The UK has secured a free-trade agreement with Kenya as it looks to complete a sixth post-trade agreement in Africa.
The agreement is set to secure trade between the UK and Kenya after the Brexit transition agreement comes to an end on 31 December, with companies benefitting from duty-free access on exports and imports.
Kenya is the largest economy in East Africa and the key trade products include coffee, tea and spices, which were worth £121 million last year, while vegetables and horticultural products, including live trees, were also key goods.
UK exporters sold £815 million in goods and services to Kenya in 2019, with the country being an important trading partner in Africa.
Ranil Jayawardena, International Trade Minister, said: “I’m delighted we’ve reached a trade agreement with Kenya. This deal gives businesses the certainty that they’ll be able to continue trading as they do now, supporting jobs and livelihoods in both our countries.
“I look forward to forging further trade ties with Kenya – the largest economy in the region – and working with other East African countries to agree trade continuity, harnessing free and fair trade to secure shared prosperity for our peoples.”
The UK Government has now either signed or agreed principle post-Brexit trade agreements with 52 countries, with the accumulative trade between the UK and these countries totalling £146 billion in 2019.
The deal is a translation of previously agreed terms between the EU and the East African Community and is expected to be officially signed once formal checks have taken place.
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