The U.S. will carry on negotiating with Kenya for its first free-trade agreement with a sub-Saharan economy, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
President Joseph Biden’s administration is “looking forward to continue the ongoing discussions with regard to our FTA,” Blinken said Tuesday in a virtual meeting with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. Washington is keen on “seizing some of the opportunities that are out there, expanding trade and investment,” Blinken said.
The U.S.-Kenya deal is seen as a model for future trade pacts with African nations once a preferential trade agreement known as the Africa Growth Opportunity Act expires in 2025.
When concluded, the pact will increase predictability and facilitate digital trade, according to a report by the American Chamber of Commerce in Kenya. It will also unlock opportunities in genetically modified organisms and improve intellectual-property protections, the lobby said in the report on Wednesday.