Factors influencing bilateral trade between Kenya and India
Abstract
Since independence Kenya has experienced growth in international trade. It has made bilateral trade agreements as well as multilateral trade agreements. These agreements have helped greatly in serving as a platform for growth and further have enabled Kenya trade in the international markets. This has facilitated economic performance of the Kenyan economy to a considerable extent.
However with all the good tidings that Kenya has received from its involvement in the global market; there have been instances of widening trade imbalance with some of its major trading partners such as India. This imbalance has a negative impact on Kenya's economy. This study was involved in investigating the factors that influence bilateral trade between Kenya and India. Literature that supports trade between countries is highlighted with arguments that trade needs to benefit all involved and this brings into light the Kenyan economy and the issues of concern that result in trade imbalance. Countries need to be aware of their trade potential and then venture wisely into trade. Countries can look at their factor proportions, what they have advantage in producing and what can give them the best return.
Literature also speaks of various aspects of trade that encourage countries to trade with each other. The conceptual framework gives bilateral trade between Kenya and India as the dependent variable. The independent variables in the study were bilateral trade agreements, cultural factors, economic factors, technological factors and world trade organization assistance. Chapter three gives an indication as to how the data was collected. Data was primary and secondary. Primary data was collected from journals, articles and books on international trade. Secondary data was collected using questionnaires that were distributed among the respondents. The respondents gave information about trade between Kenya and India.
This information was later analyzed in chapter four and results were highlighted bilateral trade agreements, cultural factors, economic factors, technological factors and world e organization assistance were found to actually affect bilateral trade between Kenya and dia. Some factors affected bilateral trade to a large extent while others had a lower influence.
The results of the study indicate that the widening trade imbalance between Kenya and India can be explained. Culture, bilateral trade agreements and economic factors were some of the issues highlighted. This gives a suggestion of the areas that need to be highlighted by the government and other policy making organizations. There are recommendations that follow the findings to indicate what the government should do for trade to progress in Kenya. The recommendations indicate that the findings can be used in making policy changes that would fever bilateral trade agreements between Kenya and India, and other nations that Kenya trades with locally and globally.
Publisher
University of Nairobi, Kenya