Citi Bank, NASDAQ, Cigna Healthcare, Siemens Healthcare, Vantive, American Tower Corporation, Tidal Basin Advisors, BowerGroup Asia and the Burns Brothers were among the companies represented at the session, where discussions explored opportunities in healthcare, digital trade, renewable energy-powered data centres, and infrastructure.
Kenya’s trade minister says Nairobi is engaging Trump regime to renew AGOA treaty
The current agreement, which provides duty-free access to the US market for Kenyan exports, is set to expire in September this year.
