Lors d'une réunion historique de deux jours qui s'est tenue au siège de la Communauté de l'Afrique de l'Est (CAE) à Arusha, en Tanzanie, la République du Kenya et la République unie de Tanzanie ont réussi à répondre à des préoccupations de longue date concernant l'exportation de volailles et de produits à base de volaille entre les deux pays. Dans ses remarques, M. Rabson Wanjala, coprésident kenyan de la réunion, a souligné l'importance cruciale du commerce entre les deux pays, en insistant sur la nécessité de poursuivre les consultations afin de rationaliser et de faciliter les processus commerciaux. Wanjala a déclaré que les deux pays s'étaient engagés à favoriser les relations commerciales, ajoutant que les engagements pris soulignaient l'importance des efforts de collaboration pour garantir l'augmentation des échanges dans la région. Pour sa part, le Dr. Benezeth Lutege Malinda, co-président de la réunion pour la Tanzanie, a fait écho aux sentiments de M. Wanjala, ajoutant que la Tanzanie s'est engagée à faire en sorte que toutes les agences de facilitation du commerce abordent et résolvent tous les problèmes qui entravent le commerce, en particulier les barrières non tarifaires (BNT) au commerce. "Nous restons déterminés à relever ces défis et à favoriser un environnement propice à la fluidité des échanges entre le Kenya et la Tanzanie", a-t-il déclaré. Le Kenya a toujours été un exportateur important de volailles et de produits liés à la volaille vers la Tanzanie, notamment de poussins d'un jour, d'œufs à couver, de géniteurs et de produits...

Tanzania and Kenya have successfully resolved a longstanding dispute over the export of poultry and poultry products between the two countries, the East African Community (EAC) said in a statement on Tuesday. The statement said the dispute was resolved during a two-day consultative meeting held at the EAC headquarters in Tanzania's northern city of Arusha that ended on Tuesday. Rabson Wanjala, the co-chair of the meeting from Kenya who represented the Kenyan High Commissioner to Tanzania, said both countries are committed to fostering trade relations, adding that their commitments underscore the importance of collaborative efforts to ensure increased trade in the region. Benezeth Lutege Malinda, acting director of veterinary services in Tanzania's Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, said Tanzania is actively addressing trade obstacles by ensuring that all trade-facilitating agencies focus on resolving issues, particularly non-tariff barriers, that hinder trade. "We remain committed to tackling these challenges and fostering an environment conducive to seamless trade between Kenya and Tanzania," he said. The meeting brought together veterinary authorities from both countries to resolve the ban on the export of poultry and poultry products from Kenya to Tanzania. Kenya has historically been a significant exporter of poultry and poultry-related products to Tanzania, including day-old chicks, hatching eggs, parent stock and processed poultry items, said the statement. According to the statement, Tanzania imposed a ban on poultry imports from Kenya in 2021 due to the global outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, a ban that severely impacted Kenya's poultry industry, hindering access to...

Les femmes commerçantes à petite échelle jouent un rôle crucial dans la croissance économique et l'intégration régionale, mais elles sont confrontées à de nombreux défis, notamment en ce qui concerne le commerce transfrontalier dans des régions telles que la Corne de l'Afrique et l'Afrique de l'Est. La frontière de Moyale est un exemple de ces obstacles, qui vont des conditions environnementales difficiles aux longues procédures de dédouanement, en passant par les coûts de transaction élevés. En outre, l'absence d'espaces commerciaux sécurisés expose les femmes à des risques tels que le vol et le harcèlement, ce qui entrave encore davantage leurs activités économiques. En réponse à cette situation, TradeMark Africa (TMA), avec le financement d'Irish Aid et du programme EU-IGAD Covid-19 Response et en partenariat avec l'administration locale de Moyale et le gouvernement éthiopien, a lancé aujourd'hui une zone de commerce sécurisée (STZ) à Moyale. Il s'agit du troisième marché de ce type que TMA a construit dans la région, les autres étant situés à Tog Wajaale - l'un du côté de l'Éthiopie et l'autre du côté du Somaliland. Le marché de la zone commerciale sûre de Moyale accueillera 207 femmes commerçantes et leur offrira un environnement sûr et propice à la conduite de leurs affaires. Cette initiative marque une étape importante dans la lutte contre les obstacles structurels qui entravent la participation des femmes commerçantes au commerce transfrontalier en Éthiopie et au Kenya. La structure permanente est équipée d'installations sanitaires, d'étals de marché, de systèmes d'approvisionnement en eau, de salles...

The West African Regional Director of CUTS International, Mr Appiah Kusi Adomako has urged Ghanaian SMEs to collaborate and build partnerships to reduce the cost of exporting and trading under African Continental Free Trade Area. Speaking at a Public Private Dialogue organized by CUTS International Accra with support from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on the theme “Making logistics work for Ghanaian SMEs to trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area,” in Accra, Mr Adomako said Ghanaian SMEs face logistical challenges in trading. These challenges include high cost of freight, unmotorable roads, non-existence of rail lines on the continent. This, according to him, makes it almost impossible for SMEs to trade under the AfCFTA. “SMEs who deal in the same goods should consider coming together, so they can save cost of production and export under the AfCFTA” he added. He further reiterated the importance of stakeholder collaboration to address the issue of trade logistics. “AfCFTA will not become successful if we do not address the issue of trade logistics, but this is something that the Government alone cannot do; it involves the private sector too. We need to decolonize trade logistics and Africans must own and operate shipping lines that can facilitate trade. Governments must provide the enabling framework to allow for the organic growth trade infrastructures, ” he said. Dr Stephen Amoah, a Deputy Finance Minister addressing participants He, however, noted that, “it is when the Government creates the enabling framework, the private sector will be able...

Kenyan legislators have ratified a preferential trade agreement with the European Union (EU), resolving a longstanding issue with fellow East African Community (EAC) members who declined a collective agreement in 2016. The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) will afford Kenyan merchants duty-free and quota-free entry into the $13.9 trillion European market. According to the EU, total trade with Kenya soared to $3.5 billion in 2022, marking a 27% increase since 2018. As stipulated by the agreement, over the next 25 years, Kenya will progressively reduce tariffs on imports from the EU and offer incentives for European businesses to establish operations within the nation. The trade agreement commits the Kenyan government to uphold international labor standards and incorporates clauses addressing climate change. “The agreement contains binding, enforceable measures concerning international labor and environmental standards, including gender equality and climate change. It prohibits both parties from reducing these standards,” stated the European Parliament in a release dated March 1. Following the European Union lawmakers’ endorsement of the partnership in March 2023, the Kenyan parliament ratified the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). The next step involves the trade minister, who is required to hold a public consultation before implementing the agreement. “This is the inaugural agreement with a developing nation that mirrors the EU’s new strategy towards trade and sustainable development,” remarked the EU Parliament. The EU imports goods from Kenya valued at $1.28 billion, including prominent items such as cut flowers, vegetables, and fruits. Kenya stands as one of the principal suppliers of flowers...

IN a strong call to stakeholders at the opening of the tenth Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, ARFSD-10, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General said urgent action is needed to increase capital flows into developing countries, particularly in Africa to make the SDGs stimulus a reality. She also urged the international community to support Africa in its efforts to deliver its vision for development through the SDGs 2030 agenda and Agenda 2063. Mohammed told the multi-stakeholder forum of member states representatives, youth, civil society and private sector actors that African countries are facing significant challenges, including debt servicing, rising interest rates and limited fiscal space. “Debt servicing in Africa is at an all-time high due to external shocks, leaving very little fiscal space or nothing to invest in sustainable development.” Furthermore, debt servicing “accounted for a staggering 47.5% of government revenue in Sub Saharan Africa last year. This is the primary expenditure on essential services, as well as investments in the continent’s future in areas of education and health,” she said. According to Mohammed, at least $500 billion a year is needed to scale up affordable long-term financing for development, alongside structural reforms within the very institutions and rules that make up the international financial architecture. Echoing the Deputy Secretary-General, Robinah Nabbanja, Prime Minister of Uganda, stressed the need for reform of the global financial architecture to ensure favorable financing terms, stressing the need for long-term financing for developing countries to trigger sustainable economies. She said...

What you need to know: The grant marks a significant milestone in their ongoing efforts to enhance the global competitiveness of Tanzania’s horticultural products Arusha. Better days for the multi-million-dollar horticultural industry are in the offing, thanks to the latest strategic partnership between international and local organisations. Yesterday, TradeMark Africa (TMA) and the Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA) sealed an ambitious grant agreement to initiate Phase II of the jointly run project. The primary aim is to enhance access to regional and international markets for Tanzania's fresh produce. The three-year partnership, backed by a $2.1 million (Sh5.4 billion) grant from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Norway, and Ireland-Funded TMA, also focuses on fostering sustainable trade practices and empowering local farmers in the horticultural industry. Details show that the ambitious project will upscale the production volume of strategic horticultural value chains destined for regional and overseas markets from 50,000 tonnes worth $18.3 million to 89,754 tonnes, with a potential for fetching $30.6 million per annum. Furthermore, the scheme will directly benefit an expanded cohort of horticultural growers nationwide, benefiting 55,708 individuals, a significant increase from the current 27,854 farmers. Notably, this group comprises predominantly women and youth who are actively engaged in cultivating strategic horticultural crops destined for export markets. Tanzania, known for its vibrant agriculture, has been a key player in the horticultural arena, exporting flowers, vegetables, spices, herbs and fruits like mangoes and avocados. However, despite the sub-sector's potential, challenges such as inadequate market access, limited logistical support,...

Non-tariff barriers have pushed down Kenya’s maize imports from Tanzania to 63 percent of the total imports of the grain in 2022/2023 marketing year, from 97 percent in 2021/2022. A new report by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that Kenyan traders imported maize from Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda and South Africa, but imports from Tanzania dropped as a result of the imposition of export restrictions by Dodoma. Tanzanian restrictions on maize exports were in the form of requirements that exporters to Kenya apply for export certificates. “Kenya traders have begun to source more corn from non-traditional sources such as Zambia and South Africa,” reads the report. “Historically, Kenya has sourced most of its imported corn from Tanzania. However, traders have had difficulty exporting corn from Tanzania following the implementation of new export procedures. In the past, the Government of Tanzania has imposed export bans or restricted access to export permits when domestic supplies are low.” Imports from Zambia and South Africa increased to 13 percent and 10 percent from one percent and 0.38 percent respectively. Maize imports from Uganda constituted five percent of the total maize imports from 0.36 percent. In absolute figures, Kenya’s maize imports from Tanzania declined by 41.78 percent to 412,755 tonnes in the marketing year 20222/2023, from 708,978 tonnes in MY 2021/2022 — a 97 percent decline. On the other hand, imports from Zambia increased eightfold to 88,050 tonnes from 10,728 tonnes while imports from South Africa increased by 2,218.94 percent to 64,513 tonnes from...

Des sénateurs américains ont présenté un projet de loi visant à prolonger jusqu'en 2041 le programme commercial du pays avec une quarantaine de pays d'Afrique subsaharienne, afin de les aider à conserver un accès en franchise de droits à la plus grande économie du monde. Jim Risch, républicain de l'Idaho, et Chris Coons, démocrate du Delaware, ont présenté jeudi un projet de loi visant à proroger l'African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), qui a été adopté pour la première fois en 2000. L'actuelle version de l'Agoa doit expirer en 2025. Cette prorogation "offrirait aux entreprises la certitude dont elles ont besoin pour accroître leurs investissements en Afrique subsaharienne à un moment où de nombreuses sociétés cherchent à diversifier leurs chaînes d'approvisionnement en s'éloignant de la Chine", a déclaré la commission sénatoriale des affaires étrangères dans un communiqué. "L'Afrique subsaharienne abrite la population la plus jeune du monde et de nombreuses économies à croissance rapide, et l'AGOA a joué un rôle essentiel dans la promotion du développement économique et le renforcement de l'engagement économique des États-Unis dans la région. Le projet de loi actualiserait la manière dont les États-Unis évaluent et font respecter l'éligibilité des pays à l'Agoa. Dans sa forme actuelle, la loi exige des examens annuels de l'éligibilité de tous les pays d'Afrique subsaharienne ; la nouvelle législation réduirait la fréquence à tous les deux ans, libérant ainsi des ressources pour se concentrer sur la mise en œuvre de la loi et l'application de ses règles, a déclaré la...

The bill would update how the US evaluates and enforces nations’ eligibility to benefit from the African Growth and Opportunity Act. Image: Jasper Juinen/Bloomberg US senators introduced a bill to extend the nation’s trade programme with about 40 sub-Saharan African nations until 2041, helping them maintain duty-free access to the world’s biggest economy. Jim Risch, a Republican from Idaho, and Delaware Democrat Chris Coons introduced the legislation to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), which was first enacted in 2000, on Thursday. The current iteration of Agoa is due to expire in 2025. The extension “would offer businesses the certainty they need to increase investment in sub-Saharan Africa at a time when many firms are looking to diversify their supply chains away from China,” the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said in a statement. “Sub-Saharan Africa is home to the world’s youngest population and many fast-growing economies, and AGOA has played a critical role in advancing economic development and strengthening US economic engagement in the region.” Last year, President Joe Biden terminated four nations’ eligibility for the act’s benefits because they failed to meet Congress’s requirements on respecting human rights and democracy. These include Uganda – dropped in response to its draconian anti-LBGTQ laws – as well as the Central African Republic, where Russian mercenary group Wagner established a presence in recent years. Gabon and Niger, both of which had coups in 2023, were also excluded. The bill would update how the US evaluates and enforces nations’ eligibility to benefit from Agoa....