Industries lose State support in EA trade row

Kenya’s motor vehicle assemblers have argued that assemblage of parts together with activities such as painting constitutes substantial transformation that should be taken into account when calculating the 35 per cent value addition threshold.

“Generally, the application of the rules of origin could be very easy where there is sufficient level of disclosure by the manufacturers. The reality in East Africa is however that most local manufacturers are never willing to provide all the information that technical experts need making it harder for negotiators to defend their products,” said Mr Nalo.