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Kenya is racing against time as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a vital trade pact that provides duty-free access to the US market, is set to expire on September 30. The deal underpins 66,000 apparel jobs and supports nearly 660,000 Kenyans, making it a cornerstone of the country’s export-driven economy. Without renewal, Kenya risks losing its competitive edge to rivals like Vietnam and Bangladesh. To prevent this, Nairobi has dispatched Trade Minister Lee Kinyanjui to Washington to lobby for an extension while weighing a Kenya–US Free Trade Agreement as a longer-term fix. In the meantime, a mitigation plan is essential to shield factories and jobs, turning this challenge into a chance for industrial and agricultural reinvention.
Africa News