Apparel manufacturers in China have lately been looking for production bases outside China due to rising wages and other production cost in the countryas well as anticipating changing international trading arrangements. Recognising this trend, the East Africa Trade and Investment Hub of Kenya, a USAID contractor, took up a pavilion at the latest Intertextile trade show to promote Kenya as a destination for textile and apparel industry investment. Finn Holm-Olsen and J.C. Mazingue, both of East Africa Trade Investment Hub, and Margaret Waithaka, the general manager of Kenya's Export Processing Zone Authority, made presentations focused on the attractions that Kenya holds outfor textile and apparel production. First of all, Kenya, they pointed out, is centrally located in East Africa,it is also a regional centre for logistics, finance and commerce across the East Africa that is well connected to the rest of the world by sea, air and land routes. Politically, it is relatively stable with only four presidents in 51 years of independence. Kenya's GDP - US$55,243 million in 2013 - is growing at 5.7% per annum. Kenya's Vision 2030 aims to develop the country into a middle income economy within the next 15 years.
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