WASHINGTON – The United States and Kenya will hold a third in-person round under their Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP) in Nairobi, Kenya, from January 29-31, 2024. The United States delegation will be led by Assistant United States Trade Representative Constance Hamilton and will include representatives from several other government agencies.
The negotiators last met in person under the STIP in October 2023 in Washington, DC, and have continued to make progress in deepening mutual understanding and resolving differences. Ambassador Tai also traveled to Nairobi from July 17-19, 2023, where she engaged in productive discussions with President Ruto and senior Kenyan officials, on the positive feedback USTR has received from stakeholders on the STIP thus far and on the continued momentum of ongoing negotiations.
This round of discussions will primarily cover three of the topics under the U.S.-Kenya STIP: (1) agriculture, (2) good regulatory practices, and (3) workers’ rights and protections.
These meetings will be closed press.
Background
The United States and Kenya launched the U.S.-Kenya STIP on July 14, 2022 and announced that the two governments would pursue enhanced engagement leading to high standard commitments in a wide range of areas. The goal of the Partnership is to increase investment; promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth; benefit workers, consumers, and businesses (including micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises); and support African regional economic integration.
The joint statement identified a set of initial issues on which the United States and Kenya share the goal of negotiating high-standard commitments in order to achieve economically meaningful outcomes. On August 5, 2022, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative published in the Federal Register a request for public comment on objectives for those areas of initial focus:
(1) agriculture, (2) anti-corruption, (3) digital trade, (4) environment and climate action, (5) good regulatory practices, (6) micro, small, and medium size enterprises, (7) protecting worker’s rights and protections, (8) supporting the participation of women, youth, and others in trade, (9) standards collaboration, (10) trade facilitation and customs procedures, and (11) services domestic regulation.
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