President William Ruto secured a one-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act after meeting with U.S. officials in New York. The preferential trade agreement allows Kenya and other sub-Saharan nations to export more than 1,800 products to America without paying duties. Kenya shipped $470 million worth of apparel to the United States in 2024 under the program.
The extension prevents the deal from expiring on Sept. 30 and gives both governments time to negotiate a broader bilateral trade pact. Kenya Private Sector Alliance estimates American consumers save up to $250 million annually through lower prices on jeans and uniforms. Ruto announced the agreement on Saturday during a visit to an affordable housing project in Vihiga County.
The program faces bipartisan support in Congress as Washington aims to maintain economic ties with African nations. Thousands of Kenyan workers in the manufacturing and agriculture sectors depend on duty-free access to sustain their employment. Kenya plans to expand exports of coffee, tea, horticulture products, and textiles through future trade negotiations with the United States.
The extension prevents the deal from expiring on Sept. 30 and gives both governments time to negotiate a broader bilateral trade pact. Kenya Private Sector Alliance estimates American consumers save up to $250 million annually through lower prices on jeans and uniforms. Ruto announced the agreement on Saturday during a visit to an affordable housing project in Vihiga County.
The program faces bipartisan support in Congress as Washington aims to maintain economic ties with African nations. Thousands of Kenyan workers in the manufacturing and agriculture sectors depend on duty-free access to sustain their employment. Kenya plans to expand exports of coffee, tea, horticulture products, and textiles through future trade negotiations with the United States.
