Kenya signs trade deal with European Union to safeguard exports
KENYA signed an Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union that will guarantee duty-free access for its farm produce into its biggest export market. European goods entering Kenya will see tariffs reduced over a 25-year period under the agreement, officials said at a signing ceremony in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. The deal took seven months to negotiate, making it one of the fastest the EU has ever struck, officials from both sides said. Kenya, Africa's seventh-largest economy, is a major exporter of tea, coffee, flowers, fruits and vegetables. The EU accounts for 21% of its overall exports. "Beyond trade, the…