Egypt is to lift a 30 percent tariff imposed on tea imports from Kenya following talks in Nairobi between the Egyptian ambassador and Kenya's trade minister, tea dealers here said Monday October 15. The trade dispute erupted last month when Egypt, a key market for Kenyan tea, imposed the retaliatory import tariff, saying Kenya had implemented a similar measure on Egyptian products.
Trade between the two countries is supposed to be tariff-free as both are members of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). The East African Tea Trade Association (EATTA) said the dispute had driven down tea prices at the weekly auction here as exporters to Egypt stayed away from the market.
Nearly 10 million kilograms of Kenyan tea remained stranded in Port Said during the dispute "We look forward to greater business ties with Egypt as the tariff quarrel is behind us now," said George Muchura, an EATTA official. The dispute was resolved in talks between Kenya's Trade Minister Nicholas Biwott and Egyptian Ambassador Refaat al-Ansary. — (AFP, Mombasa)
© Agence France Presse 2001
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
