WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Assistant United States Trade Representative (USTR) for African Affairs Constance Hamilton will lead a delegation to Kenya on May 1 to explore opportunities for enhanced trade and investment engagement, USTR spokesperson Adam Hodge said on Friday.
The delegation will include subject-matter experts from USTR and the Departments of State, Labor, Commerce and Agriculture, he said.
The visit follows recent meetings between top U.S. trade negotiator Katherine Tai and Kenyan Cabinet Secretary Betty Maina in which the two agreed to work on deepening U.S.-Kenya trade ties despite the Biden administration’s decision to freeze Trump-era negotiations on a free trade agreement.
Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Sarah Bianchi told a trade conference in February that the U.S. government was engaging in robust talks with Kenya as part of its drive to expand equitable and inclusive U.S. investment in Africa.
Tai met virtually in December with Maina, a move the Biden administration says will deepen the bilateral relationship.
The administration of former President Donald Trump had launched talks with Nairobi on a bilateral free trade agreement, but the Biden administration put the negotiations on ice, focusing instead on dialogues with trading partners.
Hodge said the U.S. delegation would seek to collaborate with their counterparts on way to “generate inclusive growth” that benefits workers, attracts investment and promotes regional economic integration.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal and David LawderEditing by Chris Reese and Aurora Ellis)
