EU-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Seeks Trade Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa

KENYA – EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and Kenya’s Trade Minister Lee Kinyanjui on Monday co-chaired the inauguration of EU-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) accord which seeks to deepen cooperation and expand opportunities between the European Union and Kenya.

“Our Economic Partnership Agreement is the EU‘s most ambitious with a sub-Saharan African partner – and it’s already delivering,” Sefcovic said.

He added that together with Kenya’s minister of trade, “we discussed unlocking its potential, helping businesses on both sides thrive.”

Sefcovic told the EU-Kenya Trade Council that trade between the EU and Kenya reached €3.4 billion ($3.7 billion) in 2023, a 13% increase in just one year, showing the immense potential for growth.

He said full implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement would unlock even more opportunities for trade, investment and job creation.

The EPA offers duty-free and quota-free access for Kenyan exports to the EU market while fostering regulatory cooperation and long-term economic planning. The EU is Kenya’s second-largest export destination.

Kenya’s trade minister emphasized the significance of the meeting and outlined the country’s strategy to fully harness the agreement’s potential.

“The Council reaffirmed the strategic importance of EU-Kenya trade ties and explored concrete ways to deepen this partnership moving forward. The meeting marked a key step toward stronger and more dynamic economic cooperation,” he said.

Kinyanjui added that the discussion included an evaluation of opportunities to diversify Kenya’s export portfolio.

“I emphasized the importance of expanding our export base beyond horticulture to include more value-added agricultural products. This is key to unlocking greater economic benefits from the agreement,” he said.

He also highlighted efforts to include more small and medium-sized enterprises in international trade.