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US Senate extends AGOA to 2028; Kenya apparel still 70% of US-bound goods

By Brian Kiprop 2 min read
US Senate extends AGOA to 2028; Kenya apparel still 70% of US-bound goods

Key points

  • Ministry of Trade: US Senate approved extending AGOA so eligible Kenyan goods stay duty-free through 31 December 2028, once the Bill is fully enacted.
  • CS Lee Kinyanjui: apparel is 70% of Kenya’s US exports; the third-country fabric rule for EPZs is preserved.
  • Exporters who paid duties after AGOA lapsed on 30 September 2025 can seek CBP refunds within 90 days of enactment.
  • KNBS 2025 survey: AGOA apparel exports Sh60.6 billion (~$470m) in 2024, up 19% from Sh50.8 billion, supporting more than 66,000 direct jobs.

Duty-free into the United States now has a new sunset: 31 December 2028, if the Senate-passed Africa Growth and Opportunity Act extension is fully enacted, Eastleigh Voice reported from the Trade ministry.

Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui said the extra years give factories a planning horizon and that apparel is still 70 per cent of Kenya’s US-bound goods. The third-country fabric rule stays: EPZ firms can buy yarn and cloth outside AGOA, add value here and ship garments duty-free. The ministry also welcomed refunds for duties paid in the gap after the old programme died on 30 September 2025 until the new Bill becomes law — Kinyanjui said those shippers “will not face financial penalties,” and Nairobi will help file with US Customs and Border Protection inside 90 days. Kenya, the ministry said, remains the largest AGOA garment beneficiary; more than 70 per cent of its textile and apparel exports go to the US. The 2025 KNBS Economic Survey put 2024 AGOA apparel at Sh60.6 billion (about $470 million), up 19 per cent from Sh50.8 billion, and more than 66,000 direct jobs. Flowers, tea, coffee and macadamia also ride the preference. Over 6,000 product lines are eligible. A Senate vote is not a presidential signature — EPZ managers should watch enactment, not only the presser.

A 2028 date is not a filled order book

Refunds and fabric rules matter only if CBP processes the 90-day claims and buyers keep placing 2026–27 programmes. Idle machines after September 2025 will not restart on a communiqué.

Business desk: Business. Verified 2028 date, 70% apparel, Sh60.6 billion and 66,000 jobs from Eastleigh Voice / ministry / KNBS.

Trade should publish a CBP refund how-to the week of enactment. EPZA should list how many lines paused in the 2025 gap.

Exporters should diary the 90-day clock; a missed claim is a lost duty, not a talking point.

Readers should cross-check any deadline, fee, court date or programme claim against primary gazettes, agency circulars and court records before acting on this report.

Official gazettes, court rulings and agency circulars may update these facts after publication; readers should verify any deadline, fee or court date against primary sources before acting.

Based on Eastleigh Voice reporting of the Trade ministry statement. The extension still needs full US enactment.