AWARE THAT, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), enacted in 2000, was designed …

Motion text

AWARE THAT, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), enacted in 2000, was designed to enhance economic development and strengthen governance in eligible Sub-Saharan African countries by granting duty- free access to the United States of America market, thereby increasing trade and investment; RECOGNIZING THAT, AGOA has played a critical role in expanding trade, attracting investment, and creating employment, especially for low- income workers, thus fostering economic growth and social stability; CONCERNED THAT, the current extension of the AGOA programme, which was granted in 2015, is set to expire in September 2025, posing a serious risk of economic disruption, will cause job losses of approximately 66,000 Kenyans and many other related indirect job losses, and result in increased poverty across AGOA- dependent sectors in the Sub- Saharan region; NOTING THAT, women comprise approximately 75% of the direct beneficiaries of AGOA, and that their incomes directly support education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation; ACKNOWLEDGING THAT, AGOA has significantly boosted African exports to the United States of America, including agricultural products such as coffee, nuts, fruits, and vegetables, amounting to over USD 500 million in 2020, as well as enhancing local textile and cotton industries that have generated thousands of jobs; FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGING THAT, the expiration of the term of AGOA would trigger market uncertainty, deter investment, disrupt supply chains, and adversely impact both African and American businesses that rely on AGOA- linked trade; COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT, AGOA has been greatly beneficial to the United States by supporting supply chain diversification, strengthening bilateral trade ties, and connecting United States of America businesses to opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA); APPRECIATING THAT, the continued existence of the AGOA framework would enhance the trade and investment prospects for both the United States of America and the eligible countries in Africa; NOW THEREFORE, this House urges the Government of Kenya, in collaboration with the Government of the United States of America, to pursue an extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for an additional sixteen (16) years, until 2041, to safeguard the economic gains, protect livelihoods, and promote long-term stability and prosperity across the African continent and in the alternative, in the case of non- renewal, there be a transition period of two (2) years to develop a trade deal that shall safeguard the businesses and job opportunities in both Kenya and the United States of America.