US, Kenya to Begin Trade Negotiations
The U.S and Kenya will begin negotiating a comprehensive trade deal that both sides believe will act as a model for more agreements between the U.S. and other African countries, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said Feb. 6. Kenya hopes to conclude negotiations quickly, its President Uhuru Kenyatta said at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, adding that the country prefers a long-term agreement that will provide U.S. and Kenyan companies with “predictable terms of engagement” in the fields of agriculture, manufacturing, energy and more. Discussions on a framework for the negotiations will begin in the “next few days,” Kenyatta said.
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“It was very clear: The tone ... was to move with speed, to bring this to a conclusion,” Kenyatta said. “I want to assure all of you of Kenya's unwavering commitment to developing the strongest-ever trade and investment framework with the United States.”
The announcement also came after the third meeting of the U.S.-Kenya Trade and Investment Working Group, which agreed to several trade-related measures, including the adoption of a Kenyan phytosanitary protocol to allow U.S. wheat exporters access to Kenya’s wheat market for the “first time in over a decade,” the USTR said. The group also agreed to develop a plan to help Kenya maximize its trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act and to establish a roundtable to reduce trade barriers for small and medium-sized companies. The USTR also released a fact sheet on the U.S.-Africa trade relationship.
The USTR will soon issue a notice seeking public comments on the direction and focus of the negotiations and will release negotiating objectives 30 days before talks begin. The deal will likely receive “broad bipartisan support in Congress,” Lighthizer said in a statement. “There is enormous potential for us to deepen our economic and commercial ties” and the deal will “serve as a model for additional agreements across Africa.”
At the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Kenyatta stressed the country’s commitment to ending corruption, which has at times led to unpredictable trade procedures in the country. “Our commitment to fight against corruption is unstoppable,” Kenyatta said. “For us to achieve our social economic agenda … we need the private sector and we want to partner with you. We will do everything we can to ensure that we give you an environment where you can partner with us.”
Kenyatta also addressed concerns from other African nations that have been critical of Kenya for pursuing a bilateral deal with the U.S. Some African nations prefer a multilateral approach to trade with the U.S. involving all African members of the African Continental Free Trade Area, Kenyatta said. He said there is a “feeling that by Kenya engaging with the U.S., we are running away from our commitments to the [AfCFTA],” but “nothing can be further from the truth.” Kenya wants to be a “trailblazer” for future trade engagements between the U.S. and African nations, he said.
“There are some of us in Kenya who feel we are ready to move forward,” Kenyatta said. “Kenya feels ready for this arrangement and we don’t want to be held back.”