Kenya to gain if trade talks strike a deal, says report

Conclusion of the current round of World Trade Organisation talks would benefit Kenya by increasing its exports of agricultural products and processed food, a study has shown.

Exports of manufactured and mined goods would, however, decrease says the report.

The Doha Development Agenda’s objective is to lower trade barriers around the world to enable countries increase trade globally.

The talks have, however, stalled over a divide on major issues such as agriculture, industrial tariffs and non-tariff barriers, services and trade remedies.

To gauge the impact the new trade is likely to have on Kenya, researches of the Doha Trade and Development Report on Kenya 2009, took 2010 as the start of the implementation of Doha.

The study was undertaken by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

UNDP policy advisor and one of the authors of the report Eduardo Zepeda said Kenya’s agriculture and processed export gains would primarily come from the drop in export subsidies to agriculture by developed countries.

“If Kenya’s Doha gains are to be realised, policy makers need to ensure that the negotiations result in a significant reduction of developed countries’ subsidies to agriculture and enough room to shelter selected manufacturing activities,” said Mr Zepeda during the launch of the report at Nairobi Safari Club on Tuesday.