African manufacturers are making a final push to convince the U.S. Congress to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a duty-free trade program set to expire at the end of September. The initiative, originally passed in 2000 under President Bill Clinton, provides African countries with access to U.S. markets for thousands of products, supporting economic development and employment across textiles, automotive, and mining sectors.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s past aggressive tariff policies have cast doubt on the likelihood of AGOA’s renewal. A previous attempt to extend the program for 16 years failed to reach a congressional vote, raising concerns that there may not be sufficient political will in Washington to approve an extension.
Delegations from Kenya and four other AGOA-eligible countries visited Washington last week to advocate for a one- or two-year extension. Pankaj Bedi, chairman of Kenya’s United Aryan apparel company—which supplies U.S. retailers such as Target and Walmart—and board member of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), led the effort. He said the delegation held more than 30 meetings with members of Congress, congressional staff, and government officials, including aides to House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Bedi noted that discussions were met with bipartisan support from both Republicans and Democrats. However, he stressed uncertainty over whether Congress could attach a renewal to existing legislation in time, given the program’s impending expiration.
The stakes are high. Without an extension, African manufacturers face steep tariff increases, with synthetic textiles potentially seeing duties rise from 10% to 43%. Bedi warned that the sector could face “mass layoffs” if AGOA is not renewed, describing the situation as a “house of cards that will collapse.”
The U.S. has historically used AGOA as both an economic development tool and a strategic measure to counter China’s growing influence in Africa. Should the program lapse, Bedi cautioned that U.S. importers would increasingly turn to Asian manufacturers, reversing progress made by African exporters over the past two decades.
Despite repeated requests, neither the White House nor the offices of the U.S. Trade Representative and Speaker Johnson have publicly commented on the program’s status or whether an extension is being considered.
For African manufacturers, the next two weeks are critical. The outcome will determine whether hundreds of thousands of jobs across the continent’s export industries are preserved or whether the U.S. market once again shifts predominantly to Asia. For now, the delegation’s lobbying represents a last-ditch effort to keep AGOA alive and sustain the fragile but vital trade link between Africa and the United States.
