New Customs Depot to Cut Costs for Importers in Kenya

Kenya’s President, Uhuru Kenyatta, opened the government’s Container Freight Station (CFS)-Kenya Railways Corporation Transit Shed near the Nairobi Central Station on 10 November 2020. The new freight transit shed, also known locally as the ‘Boma line’, eliminates the need for small importers to collect goods from the Inland Container Depot (ICDN) at Embakasi, about 13 kilometres away, which requires the use of expensive...

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Saudi Connection to the African Markets

The Saudi Ports Authority (MAWANI) has announced the launch of a new shipping lane connecting Saudi Arabia with East African countries, to be provided through French giant logistics company and shipping line, CMA CGM. The new ‘JEDDEX’ shipping service will provide a weekly direct service between Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Kenya, with four ships plying the route, each with 1,100 TEU nominal capacity. The new shipping lane will...

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Kenya Raises Duties On 31 Goods

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has increased the tax on excisable goods in line with the average inflation rate, despite pleas from manufacturers and importers to leave rates unchanged. The KRA’s excise duty inflation adjustment has upped rates by 4.94%, in line with the official annual inflation rate for the 2019/2020 financial year to 30 June 2020. In its official release, the KRA confirmed that the new tariff amounts have taken...

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Ethiopia's Industrial Parks Attract Foreign Investors

The government of Ethiopia has announced a new three-pronged incentive package to assist investors operating in the country’s industrial parks, in order to ease the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. As part of the effort to ease the impact of COVID-19 on the investment sector, the Ethiopian government has made available  these three major incentives for investors operating inside Industrial Parks. The package was...

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East African Countries Introduce Stricter Checks on Cargo Movement

The East African states of Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda have introduced stricter cargo movement measures aimed at containing the cross-border spread of Covid-19, following a rise in cases attributed to contamination by cross-border truck drivers. In Kenya, the Kenyan Revenue Authority (KRA) mandated all cargo truck drivers and their crew subject themselves to virus screening at border points. Furthermore, the KRA requires that all traders ensure...

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Djibouti: East Africa’s Emerging Trading Hub

Home to a small population of less than one million, Djibouti is one of the smallest countries in East Africa, strategically located at the mouth of the Red Sea. With few natural resources and little industrial activities, Djibouti’s economy depends heavily on logistics services and trade through its international port.  In a bid to transform itself into a commercial trading hub for the broader region, the country has...

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China Builds Modern Infrastructure to Build New Trade Routes Across East Africa

In 1896, the British colonial government began construction of a narrow-gauge railway line from the Kenyan port city of Mombasa to Nairobi. Today, the railway builders are back. This time, it is China’s economic integration strategy in East Africa that is behind the construction of a new rapid rail link between Mombasa and Nairobi. The new line, due to reach the Kenyan capital by 2018, will eventually extend to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and...

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New Rules to Ease Importing Goods into Kenya

The Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) has released a new set of standards intended to improve the efficiency and accountability of importing into Kenya. KAM said that it has created the new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) guide, released on 18 November 2020, to facilitate trade and boost the fight against illegal imports in order to enhance the ease of doing business in the country. The SOPs are intended to serve as a...

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