Kenya to appeal East African regional court's ruling that suspended EU trade deal

Kenya will appeal against a regional court ruling that halted a trade deal with the European Union, Trade Minister Lee Kinyanjui said on Wednesday, adding the ruling imperils $1.56 billion worth of annual exports to the EU.

The Tanzania-based East Africa Court of Justice suspended the implementation of the deal on Monday, Kinyanjui said, pending the outcome of a case brought by a non-governmental organisation challenging it.

Kenya signed the deal, known as an Economic Partnership Agreement, with the EU in 2023 to guarantee its goods market access to the 27-nation bloc, and setting out a schedule for European goods to access the Kenyan market over time.

A summary of the case against the agreement on the court's website showed the NGO, the Centre for Law Economics and Policy, brought the case against Kenya on the grounds that the agreement with the EU violated some provisions of the treaty establishing the East African Community common market, of which Kenya is a member.

Kenya to continue trading with EU: minister

Now the trade ministry has initiated a legal appeal to set aside the court's injunction, Kinyanjui said. The minister did not say when the appeal will be heard by the court.

"The Kenya-EU EPA is the lifeline of our booming exports and a source of livelihood to a large majority of Kenyans," Kinyanjui said in a statement.

"Kenya will continue to trade with the EU and steps are being taken to ensure continuity, predictability and protection of our existing commercial arrangements."

While Kenya exported $1.56 billion worth of goods to the EU last year, it imported $2.09 billion worth of goods from the bloc, the minister said.

African nations have been looking to increase their exports to markets such as the EU and China, after the imposition of steeper tariffs by the US government this year.