This archive report was first published on 2 October 2019.
Kenya has secured a preferential trade deal with Britain, allowing the country to continue trading with the UK under duty-free and quota-free terms even after the UK's exit from the European Union.
The agreement, which was announced on October 2, 2019, is a unilateral decision by the UK and does not require Kenya to sign a new trade agreement.
Under the deal, the UK has committed to provide duty-free, quota-free access to Kenyan goods exported to the UK, giving Kenya's businesses a competitive edge in the British market.
The UK's decision to replicate the existing trade deals with more than 70 countries, including Kenya, is aimed at minimizing disruptions to trade after Brexit.
Kenya's Principal Secretary in the department of trade, Chris Kiptoo, confirmed the agreement, stating that it is a unilateral decision by the UK and no agreement was signed.
The agreement is expected to benefit Kenya's key export sectors, including flowers, vegetables, fruit, tea, and coffee, which are among the country's top exports to the UK.
The UK is the second-largest export destination for Kenya's cut flowers, buying almost 18 per cent of the flowers produced in the country.
Trade between the UK and Kenya was valued at $1.2 billion in 2018, with the UK exporting machinery and mechanical appliances worth $507 million, motor vehicles worth $415 million, and beverages, including whisky, worth $168 million.
