Kenya Trade Remedies Agency (KETRA) board has been urged to advise the government to implement appropriate policy tools to save the Kenyan industries that are threatened with collapse.
During a three-day training of the Board members at Sarova Stanley Hotel in Nairobi, they were urged to take immediate steps to help industries like glass, paper, steel and cables that are facing stiff competition from dumped or subsidized imports.
Unless addressed immediately, the board was told that Kenyan manufacturers are faced with extinction and the risk of Kenya slumping deeper into import dependency with resultant job losses.
Speaking during the workshop, Mr. Daniel Achach, an international trade law and trade policy expert informed the Board that the creation of KETRA under the Kenya Trade Remedies Act 2017 is a monumental step towards Kenya the policy space to apply trade remedy measures against imports that are dumped or subsidized.
“The remedy of safeguards accords this country a wide policy space to protect infant industries to grow and become competitive. It shall behoove the Board to study the domestic industry, identify which sectors are strategic to the country and advise the government to apply safeguard measures to protect and grow such sectors.” He posited.
During the same training, Hon. David Ochieng, also an expert in international trade and who played a key role in the drafting and enactment of the Kenya Trade Remedies Act advised the Board Members to take it upon themselves to stem the demise of Kenyan industries.
He cited glass and paper industries as among those sectors in Kenya that are threatened with extinction from unfair trade practices from Kenya’s trading partners.
