Cabinet Secretary for Trade and Industry Lee Kinyanjui, Principal Secretary for Trade, Regina Ombam, and a deligation from the ministry are in Washington D.C. for a three-day working visit aimed at boosting trade and investment ties between Kenya and the United States.
In a statement released on Monday, August 18, CS Kinyanjui said the programme includes high-level meetings with senior U.S. trade officials as well as talks with American investors organized through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
“The key focus is securing Kenya’s long-term trade and investment interests, especially protecting our exports after the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) expires, and addressing tariff issues affecting our products,” Kinyanjui said.
The visit comes shortly after Kenya welcomed a U.S. decision to exempt it from heavy new import tariffs imposed on several countries. On July 31, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order increasing tariffs—between 10% and 41%—on imports from countries such as Brazil, India, Japan, the UK, Switzerland, and others.
Some African countries, including South Africa and Algeria, were hit with a 30% tariff on their exports. Kenya, however, was spared from those higher rates and remains under a flat 10% import duty.
Kinyanjui praised the development, noting that the U.S. remains a key economic partner for Kenya in areas such as agriculture, digital trade, tourism and regional security.
“The United States continues to be a strategic partner, and we will keep engaging constructively to protect and grow this important relationship,” he said.