By Ivan Nganwa
KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) – Rwanda and Kenya on Thursday signed a trade deal which will lead to a partial and gradual opening of their markets to imports from the European Union.
This will also lead to the immediate provision of duty-free and quota-free access for all East African Community (EAC) exports to the EU market.
However, the deal cannot come into force unless it is signed by all EAC member states -- Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi.
Europe is still trying to convince the other three to join.
Tanzania is strongly opposed to the deal and its representatives stated in July that it would not sign up, criticizing it for being harmful for the region’s infant industries.
Uganda was also skeptical about signing but has now indicated that it will join next week during a heads-of-state summit in Tanzania.
The east African bloc has been negotiating the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union since 2007, a pact that will open up European markets for products such as flowers, fruit and vegetables.
Kenya was particularly eager to have the EPA signed in order to keep hold of its market in Europe, which it is scheduled to lose by the end of September after graduating to middle-income status.
Unlike its neighbors, Kenya will no longer be eligible for the current so-called “anything but arms” trade deal which EU offers to least-developed countries.
The new deal is a response to criticism that the non-reciprocal trade agreements offered by the EU to Africa are incompatible with trade rules set by the World Trade Organization.