Tanzania and Kenya work to resolve trade disputes

By JAMES ANYANZWA and EMMANUEL ONYANGO

Kenya and Tanzania are pushing to resolve their long-standing trade disputes, which have slowed down the flow of goods across common borders.

Trade officials from the two countries held bilateral meetings in Arusha, in April, to try and resolve the many contentious trade issues, including rules of origin for some products and persistent suspicion over the quality of products traded across the borders.

People familiar with the negotiations told /The EastAfrican/ that the first bilateral meeting was held in September 2017 and the next meeting is scheduled for Mombasa in early July.

So far the trade officials have held four bilateral meetings since 2017.

The meetings follow a directive by the regional Heads of State in March requiring ministers of trade and EAC affairs from Kenya and Tanzania to address and resolve non-tariff barriers affecting trade between the two countries.

“Our trade teams have been meeting because we need to resolve these issues amicably,” said Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for EAC Affairs Adan Mohamed.
 

Source: The Citizen