Tanzania withdrawal from EU trade deal hurts Kenyan flower export

Friday, Tanzania’s Permanent Secretary for foreign Affairs Dr Aziz Mlima said his country would not sign the EAC-EU EPA citing ‘turmoil’ in the EU occasioned by the impending exit of the United Kingdom.

Apart from Kenya, the other four EAC member States - Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda- which are still classified as least developed countries (LDCs) will not be affected by this development as their low economic status allows them to access the EU market tax-free.

Kenya Flowers Council Chief Executive Officer Jane Ngige recently said that failure to sign the pact will put Kenya in an awkward position as the country needs to continue accessing the European market. “Failure to pass the deal would mean exports into Europe would be taxed to access the lucrative 28-member-State union,” said Mrs Ngige in a past interview with The Standard.

“Should Kenya miss out on signing the EPAs, trade between it and Europe would be reverted to the less generous market access terms under the General System of Preference (GSP),” she added.

Flower exporters will be waiting to see whether a government that promised to have the pact signed and ratified before the deadline can pull a rabbit out of a hat. The agreement is due for signing and ratification by October 1.

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