UAE – The Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) have inked an agreement to encourage and increase the exports of Brazilian halal products to Arab nations. Through the partnership, they hope to promote more Brazilian goods in the halal market, particularly higher value-added food products. As part of this, they will…
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TradeMark East Africa, Tanzania Bureau of Standards sign deal to facilitate trade
TANZANIA – TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) and the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) have inked a US$ 9 billion deal to assist business people in conducting transactions based on standards for simple market entry. Speaking after penning the deal, Monica Hangi, the TMEA Country Representative, stated that the agreement aims to facilitate trade and address issues brought on by non-tariff…
READ MOREFAO underscores significance of food safety in improving cross-border trade
EAST AFRICA – Representatives drawn from various sectors in East Africa have been trained on Food Safety and Coordination on Border Regulations towards improving the safe trade of agro-food commodities in the region. The Eastern Africa (EA) Subregional Office of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA) jointly sponsored the training…
READ MOREKenya, Zambia in bid to resolve more than decade-long non-tariff trade barriers
KENYA – Kenya and Zambia are at the brink of signing a memorandum of understanding to end the long simmering trade dispute that saw Zambia ban the export of Kenyan milk more than a decade ago. Although Kenya has enough standards for a variety of industries, according to KEBS Director General Bernard Njiraini, harmonizing the standards to include other nations…
READ MORESouth Africa pauses export of Valencia oranges to EU to curb Citrus Black Spot risk
SOUTH AFRICA – In response to the recent Citrus Black Spot (CBS) notices of non-compliance (NONCs) on SA citrus, the Citrus Growers Association of South Africa (CGA) and the Fresh Produce Exporters’ Forum Boards are set to voluntarily halt exporting Valencia oranges from South Africa’s impacted regions to the EU. At the end of the EU export season, Valencia oranges…
READ MOREIndia green-lights in-transit cold treatment for South African apples, pears
SOUTH AFRICA – After a battle of the oranges in the European market, South African apples and pears have stepped in to save the day, thanks to India which has approved the fruits’ in-transit cold treatment for exports to India. The move will allow the fruits to arrive at the destination country in better quality, allowing shippers to increase the…
READ MOREPlot twist as Germany exonerates Kenyan coffee previously flagged in Japan
KENYA – A new twist has emerged after tests conducted in Germany on a Kenyan batch of coffee that had recently raised eyebrows in Japan over excess chemical residues, turned out to be negative. Theophilus Mutui, the Managing Director, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), said Kenya had also analyzed the samples and gotten negative results, bringing to question the…
READ MOREJapan intensifies inspections on Kenyan coffee amidst pesticide contamination concerns
KENYA – The government of Japan has raised the frequency of monitoring tests of Chlorpyrifos in Fresh Coffee Beans from Kenya to 30% levels of official controls due to detection of levels above the threshold. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed that they detected Chlorpyrifos levels at 0.06 ppm which is above the maximum residue limits of 0.05 ppm required…
READ MOREGrain Council of Uganda seeks ban of ungraded maize export
UGANDA – The Grain Council of Uganda has asked government to immediately ban the export of ungraded maize, whose trading has increased due to demand pressures across the East African region. Mr. Henry Musisi, Acting Executive Director, Grain Council of Uganda, said the export of ungraded maize presents a number of challenges, which include distortion of quality and pricing and…
READ MOREKenyan Government to put up hot water treatment facility to boost horticultural exports
KENYA – The government of Kenya through the Agriculture and Food Authority [AFA], has planned to launch a hot water treatment facility in Nairobi to boost export of Kenya’s horticulture products to international markets. Agriculture CS Peter Munya said the hot water treatment plant is a viable intervention for the fruit fly issue and by establishing this facility, Kenya will…
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