Kenya – US Commit to Continue Free Trade Agreement Talks

The United States has pledged to resume talks with Kenya on the Free Trade Agreement.

In a joint readout, US trade Chief, Katherine Tai meeting with Kenya’strade Cabinet Secretary Betty Maina Friday said they “…exchanged perspectives on the US-Kenyan trade ties and their governments’ shared values, including supporting workers and promoting African regional integration.”

The two also discussed the operation and future of the African Growth and Opportunity Act program, pandemic recovery and the upcoming World TradeOrganisation 12th Ministerial Conference.

According to its Proposed Kenya – United States of America Free Trade Area Agreement Negotiation Principles, Objectives, And Scope, its specific objective is to ensure that there is no disruption of Kenya’s market access into the USA after AGOA expires on September 30, 2025. 

“Ambassador Tai and Cabinet Secretary Main agreed to continue their conversation on the US- Kenyan trade relationship,” the US Trade Representative Press Office said in the shared statement.

MoITED CS Hon @maina_betty with @USTradeRep @AmbassadorTai during their discussions on resumption of the Kenya 🇰🇪 – US 🇺🇸 Free Trade Agreement talks on Friday in Washington DC. @DavidOsiany @lawrenc_karanja @Ps_AmbKaberia @IndustryKE @USEmbassyKenya @StateHouseKenya @KEBS_ke pic.twitter.com/uraLno3CfP

— Trade Kenya (@Trade_Kenya) October 10, 2021

The two formally launched negotiations for a free trade agreement on 8 July 2020. 

The talks came to halt following the election of President Joe Biden whose administration has been reviewing the bilateral trade agreement to be aligned to Biden-Harris administration’s Build Back Better agenda.