Kenya and the United States have agreed to restart trade talks as ministers meet at the World Trade Organization’s 12th Ministerial Conference in Geneva.
Trade CS Betty Maina and United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai met on the sidelines of the conference to discuss ways to enhance trade and investment relations between the two countries.
As a next step, the two countries will work to finalize a list of areas for cooperation to deepen economic engagement.
The ministers agreed to explore pathways towards a deeper bilateral trade and economic relationship that: promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth; benefits workers, consumers, and businesses and supports African regional economic integration.
“They discussed a number of issues where the United States and Kenya could develop an ambitious roadmap for enhanced cooperation and, where appropriate, explore negotiating high-standard commitments,” a statement from the Ministry of Trade as quoted by Capital Business.
The two ministers agreed to have their teams meet in the coming weeks, to pave way for the ministers to announce the next steps before the end of July 2022.
The negotiations which started during former US President Donald Trump and Uhuru’s regime, on July 8, 2020, were derailed by the 2020 US elections and Covid-19.
When President Joe Biden took office in January last year, his administration sought more time to scrutinise the pact.
The US is pushing for favourable terms among them duty-free market access for its goods, including agricultural and industrial.
Read also; US Trade Rep Nominee promises to review US-Kenya Trade Deals.
