Tanzanian Minister of Industries, Trade and Marketing Mary Nagu has said that the East African Community (EAC) bloc is likely to delay signing a new trade deal with the European Union because fresh issues have been introduced in the negotiations.

Negotiations on the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) are meant to be concluded this month, but that will not be achieved because of EU introduced other voluntary trade-related issues, Nagu was quoted by the local newspaper Daily News as saying on Friday.

She said that the issues included government procurement, environment and sustainable development, which the EAC member states, including Tanzania, do not agree with as they are yet to be agreed on under the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The EPA aims to replace current preferential arrangements that have been struck down by the WTO.

Tanzania has joined the pact negotiations to benefit from cooperation on development and the economy and gain financial and technical aid to improve its productivity and export potential.

Tanzanian exports to other East African Community countries rose by 83 percent in 2008 to 316 million U.S. dollars compared with the previous year.

The five EAC members, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi, are among nearly 80 countries of the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific group in talks on a new pact with the EU, the report said.

The East African bloc has a combined gross domestic product of 60 billion U.S. dollars and a population of just over 126 million. It already has a customs Union and plans to have a common market next year.

Source: Xinhua