The Egyptian Commercial Service addressed the East African Community to extend the tariff
exemption on exports from COMESA members until June 30, 2021.
Cairo- September
21, 2020
Minister of Trade and Industry Nevine Gamea has announced resolving
the crisis with Kenya, whose authorities had imposed customs duties on Egyptian
exports, in violation of the Common Market for Eastern and
Southern Africa (COMESA) Agreement.
She pointed out that the ministry, represented by its Egyptian
Commercial Service (ECS), held intensive talks with the East African Community
(EAC) to resolve the issue.
The EAC, hence, agreed to extend the tariff exemption on exports
from other COMESA countries to the markets of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi
until June 30, 2021, the minister added.
“Companies
exporting to the Kenyan market were significantly impacted by the unilateral
decision of the East African country, causing Egyptian containers to get stuck in the
Kenyan port of Mombasa," Gamea said.
Egyptian
exports to Kenya registered $416m in 2019, including: paper and its products,
sugar, iron and steel, machinery and electrical appliances, plastics, soap,
detergents and cement, according to ECS head Ahmed Maghawry.