Manufacturers who exported goods to the United States under the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) will be refunded for duties paid between expiry and extension period of the trade deal.
This follows a provision in the Act allowing for retroactive duty refunds paid between September 30 2025 when the preferential trade deal expired and February 2026 when it was enacted.
Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui said the government is now working with the US Government to ensure exporters are refunded the duties.
“The Ministry will work closely with our exporters to facilitate the filing of requests with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to ensure all eligible duties paid during this window are refunded within the mandated 90 days,” said Kinyanjui.
While welcoming the deal which will run until December 31, 2028, Kinyanjui said the AGOA guarantees Kenyan enterprises continued exports of thousands of product lines to the U.S. without the burden of tariff.
Out of 1,800 eligible products for export to the US under the act, textile and apparel accounts for the largest share of Kenyan exports.
“The renewed trade predictability through to 2028 aligns perfectly with Kenya’s commitment to supporting local manufacturers to increase their production capacity and diversify Kenya’s export portfolio under the 6,000+ eligible product lines,” he added.
Official data indicate that in 2024 alone, apparel exports under AGOA rose by 19% to Ksh 60.6 billion from Ksh 50.8 billion recorded in 2023.
According to the ministry, the apparel sector under AGOA supports at least 66,000 direct jobs in Kenya.
