ISDS Case Map
EAC
At least seven countries have requested free trade arrangements with the East. African Community (EAC), as the bloc also intensifies efforts to expand the markets for its products.
In an open letter signed by over thirty organisations from Kenya and the EU, civil society groups call on MEPs to vote against the agreement.
Kenya’s recently completed trade deals have run into stormy waters after Nairobi applied higher import duties on whiskies and wines from the United Kingdom and the European Union (EA) respectively, two jurisdictions with which it signed Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA).
The decision by the Biden administration to kick out Uganda from its African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) programme could have far-reaching consequences on the investment climate in the East African region.
American President Joe Biden recently pledged to make Nairobi the investment magnet in Africa.
For this to happen, Kenya and the United States must make considerable progress towards a bilateral trade deal under the Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP) framework.
According to officials, even as trade and investment negotiations with Kenya continue, the US appears to be more interested in the African Continental Free Trade Area and the AGOA agreement.
The United States and Kenya will hold a second in-person round under the Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP) in Washington, DC, from October 4-7, 2023.
Due to Kenya’s economic partnership agreement with the EU, it will be difficult for Uganda to differentiate similar goods coming from Kenya, from those manufactured in the EU.
The United States Trade Representative, Katherine Tai, is set to travel to Nairobi from July 17 – 19. She will co-lead a meeting of the U.S. – East African Community (EAC) Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA Council).
The journey of EPAs continues to unfold, with each chapter revealing new complexities and challenges. As negotiations progress, it remains crucial to monitor the evolving dynamics and their implications for trade relations between the EU and its partner countries.
