Kenya to host US for in-person trade talks
Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria.
Kenya will next month host in-person trade talks with the US with a focus on proposals adopted from draft negotiations initiated in July 2022 under retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s regime.
The two countries last month held a week of meetings on the US-Kenya Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP) in Washington.
“The United States and Kenya will hold an in-person negotiating round under their Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP) in Kenya from April 17-20, 2023. The United States delegation will be led by Assistant United States Trade Representative Connie Hamilton, and will include representatives from several other U.S. government agencies” the US said in a statement.
US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and then Kenyan Cabinet Secretary Betty Maina launched the partnership at a virtual meeting last July with a target to develop a roadmap for engagement in areas including agriculture, digital trade, action on climate change, and trade facilitation and customs procedures.
All these focal areas were retained in the February round of talks that were attended by Kenya’s Trade Principal Secretary Alfred K’Ombudo and Ms Hamilton.
In agriculture, the US and Kenya will consider measures to facilitate agricultural trade and enhance transparency and understanding of the application of science- and risk-based Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures.
The two countries will also focus on combating graft through information sharing of best practices to prevent and combat bribery and corruption and will explore negotiating specific commitments.
Additionally, the two countries will discuss measures to support digital inclusion, including accessibility, and online consumer protection.
The two countries will also monitor global discussions on emerging issues in digital trade which are of mutual interest.
Additionally, the two countries will discuss measures to support digital inclusion, including accessibility, and online consumer protection.
The two countries will also monitor global discussions on emerging issues in digital trade which are of mutual interest.
The US-Kenya STIP, launched by the Biden administration, will replace the two-decade-old Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa).
The current Agoa deal, a preferential trade programme that allows duty- and quota-free access to the US market for sub-Saharan African countries, will expire in September 2025.
