Kenya aims to secure U.S. trade deal by year-end, says trade minister

Kenya hopes to finalize a trade agreement with the United States by the end of this year, Trade Minister Rebecca Miano told Reuters, in a move that could safeguard exports to a key market if the current regional arrangement lapses this month.

Her comments marked the first indication from either side of a possible timeline for the negotiations. If successful, the deal would be the first of its kind between Washington and a sub-Saharan African nation.

“It also depends on them (the Americans), but we believe that before the end of the year we can conclude some negotiations,” Miano said in a late Thursday interview.

The U.S. Trade Representative’s office, led by Jamieson Greer, did not respond to requests for comment on the status or timing of the talks.

Miano met Greer in Washington last month, where both sides agreed to begin negotiations toward a reciprocal trade deal. No further rounds of talks or meetings have since been announced.

The urgency of an expiring duty-free program

Talks have gained urgency as Kenya faces a 10% tariff on its exports imposed by former President Donald Trump earlier this year, and with the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)—the duty-free program that benefits eligible African nations—set to expire at the end of September.

Kenya, which exported goods worth $737 million to the U.S. last year—about 10% of its total exports—resumed trade negotiations in August to secure market access, aiming to conclude a process first launched during Trump’s initial term in 2020.

Under President Joe Biden, negotiations toward a trade and investment partnership focused on removing non-tariff barriers had begun, but they were left incomplete when Trump returned to office in January.

Although Kenya is one of Washington’s closest allies in the region and was designated a major non-NATO ally in 2024, U.S. officials have criticized Nairobi’s recent moves to deepen ties with China. President William Ruto has defended closer engagement with Beijing, saying Kenya needs to boost exports to narrow its large trade deficit with the Asian economy.

Miano declined to discuss the potential terms of a new agreement but said the intention was “largely to replicate” AGOA provisions, which allow thousands of products from 32 eligible African countries to enter the U.S. duty-free.

While African governments and businesses are pressing for AGOA’s renewal, Trump’s aggressive trade stance has cast doubt over its extension. The White House, Greer’s office, and the U.S. House Speaker did not respond to requests for comment on the program’s future.

Protecting jobs in Kenya’s textile industry

“If there’s no clarity, there will be disruption,” Miano warned, adding that the government hopes for some form of extension to protect jobs in the textile and apparel sector from the “sudden end of AGOA.”

AGOA supports around 300,000 direct and indirect jobs in Kenya’s textile industry, where factories produce jeans, uniforms, and garments for major U.S. retailers such as Walmart and Target.

Even after Trump raised tariffs, the 10% duty imposed on Kenyan exports remains lower than the rates applied to countries like Vietnam or South Africa, which officials say will help cushion the blow if AGOA ends.

“We believe we can still remain competitive,” Miano said. “You’ll see that big companies really want to come to Kenya.”