Dar, Nairobi step up efforts to ease crossborder trade

NAIROBI: TANZANIA and Kenya have pledged to eliminate remaining trade barriers and strengthen transparency to boost cross-border trade and enable businesses to benefit more from the East African Community (EAC) Common Market.

Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Mr James Millya, said the two countries have made progress in eliminating trade barriers but still need to address outstanding challenges to facilitate cross-border commerce.

Speaking during the Nairobi Dialogues on Global Trust over the weekend, Mr Millya said 54 of the 68 identified non-tariff barriers between the two countries have been eliminated, leaving 14 to be addressed.

He stressed the importance of building trust and accountability in bilateral trade relations, saying continued cooperation is necessary to ensure traders operate in a transparent and predictable business environment.

“Tanzania will continue working with Kenya to follow up on traders’ complaints, strengthen transparency and propose regular dialogue with traders at the Namanga and Holili border posts,” he said.

The Nairobi Dialogues on Global Trust brought together government and public sector leaders, civil society representatives, private sector executives, academics, media representatives, technology leaders and young people to discuss ways of strengthening trust and cooperation.

Tanzania and Kenya continue to deepen bilateral relations through the Joint Commission for Cooperation, which has held four sessions since its establishment in 2009.

The commission provides a framework for collaboration in trade, agriculture, education and other sectors.

Bilateral trade between the two countries reached 860 million US dollars in 2025, down 9.4 per cent from 950 million US dollars in the previous year, according to available government records.

In May this year, Kenyan President William Ruto made a two-day state visit to Tanzania, during which the two countries signed eight agreements covering energy, legal cooperation, agriculture, railway development, public service capacity building, maritime cooperation and harmonisation of standards, including certification for seafarers.

Tourism, energy and infrastructure featured prominently in the discussions, as both countries seek to accelerate economic growth and strengthen connectivity.

In the energy sector, cooperation includes an operational power interconnection linking Isinya and Namanga, which facilitates electricity exchange, including power from Ethiopia.

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