Federal officials say US financing won't be used to help expand Kenya's fledgling soda ash industry so it can better compete with producers in southwest Wyoming. US Sen. M Enzi said (Jan) that the US Export-Import bank will not help an American locomotive firm finance the sale, refurbishment & export of 8 locomotives to a soda ash facility in Kenya. Ex-Im Bank officials told Enzi (Feb) that the locomotive company had withdrawn its application for financing. Enzi called the move good news for Wyoming's soda ash producers. He said it will help protect Wyoming jobs in a struggling industry, adding "We wan to help US firms but not not if it costs Wyoming jobs," The 4 international producers in Wyoming produce around 11M/tpa. Kenya produced only 360,000/t in 2005, according to US Geological Survey data but the country has an estimated 7M/t reserves.
