Kenya won't lose Agoa status, but its EAC partners may be thrown out

[Dhuks]

Wakenya wanafiki sana. Walivunja east Africa community kipindi kile kwa unafiki wao. Sasa ivi wakivunja na tunafungia hakuna nyang'au wowote wa Kenya kuja apa Beautiful land of Tanzania

Kenya had no obligation to finance East African community while the so called brothers were having a free ride, read history and preferably not Tanzania propaganda

 

[Iconoclastes]

Bora hata Watanzania wenzangu wamekujibu, because you've started to loose the plot. Hivi hata ulisoma nilichoandika au umekurupuka kujibu haraka haraka, didn't you see the part I said.... Kenya is not producing enough yarn, enough polyester, enough dye, keyword here is ENOUGH. Even though, unasema Kenya mna-vibrate chemical industry (which i will not believe for a second), wapi mnapata "secondary" raw material za kutosheleza viwanda vya nguo, vipi Kenya cotton industry ni kubwa ya kuweza kutosheleza production ya nguo zote hizo, do you even know what is required to produce polyester material, sawing machine zinatoka wapi?

But the funny thing is ...pale manpokataa kukataza mitumba, your making brand new cloth, ship them to US, end then import them back as mitumba. Mbaya zaidi, those brand new cloth you've sold to US are paying for themselves kwa pesa mnayonunulia mitumba. In the simple terms, matajiri wanaolazimisha AGOA iendelee ili watengeneze pesa hawajali watu wa kipato cha chini wanavaa nini. How sad is that.


Why China and India benefit more from Agoa than Kenya

'Does AGOA unfairly benefit Chinese firms?' - Agoa.info - African Growth and Opportunity Act

AGOA benefited Chinese entrepreneurs more than Africans, says Mboweni - African Business Magazine

Kenya textile and fashion industry is by far the largest in the region regardless of all the challenges. I read in a newspaper article in 2014 that the America second hand clothes imported to Kenya was worth $42mln. But u can check in tge Agoa records, from 2013 that Kenya's clothes exports to tge US is always worth more than $300mln.

The same challenges ailling the Kenyan textile industry are alsi very inherent in Tanzania,if not more and worse. No wonder Tamzania has a smaller clothes industry.

And btw, Kenya has the most vibrant of chemicals industry in EA, it even exports a huge bulk of it to Tanzania.

Kenya | Chemicals | Export | to all Countries | 2013 | WITS | Data

 

[Iconoclastes]

Kama kawaida ya Mkenya uwaapendi kushindwa. Mada umeileta wewe sasa unaizunguka. Poleni kwakuvaa mitumba.

Kushindwa namna gani? Si uonyeshe mliuza nguo kiasi gani ndio tujue nanj mbabe wa hii industry kanda hili

 

[Sanmoidy254]

Tatizo ni kwamba ilikuwa hautusaidi sana, AGOA imasaidia zaidi Chinese, Indians, Vietnamese Pakistan, Lebanese who have rushed to size an opportunity to sale their products on US market duty free. Obama alivyokuja Tanzania 2013 he wanted to cancel project AGOA, reason being there was very little evidence that the scheme was benefitting people in low income scale. Hata huko Kenya, 400 billion dollars inapita tu na kwenda kwa Chinese, Bangladesh, Vietnamese etc, Kenya is not producing enough yarn, enough dye, enough polyester, enough buttons. Vyote hivyo vinakuwa imported na ndio hapo pesa inapoondoka Africa na kwenda kusaidia other industries elsewhere.

Tanzania tuliliona hilo na ndio Maana hatujalikimbilia hilo swala sana.

AGOA(African Growth and Opportunity Act) is between Africa countries and US not Asian countries

 

[Mwanzi1]

AGOA(African Growth and Opportunity Act) is between Africa countries and US not Asian countries

Yes that was the original plan, AGOA was meant to elevate poor African out of poverty and give them quality reliable jobs. But other countries outside Africa so the opportunity and rush quickly to open their factories in different part of Africa so that they could use the zero tax rate with Us. In the end, the profit were shifted back to those counties eg China and Co while poor Africans continue to circle of poverty and no reliable jobs.
American came to realise the idea wasn't working and it was benefiting wrong people, so back in 2013 when Obama was touring Tanzania, he propose to change AGOA to rural electrification scheme known as POWER AFRICA. It was meant to give poor Africans cheap energy so that they can use that energy for personal use and also small business. This way, the America would be sure that their money stays in Africa. Guess what happen, huge team lobbyists rushed from Kenya to Tanzania begged Obama to change his mind, in the end Obama gave in and renew the AGOA trade deal to 2025.

To understand why Asian are benefiting with AGOA pls read the links on post #59

 

[aminiusiamini]

walete kazi kwa vijana zetu sio kuleta nguo chakavu tena zenye magonjwa ya kishenzi na ajabu ya wazungu.

 

[Mwanzi1]

Kenya textile and fashion industry is by far the largest in the region regardless of all the challenges. I read in a newspaper article in 2014 that the America second hand clothes imported to Kenya was worth $42mln. But u can check in tge Agoa records, from 2013 that Kenya's clothes exports to tge US is always worth more than $300mln.

The same challenges ailling the Kenyan textile industry are alsi very inherent in Tanzania,if not more and worse. No wonder Tamzania has a smaller clothes industry.

And btw, Kenya has the most vibrant of chemicals industry in EA, it even exports a huge bulk of it to Tanzania.

Kenya | Chemicals | Export | to all Countries | 2013 | WITS | Data

Your going round hurdles instead of jumping over them. Are you satisfy with Kenya or Africa in general importing mitumba while we can and we are producing brand new cloth? It seem the rest of Africa don't see importance of AGOA the way Kenya do. But who is actually benefiting with AGOA in Kenya, a common man? I doubt that. Those links I posted earlier shares the light.

As for chemical industry in Kenya, cloth production doesn't only rely on chemical alone. It rely on machinery, yarn, thread, needle and other light metal and plastic materials. I wonder if it wasn't for British investment you would be saying Kenya has vibrant chemical industry.

 

[aminiusiamini]

sijawahi kukutana na mkenya hata mmoja ambaye yuko sane.,akili timamu. Hawa watu sijui wakoje. Badala ya kuimarisha na kuendeeza umoja wa east africans kwa kuongeza viwanda na kuwa na policies ambazo zina tija kwa waafrica kwao ni tija kwao kwanza. shame on you kenyans,bloody suckers

 

[Iconoclastes]

walete kazi kwa vijana zetu sio kuleta nguo chakavu tena zenye magonjwa ya kishenzi na ajabu ya wazungu.

Watu wanatengeza pesa hapa, sijui na mimi pia niingie hii biashara.

Making a living off mitumba

Tuliongea mambo ya informal employment hapa cku moja? Tazama!

 

[Iconoclastes]

Your going round hurdles instead of jumping over them. Are you satisfy with Kenya or Africa in general importing mitumba while we can and we are producing brand new cloth? It seem the rest of Africa don't see importance of AGOA the way Kenya do. But who is actually benefiting with AGOA in Kenya, a common man? I doubt that. Those links I posted earlier shares the light.

As for chemical industry in Kenya, cloth production doesn't only rely on chemical alone. It rely on machinery, yarn, thread, needle and other light metal and plastic materials. I wonder if it wasn't for British investment you would be saying Kenya has vibrant chemical industry.

Why is jumping over hurdles better than simply going round them? Do u even get what u are saying? If u run upon a boulder in the middle of the road for example, u can chose to jump or go round it, both are a problem solved. Non maybe worse than the other, except that with jumping, u may trip and fall.

Now, using your analogy above.....Kenyans want to cloth themselves in the latest trends, just the like pipo everywhere else in the world. However, new clothes tend to be expensive, too expensive. So, they may opt for the second hand clothes. And jst bcos they are second does not mean that they are inferior in quality. Some if not most are clothes worn once before they were discarded by the Americans. They cost a fraction of the cost of the new clothes.

So we sell to the Americans the expensive, unused clothes and buy from them the used, cheap ones. There is not much interms of the difference in quality, mind u.

The Agoa agreement is very beneficial to Kenyan in that it has helped create employment directly and indirectly, provided markets to the poducers and in the case of the Kenyan fashion lovers, the cheaper options.

U want to shut out the American imports, yet look into accessing their markets, it doesnt work like that. Let us face the real world, folks.

In any case the local consumers would not consume our locally produced clothes in the same quantity and cost as the Americans.


This economic nationalism u Tanzanians are pushing for will harm u really hard.

Dont jump over the hurdle, lest u trip and fall. It is better to just walk around it

 

[mwathadan]

sijawahi kukutana na mkenya hata mmoja ambaye yuko sane.,akili timamu. Hawa watu sijui wakoje. Badala ya kuimarisha na kuendeeza umoja wa east africans kwa kuongeza viwanda na kuwa na policies ambazo zina tija kwa waafrica kwao ni tija kwao kwanza. shame on you kenyans,bloody suckers

$40m vs $300m [emoji1] [emoji1]

 

[Iconoclastes]

Your going round hurdles instead of jumping over them. Are you satisfy with Kenya or Africa in general importing mitumba while we can and we are producing brand new cloth? It seem the rest of Africa don't see importance of AGOA the way Kenya do. But who is actually benefiting with AGOA in Kenya, a common man? I doubt that. Those links I posted earlier shares the light.

As for chemical industry in Kenya, cloth production doesn't only rely on chemical alone. It rely on machinery, yarn, thread, needle and other light metal and plastic materials. I wonder if it wasn't for British investment you would be saying Kenya has vibrant chemical industry.

Oh, I forgot to respond to your chemicals and raw materials and machinery issues

Even Tanzania incur those costs. Such overheads are unavoidable in in any serious business. If the Tanzanian apparel industry manufactures its own plastics, machines, yarns, electricity and whatever, good for u. But the Kenyan industry reigns supreme in the region.

It matters not even if the owners of these chemical manufacturing industries are from Mars. The companies arr based in Kenya, employ Kenyans, exploit Kenyan resources, add to the local industry and earn the country some revenue.

U are trying too hard brother to detract the relative success of tge Kenyan textile industry, whilst not proving how well Tanzania's succeeded, and it is shameful.

 

[Iconoclastes]

$40m vs $300m [emoji1] [emoji1]

Kenya- $390m

Tz, Ug, Rw- $43m



!!!!!

 

[Mwanzi1]

Why is jumping over hurdles better than simply going round them? Do u even get what u are saying? If u run upon a boulder in the middle of the road for example, u can chose to jump or go round it, both are a problem solved. Non maybe worse than the other, except that with jumping, u may trip and fall.

Now, using your analogy above.....Kenyans want to cloth themselves in the latest trends, just the like pipo everywhere else in the world. However, new clothes tend to be expensive, too expensive. So, they may opt for the second hand clothes. And jst bcos they are second does not mean that they are inferior in quality. Some if not most are clothes worn once before they were discarded by the Americans. They cost a fraction of the cost of the new clothes.

So we sell to the Americans the expensive, unused clothes and buy from them the used, cheap ones. There is not much interms of the difference in quality, mind u.

The Agoa agreement is very beneficial to Kenyan in that it has helped create employment directly and indirectly, provided markets to the poducers and in the case of the Kenyan fashion lovers, the cheaper options.

U want to shut out the American imports, yet look into accessing their markets, it doesnt work like that. Let us face the real world, folks.

In any case the local consumers would not consume our locally produced clothes in the same quantity and cost as the Americans.


This economic nationalism u Tanzanians are pushing for will harm u really hard.

Dont jump over the hurdle, lest u trip and fall. It is better to just walk around it

Oh, I forgot to respond to your chemicals and raw materials and machinery issues

Even Tanzania incur those costs. Such overheads are unavoidable in in any serious business. If the Tanzanian apparel industry manufactures its own plastics, machines, yarns, electricity and whatever, good for u. But the Kenyan industry reigns supreme in the region.

It matters not even if the owners of these chemical manufacturing industries are from Mars. The companies arr based in Kenya, employ Kenyans, exploit Kenyan resources, add to the local industry and earn the country some revenue.

U are trying too hard brother to detract the relative success of tge Kenyan textile industry, whilst not proving how well Tanzania's succeeded, and it is shameful.

I was referring to Olympic rules, imagine sending Kenyan steeplechase runner and he/she start to run around the hurdles instead of jumping over them. That will be the funniest since Mzee Ojwang.


Ati, you said new cloth tend to be expensive, really?? And have you asked yourself why those close are expensive? I bet not. It's because of red tape, it's because of greediness of some businessman who always want to maximize their profits. People like you always choose to disregard anyone who is on low income base thinking they don't deserve anything descent.

So according to you, you're happy to buy second hand cloth from the very people you've sold them new durable cloth. The cloth you buy from them will only last you 6 months, while you're selling them cloth which will last them 18 months. Why not giving your people more mileage with their cloth so that they can save their money and use it for other things?

Even though you worship American market, but America isn't the only market in the world. People are overlooking African market with the reason that Africa isn't ready or isn't rich enough. Instead of empowering your fellow Africans so that they can become a promising market, people like you are saying …..well no one in Africa will be able to pay the same the amount money like the Americans. That is very lazy way of thinking, and I'm afraid to say most of African leaders think the same way, colonial brainwash that Africa can't do anything for themselves. No one bother to see Africa beyond poverty line, or Africa with more purchasing power. This is what Magufuli is trying to do, since he came to power, most of his idea came within the continent, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Nigeria, South Africa and so on. It's all on Implementation rather than waiting for a ready made market like America which recently has proven to be unreliable.

Look at what Donald Trump is saying to people like you.

We enriched foreign countries at the expense of our own country, the great United States of America. But those days are over. (Applause.) I'm not -- and I don't want to be -- the President of the world. I'm the President of the United States. And from now on, it’s going to be America First. (Applause.)

We’re going to bring back our jobs -- and, yes, we’re going to bring back the American Dream.


BTW, Tanzania textiles industry is doing just fine, pop-up factories are opening everyday countrywide. I'm guessing you didn't know this that, Tanzania is fourth largest producer of Organic Cotton in the world, in fact we sale our product duty free in EU, South Africa and US.
Polyester is byproduct of natural gas, yeah the future is bright.

 

[Iconoclastes]

I was referring to Olympic rules, imagine sending Kenyan steeplechase runner and he/she start to run around the hurdles instead of jumping over them. That will be the funniest since Mzee Ojwang.


Ati, you said new cloth tend to be expensive, really?? And have you asked yourself why those close are expensive? I bet not. It's because of red tape, it's because of greediness of some businessman who always want to maximize their profits. People like you always choose to disregard anyone who is on low income base thinking they don't deserve anything descent.

So according to you, you're happy to buy second hand cloth from the very people you've sold them new durable cloth. The cloth you buy from them will only last you 6 months, while you're selling them cloth which will last them 18 months. Why not giving your people more mileage with their cloth so that they can save their money and use it for other things?

Even though you worship American market, but America isn't the only market in the world. People are overlooking African market with the reason that Africa isn't ready or isn't rich enough. Instead of empowering your fellow Africans so that they can become a promising market, people like you are saying …..well no one in Africa will be able to pay the same the amount money like the Americans. That is very lazy way of thinking, and I'm afraid to say most of African leaders think the same way, colonial brainwash that Africa can't do anything for themselves. No one bother to see Africa beyond poverty line, or Africa with more purchasing power. This is what Magufuli is trying to do, since he came to power, most of his idea came within the continent, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Nigeria, South Africa and so on. It's all on Implementation rather than waiting for a ready made market like America which recently has proven to be unreliable.

Look at what Donald Trump is saying to people like you.

We enriched foreign countries at the expense of our own country, the great United States of America. But those days are over. (Applause.) I'm not -- and I don't want to be -- the President of the world. I'm the President of the United States. And from now on, it’s going to be America First. (Applause.)

We’re going to bring back our jobs -- and, yes, we’re going to bring back the American Dream.


BTW, Tanzania textiles industry is doing just fine, pop-up factories are opening everyday countrywide. I'm guessing you didn't know this that, Tanzania is fourth largest producer of Organic Cotton in the world, in fact we sale our product duty free in EU, South Africa and US.
Polyester is byproduct of natural gas, yeah the future is bright.

The locally produced clothes cost more than the second hand imports, bcos the producers incur high overheads during the whole process of production. Think about the raw materials, the operational costs, ie power, water, labour, wages, taxes, security, transport, marketing etc. They simply cannot afford to sell their commodities at the same price levels as the second hand goods, even if the red- tape was to be eliminated. Those operational overheads are unavoidable.

And I dont think that the red- tape is lenient to the second- hand clothes importers either. They too cry about the red- tape.

And I insist, second hand clothes are not inferior in quality, but just cheaper, worn in most cases only once before being discarded.

Contrary to your statement above that I disregard the low- income individuals, nothing can be further from the truth. I infact champion their right here to dress well at reasonable costs.

Think hard about this: is Kenya really "enriching" the US fashion industry in this case at the expense if its own?
Kenya's exports new clothes to the US at the tune of $400m, while the US sells to Kenya its used clothes, raking just $50m. Look at that?
Should we lose that lucrative 400m$ market just to save $50m? See who's the dimwit here?

Let us think thru these protectionists policies we are pushing for. They will hurt us more tgan assist us.

 

[Mwanzi1]

The locally produced clothes cost more than the second hand imports, bcos the producers incur high overheads during the whole process of production. Think about the raw materials, the operational costs, ie power, water, labour, wages, taxes, security, transport, marketing etc. They simply cannot afford to sell their commodities at the same price levels as the second hand goods, even if the red- tape was to be eliminated. Those operational overheads are unavoidable.

And I dont think that the red- tape is lenient to the second- hand clothes importers either. They too cry about the red- tape.

And I insist, second hand clothes are not inferior in quality, but just cheaper, worn in most cases only once before being discarded.

Contrary to your statement above that I disregard the low- income individuals, nothing can be further from the truth. I infact champion their right here to dress well at reasonable costs.

Think hard about this: is Kenya really "enriching" the US fashion industry in this case at the expense if its own?
Kenya's exports new clothes to the US at the tune of $400m, while the US sells to Kenya its used clothes, raking just $50m. Look at that?
Should we lose that lucrative 400m$ market just to save $50m? See who's the dimwit here?

Let us think thru these protectionists policies we are pushing for. They will hurt us more tgan assist us.

But if you say locally produced cloth will cost more because of production cost, so how will African be able to compete with Asia. The continent with guaranteed sun all year round, rivers everywhere you go, the cheapest labour market you can't find anywhere in the world, abundant raw material, 75% of it's population is under the age of 35. VS aging Asia, higher wages compare to Africa, less raw material, higher production cost in term of power generation.

One thing you fail to see, is how Europe and America was build under the umbrella of protectionism. What happen when EAC said they want to ban importation second hand cloth, America move and apply the old tactics of protectionism. But can Africa do the same with her low coffee price, or there stolen minerals? Or sourcing raw our materials at knock down prices?

I've notice that you're a big fan of mitumba, I'm sorry to say that the rest of EAC have made up their minds and they want to stop importing second hand cloth, Kenya is only country holding the rest community back for a good reason that kenya wants to keep the inflow of $400mil from US. But why kenya thinks it's OK to ban second hand cars and not second hand cloth, EAC have agreed to focus on locally produced cars rather than used cheap import cars. Obviously this will affect Japanese trade with EAC, but you don't hear Japanese compliant or making a big deal out of it.

 

[Mwanzi1]

Kagame speaks out on US threat over used clothes ban