Kenya Seeks Waiver on 10% Tariff Imposed by the United States

By Billian Fatima 

 Kenya is set to request a waiver from the United States regarding the 10% baseline tariff recently announced by the Trump administration. The tariff, which is part of a broader trade measure, will be applied to all imports into the U.S. from 185 countries, including Kenya.

Kenya is currently exempt from such tariffs under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a trade agreement that allows African nations preferential access to U.S. markets. However, the agreement is set to expire in September 2025, prompting concerns that the newly introduced tariffs could impact the country’s exports to the U.S. once AGOA expires.

In response to the tariff changes, Kenya’s Foreign Principal Secretary, Korir Sing’oei, expressed optimism that the new tariffs would not take effect before the expiration of AGOA. Sing’oei stated that the country would actively seek a waiver for the 10% tariff, emphasizing that until the law lapses or is repealed by Congress, the imposition of the tariff may not be immediately applicable.

“While the tariffs may be one of the lowest, we shall be vigorously advocating for their waiver. Additionally, as AGOA is a Congressional framework for market access to the U.S. by African exporters, it is our considered view that until the law lapses at the end of September 2025, or unless repealed earlier by Congress, the new tariffs imposed by President Trump will in any event still not be immediately applicable,” Sing’oei said.

Kenya is not the only African country affected by the tariff changes. Other African nations, including Rwanda, Burundi, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Uganda, have also been subjected to the 10% baseline tariff. Some countries, including Nigeria, Malawi, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, and Mozambique, are facing even higher tariffs, ranging from 14% to 18%.

The new tariffs are part of President Trump’s trade policy aimed at increasing duties on imports from key trading partners, impacting a wide range of goods from several countries. As Kenya prepares to navigate these changes, officials remain hopeful that a diplomatic solution will mitigate the impact of the new tariffs on the country’s exports.

April 03, 2025