Trade CS meets E.U Trade Commissioner to iron out trade agreement 

Kenya is in a race against time to ratify an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union or risk having goods headed to E.U. markets subjected to higher taxes. This has seen Trade and industrialization Cabinet secretary Adan Mohamed head to Brussels, Belgium to meet with the European Union’s Commissioner of Trade to iron out sticky issues that have delayed its implementation.

“There is a very high risk as East Africa if we don’t finalize this by first of October, the challenge is that just like you saw a year a half ago, our exports not accessing EU without duties is likely to occur,” Mr Mohammed said

The European Partnership Agreements is being negotiated by the East African Community as a bloc but the various bureaucracies involved in the different governments have slowed down the process.

The European Union has provided a ready, lucrative market for Kenyan goods especially agricultural produce and flowers. However, a change in the E.Us trading policies meant countries such as Kenya had to meet new stringent requirements if they were to continue to access markets in Europe.

Mr Mohammed hopes the meeting with the European Union
Commissioner of Trade will clear any issues that may come forth before the October 1^st deadline.

“If we don’t sign it by 1^st of October, then all the wonderful exports we make to E.U that today come in duty free especially our flowers and others, will be charged levies and duties and that’s going to put some significant risk to our jobs,” he said.

The CS is accompanying President Uhuru Kenyatta on his three day visit to Belgium, which is home to the European Union.

Apart from the EPA that is yet to be ratified, Kenya is still concerned about the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) that is set to open up the market between member states of the European Union and the United States and the Transpacific Trade Partnership (TTP) between the US and 12 other countries which when ratified will cause more strain on Kenya’s exports.

By Mumbi Warui