Mexico to file WTO complaint over US tariffs: ministry

Mexico City, June 4, 2018 (AFP) - Mexico said on Monday it will file a complaint with the World
Trade Organization over US tariffs on its steel and aluminum.

The economy ministry said it "will initiate a dispute settlement process under the umbrella" of
the WTO, and that its actions "will continue to follow the state of international commercial law
and will be proportional to the damage that Mexico regrettably received."

Both the European Union and Canada have already opened legal challenges to the US at the
WTO, the Geneva-based arbitrator of international trade disputes that is loathed by President
Donald Trump who on Friday imposed duties of 25 percent for steel and 10 percent for
aluminum against his allies.

Mexico submits that the tariffs, imposed on the grounds of national security, were not adopted
in accordance with relevant WTO procedures and also violate the 1994 General Agreement on
Tariffs and Trade.

Immediately following the move by Trump, Mexico said it would impose retaliatory duties on a
variety of US goods, including steel and a host of agricultural products, including pork, apples
and various cheeses. Other US allies have also reacted with fury, with fears building of a global
trade war.

Kenya launches oil export drive

Nairobi, June 3, 2018 (AFP) - Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Sunday official launched a
pilot project to truck oil for export from its remote northwest to the port of Mombasa in an
effort to boost the economy.

"This... marks the beginning of a long and fruitful journey," Kenyatta said as he flagged off a
convoy of oil laden trucks. "My government will therefore focus on the development of our oil
and gas sectors for the betterment of the economy and people," he added.

Initial plans are for trucks to carry some 2,000 barrels of oil per day from wells near Lokichar
in the far north, all the way to Mombasa, about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) away. Critics say
large parts of the route may not be passable given damage to the road and bridges caused
during the rainy season.

Arnold Nyaga, researcher at the Kenya Civil Society Platform on Oil and Gas, said the project
was "a distraction from what really matters" for Kenya's development. "I think the idea behind
this ceremony is for Kenya to show that they are active when it comes to oil, and that they
want to be a leader in East Africa," he said.

The pilot programme, planned to run for two years, was supposed to begin in June 2017 but
was held up by differences over sharing oil royalties. President Kenyatta recently announced
that the central government would take 75 percent of the proceeds, with 20 percent going to
Turkana province and five percent for local communities.

Officials say the object is to see how the oil fields -- discovered in 2012 -- respond to increased
extraction, with actual exports a long way off. The government hopes that will happen with the
construction of a pipeline capable of carrying 100,000 barrels per day to the coast but the
earliest completion date is 2021.