African Manufacturers Push for Extension of U.S. Trade Programme

African manufacturers are in Washington making a final push for a 1–2 year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the U.S. trade programme that gives duty-free access to thousands of products.

AGOA is scheduled to lapse at the end of September 2025, and time is nearly up to attach a renewal to any moving bill in Congress.

What AGOA does—and why it matters

AGOA has been the backbone of U.S.–Africa trade since 2000, waiving tariffs on more than 1,800 product lines on top of items already duty-free under other programmes.

The biggest users are in apparel, autos and parts, agri-processing and certain minerals, industries that employ hundreds of thousands and anchor export zones from Kenya to Lesotho to Madagascar.

The cliff edge: tariffs snap back without a deal

If AGOA expires, U.S. import duties reappear overnight. For some synthetic textiles, the jump could be brutal, rising from around 10% to more than 40%, instantly blowing up price points and margins.

Factory managers warn of layoffs and order cancellations as buyers redirect their business to Asia.

Inside the last-ditch lobbying

Manufacturing delegations, prominently from Kenya, have been canvassing Capitol Hill for a short extension to keep factories running while a longer reauthorisation is negotiated.

Staff in both parties have shown sympathy, but the legislative calendar is tight, and the politics of tariffs are tougher this year.

U.S. officials have long framed AGOA as both a development tool and a way to deepen commercial ties amid rising Chinese influence in Africa.

With broader tariff measures roiling trade this year, African governments worry that even an overwhelmingly popular programme could get caught in the crossfire.