Kenya and Tanzania, on Monday, August 11, 2025, held a bilateral meeting in Nairobi aimed at addressing Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) and boosting cross-border trade.

The State Department for Trade under the Ministry of Investments, Trade & Industry, in a statement shared via its official X account, said the talks are a follow-up to last year’s Joint Ministerial Trade Committee session held in Kenya, where both nations committed to resolving outstanding trade issues.

“Kenya and Tanzania today held a bilateral meeting in Nairobi to address Non-Tariff Barriers and boost cross-border trade. The meeting follows a ministerial directive from last year’s Joint Ministerial Trade Committee session in Kenya aimed at resolving outstanding issues to enhance trade between the two nations,” the statement read.

Joint Trade Committee session

The meeting also reviewed ongoing preparations for the upcoming Joint Trade Committee session scheduled for September, which is expected to finalise measures to enhance trade cooperation between the two countries.

Officials from both sides expressed optimism that resolving NTBs would open up more opportunities for businesses and strengthen economic ties across the East African region.

“The meeting also reviewed preparations for the upcoming Joint Trade Committee to be held later next month,” the State Department for Trade wrote on X.

Mudavadi’s call

The meeting comes days after Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who doubles up as Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, called for a diplomatic approach in addressing trade restrictions imposed on Kenyans by Tanzania, as well as managing the activities of foreign traders in Kenya.

Appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Regional Integration, chaired by nominated MP Irene Mayaka on Thursday, August 7, 2025, Mudavadi urged patience and constructive dialogue to resolve cross-border disputes.

“Let us not demand confrontation on some of the issues, including how to treat small- and medium-scale entrepreneurs in Kenya. In case diplomacy doesn’t work, I will declare its failure so that we may engage other channels,” Mudavadi told the committee.

On the challenge of work permits in Tanzania, Mudavadi revealed that Kenya has formally requested reciprocal treatment from Dar es Salaam.

“In a joint technical meeting of Commissioners of Labour and Chiefs of Immigration of Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania held in January, we requested equal treatment on the issuance of business passes gratis to exempt Kenyans from work permit charges,” he explained.