Kenya and the European Union have signed a major Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) that will guarantee the East African country duty-free and unlimited access for select products into the EU, its biggest export market.
Kenyan President William Ruto and EU Commission chief Ursula Von Der Leyen were at a signing ceremony in Nairobi.
Kenya is a major exporter of tea, coffee, flowers, fruits and vegetables to the EU, which accounts for 21% of its overall exports while it buys machinery, pharmaceuticals and other chemicals from the EU.
Bilateral trade between the two stood at a total of 3.3 billion euros in 2022, making the EU, Kenya’s second largest trade partner.
The EPA was initially meant for East African Community (EAC) members but all countries in the regional bloc, barring Kenya, abandoned the trade pact in 2014.
