Kenya’s president says talks on trade deal with U.S. delayed
Kenya’s president says talks on trade deal with U.S. delayed
Kenya has delayed talks on a trade deal with the United States until a pan-African trade bloc comes into force, President Uhuru Kenyatta said on Thursday, likely holding up what would be Washington’s first such pact in sub-Saharan Africa.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Kenyatta agreed in February to start formal talks on a bilateral trade pact that might help offset concerns about China’s expanding investment imprint on the continent.
Kenya wants to do a deal with Washington before the expiry of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which allows sub-Saharan African states to export thousands of products to the United States without tariffs or quotas until 2025.
Kenyatta said Kenya, East Africa’s richest economy, had delayed discussions with Washington until the Africa free trade arrangement comes into force, originally set for July 1 but now delayed until later by the coronavirus pandemic.
