Kenya may be barred from exporting textile products to the US under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) in three years unless it revives the cotton industry.

Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive officer Titus Ruhiu said at the weekend that the Act stipulates that only textile products made from locally produced raw material would be allowed into the US market by 2008.

Currently, some industrialists have been relying on imported thread and cotton as Kenya does not have enough raw material following the collapse of the cotton subsector.

Mr Ruhiu was addressing business people in Nakuru town during a meeting organised by the Nakuru Business Association (NBA).

It was attended also by the organisation's national chairman, Mr David Githere, Nakuru district commissioner James Mwaura and NBA chairman Peter Kinya.

Mr Ruhiu said most industries in the town had collapsed over the past 20 years due to poor political leadership, and urged the business community to take advantage of the changed environment.

Note from AGOA.info: After September 2007, Kenya and other developing countries will have to source their textile inputs either from within the country or from within the region (i.e. other AGOA qualifying countries). All other products will continue to be eligible for duty-free access to the U.S. market until 2015.

Latest AGOA Trade Data currently available on AGOA.info


Click here to view a sector profile of Kenya’s bilateral trade with the United States, disaggregated by total exports and imports, AGOA exports and GSP exports.

Other regularly updated trade statistics on AGOA.info include: (click each link to view)