US President Barrack Obama has proposed a US and East Africa trade pact. The Trade and Investment partneship between US and the 5 East African Community member states (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi) will seek to enhance fair and equitable treatment of investors. Michael Froman, Obama’s Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics announced at the American Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Nairobi, that the partnership calls for emphasis on phasing out unnecessary taxing and levy impositions which will ensure thriving of good trade relations.

“This initiative calls for greater engagement with the private sector through a new, first of its kind regional commercial dialogue, which will help facilitate private sector input into the trade and invest policy agenda in the region,” Mr. Froman told Capital Business. Mr Froman said that the idea has so far gotten positive reception from each of the 5 EAC member states. Trade Minister Moses Wetangula met with Mr.Froman on Thursday morning to discuss strengthening trade and investment between the two countries. , said there is still much to be done in improving Kenya’s trade volumes to the US.

Mr. Wetangula said that American investments in this countryhave been going down for the last 20 years. In improving Kenya's trade volumes to the US, the minister said that there is still plenty to be done precisely through the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA). Kenya has exported less than a hundred out of the 6,500 eligible products within the AGOA stipulations.