WASHINGTON— The United States signed a Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement with Kenya today marking a significant milestone in collaboration on security and trade facilitation between the two countries. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Deputy Commissioner (Acting) Kevin McAleenan signed the agreement on behalf of CBP and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Minister of the Treasury Henry Rotich signed the agreement on behalf of Kenya.
“Customs Mutual Assistance Agreements are valuable tools in the enforcement of our laws as they facilitate information sharing between international partners,” said Deputy Commissioner (Acting) Kevin McAleenan. “This agreement will expand our efforts to combat illicit cross-border activities and will enable us to continue our work to prevent, detect and investigate customs offenses.”
“Today’s signing represents the United States and Republic of Kenya’s joint commitment to elevate cooperation to safeguard our borders through the exchange of information and mutual assistance to combat customs law violations,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Principal Deputy Assistant Director Thomas S. Winkowski. “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, together with our partners at CBP, looks forward to future cooperative enforcement efforts with the Kenya Revenue Authority.”
The United States has now signed 71 Customs Mutual Assistance Agreements (CMAAs) with other customs administrations across the world. CMAAs are bilateral agreements between countries and enforced by their respective customs administrations. They provide the legal framework for the exchange of information and evidence to assist countries in the enforcement of customs laws, including duty evasion, trafficking, proliferation, money laundering, and terrorism-related activities. CMAAs also serve as foundational documents for subsequent information sharing arrangements, including mutual recognition arrangements on authorized economic operator programs.
The U.S. – Kenya Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement was signed at U.S. Customs and Border Protection headquarters as part of the U.S. – Africa Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. The Summit included meetings between President Barack Obama and 51 African heads of state.
CBP is one of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s largest and most complex components, with a priority mission of keeping terrorists and their weapons out of the U.S. It also has a responsibility for securing the border and facilitating lawful international trade and travel while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws and regulations, including immigration and drug laws.
ICE is the largest investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. ICE is a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.
Visit CBP's Flickr Photostream for a full library of images: Kenya CBP CMAA Signing.