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Understanding The Communiqué and the Gazette in Trade Law

Understanding The Communiqué and the Gazette in Trade Law

On Monday 4 May, two presidents pledged to eliminate every remaining non-tariff barrier between Kenya and Tanzania by 30 June. On Tuesday 5 May, Kenya published a Finance Bill proposing a 35 percent excise duty on Tanzanian glass bottles.

In East Africa, communiqués are written for the cameras. Gazettes are applied at the border. This column reads both—and tells you which one binds. This week: how Parliament’s retreat on excise duties, Tanzania’s scrapping of its Industrial Development Levy, and the AGOA extension to 2028 reshape the practical rules for importers, exporters and manufacturers moving goods across the region. Plus a five-point checklist for traders before next Tuesday.

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