Kenya seeks trade pact with US ahead of AGOA expiry

At a time when Kenya is facing new trade tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump and the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is scheduled to expire next month, Kenya took a step ahead in signing a reciprocal trade pact with the United States.

Kenyan trade cabinet secretary Lee Kinyanjui led a high-level delegation recently to Washington, DC, for talks with US trade representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer. The Kenyan government termed the meeting a key step toward securing a formal trade pact.

As Kenya is facing new US tariffs and the AGOA will expire next month, the country’s trade cabinet secretary Lee Kinyanjui led a high-level delegation recently to Washington, DC, for talks with USTR Jamieson Greer.
Nairobi termed the meeting a key step toward securing a formal trade pact.
Several US firms had expressed interest in establishing or expanding their presence in Kenya, Kinyanjui said.

The discussions were built on earlier engagements Kinyanjui held with Greer in March 2025 and a separate round of talks held by prime cabinet secretary Musalia Mudavadi in May, Kinyanjui said.

“Kenya is deeply interested in the commencement of formal negotiations with the United States Government. A reciprocal trade agreement is crucial for securing long-term access to the US market for Kenyan products and will provide the stability needed to unlock new investments,” Kinyanjui was quoted as saying by domestic media reports.

Several US firms had expressed interest in establishing or expanding their presence in Kenya, he said, adding that a structured framework would make them confident to move forward.

US-Kenya trade stood at $1.5 billion in 2024.

Kenya has been chasing a trade pact with the United States since July 2022, when it announced its intention to negotiate a strategic trade and investment partnership with the latter.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)