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Originally published by Citizen DigitalSeptember 18, 2025
1h ago
African manufacturers in last-ditch bid to extend US trade programme

African manufacturers in last-ditch bid to extend US trade programme..
✨ Key Highlights
African manufacturers are making a last-ditch effort to secure a one or two-year extension for the U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a duty-free trade program set to expire at the end of September. This urgent lobbying campaign aims to prevent a collapse of the industry and significant job losses across Africa.
- An attempt to renew AGOA for 16 years last year failed to reach a vote in Congress.
- Pankaj Bedi, chairman of apparel company United Aryan and Kenya Association of Manufacturers board member, led a delegation from Kenya and four other AGOA beneficiaries to Washington, conducting over 30 engagements with lawmakers.
- Without an extension, tariffs on products like synthetic textiles could jump from 10% to 43%, potentially leading to mass layoffs in the textiles sector and shifting business to Asian manufacturers.
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