by Ronald Njoroge
NAIROBI, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Kenya and Tanzania are set to hold talks in September to eliminate trade barriers, a government official said on Tuesday.
Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo told reporters in Nairobi that the meeting, which will take place in Tanzania, is a follow-up on a previous meeting that resolved a trade impasse in wheat and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).
"The meeting will focus on smoothening crossborder trade in key agricultural commodities so as to enhance intra-East African Community trade," Kiptoo said during a media briefing on Kenya's participation in the World Expo 2017.
Kiptoo said that there is political goodwill on both sides to find a lasting solution to the recurring trade disputes.
The aim of the talks is to ensure that Kenya's tobacco and milk goods can flow freely to Tanzania, while Tanzania's LPG and wheat can reach Kenya without unnecessary restrictions.
Kiptoo said that both Kenya and Tanzania are dependent in wheat imports from the international market.
"However, some of the wheat imported into Tanzania is exported into Kenya and this puts Kenyan farmers at a disadvantage," he added.
"So we want to discuss safeguards that should be put to ensure that Kenyan farmers are not negatively impacted by wheat from Tanzania," he noted.
Kiptoo also said that Kenya's tobacco exports to Tanzania are currently experiencing hurdles due to non-tariff barriers at the common borders.
"We are therefore going to put standards in order to remove the restrictions on free trade of goods," he said.
