Tanzania and Kenya have dismantled a longstanding trade barricade over poultry exports, a move that promises to rejuvenate economic ties between the two East African nations.

The regional bloc, the East African Community (EAC) announced the truce on Tuesday this week following two-day consultations held in Arusha Tanzania. The new accord seeks to bolster trade relations and breathe new life into the economic trajectory of the region. Robson Wanjala, the co-chair of the meeting representing Kenya's High Commissioner to Tanzania, lauded the agreement saying it seeks to fortify trade links in the region.

Benezeth Lutege Malinda, the acting director of veterinary services in Tanzania's Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, affirmed Tanzania's proactive stance in dismantling trade barriers, particularly focusing on addressing non-tariff hurdles that have hindered seamless commerce.

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Poultry exports

"We remain steadfast in our resolve to surmount these challenges and cultivate a conducive trading environment between Kenya and Tanzania," Malinda asserted.

The center of the bilateral discussions revolved around the ban on the export of poultry and poultry products from Kenya to Tanzania, a contentious issue that had strained cross-border trade. Historically, Kenya has been a pivotal exporter of poultry-related commodities to Tanzania, including day-old chicks, hatching eggs, parent stock, and processed poultry items, the EAC statement explained.

The blanket ban on poultry imports from Kenya imposed by Tanzania in 2021 in response to the global outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza dealt a severe blow to Kenya's poultry industry, relegating access to a crucial market. The resolution highlights success in bilateral diplomacy and ushers a new dawn of economic synergy that is poised to catalyse cross-border business growth. 

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