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Kenya possesses a dynamic and resilient economy underpinned by a young, rapidly urbanizing population and a government committed to ambitious development goals. While political and economic challenges exist, particularly related to fiscal debt and policy unpredictability, these are counterbalanced by a robust technological ecosystem and a strategic openness to foreign investment. The core synergy between Virginia and Kenya lies in the alignment of Virginia’s export strengths with Kenya’s most pressing development needs. To succeed, Virginia should adopt a services-led market entry strategy, leverage the government’s public-private partnership (PPP) model for large-scale projects, and focus on delivering high quality, reliable products and services that address Kenya’s specific developmental challenges. The most promising sectors for Virginia exporters looking towards Kenya are ICT, agribusiness, energy-electrical power systems, education, healthcare, and infrastructure.

Chile is Latin America’s most trade‑open economy, with a network of over 30 trade agreements that cover more than 90% of its exports. Chile maintains a favorable trade and investment environment for Virginia companies, supported by the U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement - the U.S. is Chile’s second largest export destination (15.9%) and top import source (20%). Virginia companies looking to do business in Chile should partner with local distributors/agents familiar with regulations, language, and logistics, establish joint ventures or local representative offices, and leverage FTA benefits and Chile’s pro-business environment for easier market penetration. Target sectors for Virginia companies include agricultural machinery and equipment, agricultural products, aquaculture and forestry products, energy, environmental technologies, IT and digital services, mining equipment and machinery, safety and security solutions, manufacturing and food processing, and tourism and exportable services.

Although Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are independent countries with distinct languages, cultures, economic and national policies, they bear similarities in size, geography, demography, economic development and structure, and are often perceived and approached as a single territory—the Baltics. Located in northeastern Europe, the Baltics share borders with Russia to the east and are surrounded by the Baltic Sea to the west and north. The business environment in the Baltics is generally favorable to foreign businesses, with transparent legal frameworks, low levels of corruption (particularly in Estonia), and English widely spoken in the business community. Key markets for exporters seeking expansion in the Baltics include defense, healthcare, power sector transformation & decarbonization, ICT and cybersecurity, the agricultural and food sector, and transport and logistics.

VEDP's Supply Chain Program team brings you a curated snapshot of the latest insights, trends, and developments shaping the global supply chain world. This edition focuses on tariffs and exploring strategies that businesses can use to reduce their impact.