Kenya has unveiled a new, inter-agency institution at the heart of its export economy dubbed the National Technical Barriers to Trade Committee designed to defend the country’s goods against non-tariff barriers, shape regional standards, and anchor the nation’s role in global commercial diplomacy.
- •The Committee, formed under the auspices of the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, brings together more than 50 institutions, including regulators, industry bodies, and policy think tanks.
- •They include Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK), and the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.
- •The institution is tasked with managing Kenya’s obligations under the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and will coordinate Kenya’s participation in regional forums including the East African Community (EAC), COMESA, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The Committee will also serve as the national authority responsible for reviewing and issuing WTO notifications on regulatory changes that could affect trade.Its creation comes amid growing concerns that Kenya’s exports, particularly in agriculture, face mounting rejections and delays due to evolving health, safety, and quality standards abroad.
The inclusion of key agricultural players from the Kenya Flower Council and Fresh Produce Exporters Association suggests a deliberate attempt to align industry concerns with government policy in real time.
The Committee is empowered to analyze global trade developments, propose regulatory reforms, mobilize technical resources, and craft Kenya’s national position on TBT matters in international negotiations. It will also monitor and advise on “good regulatory practices” to ensure Kenya’s domestic standards align with both its development goals and market access ambitions.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards will act as the Committee’s Secretariat and Enquiry Point, centralizing all responses to domestic and foreign technical concerns, coordinating meetings, and managing the data that underpin trade disputes and negotiations.
With the ability to co-opt technical experts, establish subcommittees, and develop a five-year strategic plan, the body is poised to operate with significant autonomy, yet firmly embedded in national trade policy structures.
The creation of the committee also comes at a critical moment as Kenya (like many other countries globally) grapples with new U.S. tariffs that have eroded the preferential access previously enjoyed under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). With apparel exports (Kenya’s leading U.S.-bound product) now facing a 10% duty, the Committee is positioned to play a strategic role in navigating such non-tariff barriers, shaping Kenya’s technical compliance posture, and defending its competitiveness in high-stakes export markets.
Traditional trade patterns have undergone a major shift as imports from European partners like the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Germany decline sharply, while trade with China, the UAE, and India surges. The new Committee is poised to play a crucial role in leading the policy creation in this evolving trade landscape and ensure that standards don’t develop into new loopholes in fast-changing global supply chains.
