Government Responds to Trump’s U-turn, Plans to Appeal New Trade Tariff
The Kenyan government has announced plans to challenge the recent decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to impose a 10 per cent trade tariff on Kenyan exports.
This comes after Trump suddenly paused the enforcement of the tariff for 90 days, offering room for further consultations with the affected countries.
Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui, speaking on Monday, April 14, confirmed that Kenya would use the 90-day suspension period to officially appeal the tariff decision.
According to Kinyanjui, the government has already prepared strong arguments and supporting documents to present its case against the new tariff.
“The temporary suspension allows all countries a chance to explain their positions. I want to assure Kenyans that we are not just sitting back—we are actively working on appealing this ten per cent tariff. We’ve already written out the reasons and justification for our appeal,” Kinyanjui explained.
The tariff in question was part of a new executive order signed by President Trump on Wednesday, April 2.
The order introduced a 10 per cent baseline tariff on all Kenyan goods exported to the United States.
This move was expected to impact Kenya’s trade, which is valued at approximately Ksh109.7 billion (USD 784 million), particularly in sectors like textiles, tea, and coffee—industries that have long benefited from duty-free access under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
Among these, the textile industry is of special concern as it represents the largest portion of Kenya’s exports to the U.S.
However, CS Kinyanjui tried to reassure stakeholders by pointing out that Kenya is not among the worst-affected countries.
He noted that other major textile exporters to the U.S.—such as Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh—have been slapped with even higher tariffs of 46, 44, and 37 per cent respectively.
“When you compare the tariff imposed on us with those imposed on our competitors, Kenya’s ten per cent rate is actually much lower.
This could, in fact, make our goods more competitive in the U.S. market,” Kinyanjui said.
Despite this, the government remains concerned that the tariffs could still harm the economy by leading to a decrease in exports, potential job losses, and reduced earnings for businesses that heavily depend on the U.S. market.
While announcing the tariff policy, President Trump insisted that the main goal was to protect American economic interests in global trade.
However, his recent U-turn came after feedback from countries like Kenya, prompting him to issue a temporary 90-day suspension of the tariffs to allow for consultations.
Trump explained that the affected countries had not initially objected to the tariffs, but after further dialogue, the U.S. government decided to provide a grace period for further discussions.
As Kenya prepares to lodge its formal appeal, the outcome of this diplomatic effort will be closely watched by exporters, business leaders, and workers who rely on U.S. trade for their livelihoods.
Join Our Political Forum official 2025 WhatsApp Channel To Stay Updated On time https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaWT5gSGufImU8R0DO30
