US Extends AGOA by Three Years, Kenya Targets Wider Export Growth
Business Updated: 14 January 2026 21:12 EAT
Trade CS Hon. Lee Kinyanjui
The United States has approved a three-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), offering renewed relief to African exporters whose preferential access to the US market was set to lapse later this year.
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade and Industry, Lee Kinyanjui, confirmed the development, saying the extension removes uncertainty that had weighed heavily on exporters and investors, particularly in the textile and apparel sector.
Kinyanjui noted that AGOA remains critical to Kenya’s economy, with the apparel industry under the framework employing tens of thousands of workers directly and supporting many more through related value chains.
He said the government is now focusing on leveraging the extended window to expand Kenya’s export basket beyond garments, with plans to scale up exports of agricultural produce such as coffee, tea and horticultural products to the US market.
The Trade CS added that discussions are ongoing with American counterparts on deeper trade arrangements that could provide longer-term and more comprehensive market access beyond AGOA.
AGOA, which provides duty-free access to the US for eligible goods from sub-Saharan Africa, had been due to expire, raising concerns among exporters about potential tariffs and loss of competitiveness.
Kenya remains one of the leading beneficiaries of the programme, and the latest extension is expected to stabilise jobs, boost investor confidence and support the country’s broader export-led growth strategy.
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FELIX MAKONA
FACT FINDER AND DATA DRIVEN JOURNALIST. DATA MINING AT IT'S BEST. GET FACTS RANGING FROM MATTERS DISABILITY AND INCLUSION, POLITICS, ECONOMY, SPORTS AND GENERAL NEWS AROUND THE WORLD