Tanzania, Kenya renew push to clear non-tariff barriers, ease cross-border trade

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania and Kenya have agreed to sustain efforts to remove non-tariff barriers (NTBs) that continue to disrupt the movement of goods, services and capital between the two countries, as part of wider efforts to deepen bilateral trade and economic integration.

The commitment was made on October 7, 2026, by Treasury Permanent Secretary, Dr Natu El-Maamry Mwamba, during a meeting with Kenya’s High Commissioner to Tanzania, Catherine Kirumba Karemu.

The meeting was held during Ms Karemu’s formal introductory visit to the ministry, a key institution in Tanzania’s participation in financial integration and economic cooperation within the East African Community (EAC).

Dr Mwamba said the Ministry of Finance, working with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, was implementing agreements reached between President Samia Suluhu Hassan and her Kenyan counterpart, William Ruto, aimed at eliminating NTBs and easing the movement of goods, services and capital across the two countries.

The efforts, she said, were part of broader measures to strengthen Tanzania-Kenya diplomatic and economic relations, which are anchored in mutual interests, economic diplomacy and regional integration through the EAC.

Cost of trade

The two countries have faced a range of administrative and regulatory obstacles that can increase the cost and time of moving goods across their shared border, despite their close economic ties and membership of the EAC.

Dr Mwamba said Tanzania and Kenya had, during 2026, held discussions and taken various measures to address more than 50 NTBs that had been affecting bilateral trade.

At the 10th Tanzania-Kenya Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meeting held in Mombasa from April 13 to 17, the two sides proposed and agreed on measures to remove the barriers and facilitate trade in goods and services.

The push gained further momentum in May when Presidents Samia and Ruto witnessed the signing of eight agreements and memoranda of understanding covering several areas of cooperation.

The agreements included railway development, maritime transport through the ports of Dar es Salaam and Mombasa, agriculture and energy, including a proposal to construct a natural gas pipeline.

The developments come against the backdrop of a broader EAC directive to eliminate NTBs.

Deadline

At the 25th Ordinary Summit of EAC Heads of State held in March 2026, member states were directed to address and remove all NTBs affecting intra-regional trade by June 30, 2026.

“This is an area in which I propose that we continue to cooperate during your tenure here in Tanzania,” Dr Mwamba told the Kenyan envoy.

She said the issue would also feature in the forthcoming meeting of the Tanzania-Kenya Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC), scheduled to take place in Dar es Salaam from November 12 to 14, 2026.

The meeting will provide another platform for the two countries to assess outstanding challenges and seek solutions to issues affecting bilateral cooperation.

Dr Mwamba assured Ms Karemu that the Ministry of Finance would continue working with the Kenyan Government and relevant institutions to address challenges that could impede trade and economic cooperation, stressing the importance of preserving the long-standing relationship between the two countries.

Ms Karemu said Kenya and Tanzania had continued to strengthen cooperation in finance and trade, including efforts to facilitate cross-border payments, harmonise tax systems and improve services at one-stop border posts.

She commended cooperation between the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), saying their collaboration was helping to facilitate trade between the neighbouring countries.

However, she said such efforts needed to be matched by further action to eliminate NTBs, harmonise trade statistics and increase private-sector investment.

She said these measures would further strengthen economic and commercial relations between Tanzania and Kenya.

Ms Karemu, who was appointed Kenya’s resident High Commissioner to Tanzania by President Ruto in 2026, thanked Dr Mwamba for receiving her and expressed her commitment to contributing to stronger bilateral relations, including regional cooperation and diaspora engagement.