Trump will meet Kenyan president as trade talks set to begin

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta will meet President Donald Trump in Washington this week as the two countries prepare to announce negotiations on a free-trade agreement, America’s first such deal with a sub-Saharan nation.

The pair will hold an “expanded bilateral meeting” on Feb. 6, according to Trump’s official schedule, released on Sunday.

The East African nation’s cabinet on Jan. 30 approved the commencement of talks with the U.S. for a trade deal that “would help Kenyan goods to have smooth access to the expansive U.S. market,” especially as the African Growth Opportunity Act comes to an end, according to a statement.

AGOA, which provides 39 sub-Saharan African countries duty-free access to the U.S. for about 6,500 products ranging from textiles to manufactured items, expires in 2025.

Bloomberg News reported on Jan. 28 that the Trump administration wants the accord to be a model for future pacts with African countries, according to a person familiar with the plans. Macharia Kamau, Kenya’s principal secretary for foreign affairs, said the government expects real progress on the agreement by the third quarter of this year.