Summary
- Trade PS Johnson Weru said the talks with the UK were at a preliminary stage, pointing out that Kenya was keen to engage the two parties as an East African Community (EAC) bloc.
- Fears have emerged that Kenya’s produce could be negatively impacted if Britain would not have reached a trade deal with the EU by the end of the transition period in December.
Kenya has initiated talks with the European Union and the United
Kingdom on a post-Brexit trade agreement as the country moves to
safeguard its horticultural produce market.
Trade PS
Johnson Weru said the talks with the UK were at a preliminary stage,
pointing out that Kenya was keen to engage the two parties as an East
African Community (EAC) bloc.
Fears have emerged that
Kenya’s produce could be negatively impacted if Britain would not have
reached a trade deal with the EU by the end of the transition period in
December.
“We are engaging on the issue through EAC secretariat,” Mr Weru told the Business Daily.
Horticulture
stakeholders and the Trade PS met last week to discuss how to approach
the issue, which might see some changes in the phytosanitary
requirements.
Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya chief executive Ojepat
Okisegere said Kenya should have a clear agreement with the UK and EU
ahead of December 31 when Britain finally quits the European business
bloc.
“What we now want is an assurance that our
produce will get to either Europe or UK without restrictions once the
two parties end their partnership,” he said.
Once the
UK and EU part ways, agricultural goods to either of the destinations
would require a plant passport to access the market. Britain has legally
left the EU but it’s currently on a transition period that lapses at
the end of this year.
Most of Kenya’s farm produce
access other parts of Europe through the Netherlands and exporters are
worried that without proper consultation and agreement in place,
horticulture produce might have a difficult time accessing either of the
markets.
Kenya uses the EU standards on phytosanitary
requirements. However, it is not clear if the UK will apply them once it
leaves the trading bloc.
“In case the UK opts to use
different standards, then it means that our produce will have to undergo
double checks before it gets to the market in Britain, a move that will
add on the cost of the products, making it uncompetitive when it gets
to the market,” he said.
The players in the sector want the deal reached by the last quarter of this year before the Brexit takes effect.
Kenya
and the EU have a special arrangement that has seen fresh produce get
to the continent duty-free under the Economic Partnership Agreement.
Exporters are worried because it is not clear whether the deal will stand after Brexit.
Kenya
received an extension based on this arrangement after Uganda and
Tanzania refused to endorse the extension of the deal that was coming to
an end two years ago.
For EPAs to be effected, all the five members of the East African Community need to sign the agreement as a bloc.
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