East African Community member countries recently agreed to raise minimum external tariffs from 25% to 35% for several agricultural goods, USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service said in a May 25 report. The tariffs will apply to certain dairy products, meat products, cereals, cotton, textiles, edible oils, beverages, spirits, fruits and nuts, among other items, the report said. The tariffs will increase July 1, USDA said, and will apply to exports to Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

Iran is considering exporting natural gas to Europe in a potential bid to capitalize on international sanctions against Russian energy. An Iranian oil and gas ministry official said officials are “studying it but have yet to reach a conclusion,” the ministry’s news agency, Shana, said May 15. “However, Iran always seeks development of energy diplomacy and expanding the market.” The official didn’t say how it would export its product, which is subject to strict U.S. sanctions.

Bahrain will soon ban all imports and sales of certain single-use plastic bags, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported May 13. The ban, which takes effect Sept. 19 and will apply to all single-use bags less than 35 microns in thickness, won't apply to plastic bags for export or for medical purposes. HKTDC said the “vast majority” of Bahrain factories will be able to manufacture plastic bags thicker than 35 microns or “produce acceptable alternatives to the banned products.”

Kenya recently began local product standards inspections for all imported cargo, eliminating the option for importers to obtain pre‑export verifications and avoid local testing, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported May 11. Kenya in April began inspections for all imports “at a fee equivalent to 0.6% of the approved customs value subject to a minimum of US$265 and a maximum of US$2,700 exclusive of testing charges,” the country told traders, according to the report. HKTDC said Kenya has since increased the number of inspectors at its ports of entry and set “new targets for certificate issuance of two hours for airfreight and two days for sea cargo.” Imports that don’t meet Kenyan standards must be re-shipped or destroyed.

Egypt recently suspended imports from more than 800 companies after they failed to comply with an Egyptian decree that requires registration of certain production facilities, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported April 29. Under the decree, certain imported products -- including dairy products, oils, fruits, textiles and household appliances -- can be released in Egypt only if their manufacturing facilities are registered with the country’s General Organization for Import and Export Control. The import ban was applied to companies in the U.S., United Arab Emirates, the U.K., China, Germany, Turkey, France, Bulgaria, Denmark, Italy, Malaysia and South Korea, the report said.

Israel’s Defense Ministry is granting fewer export licenses to the country’s spyware companies amid mounting pressure from the U.S., according to an April 25 report from Globes, an Israeli business news site. The report said Israeli company Nemesis was forced to shut down last month after the country’s Defense Export Control Agency refused to grant it export licenses, and other industry executives have complained about an “abrupt change in policy” toward companies exporting spyware. Other companies -- including NSO Group, Cognyte, QuaDream and Wintego -- are on a “short list” of businesses that have struggled in recent months from a “lack of approvals for new deals and cancellation of export permits that have expired,” the report said.

Morocco recently added certain textiles to its list of products that require a certificate of conformity before they can be imported, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported April 27. Traders will have to show the certificate when the goods arrive for customs clearance, the report said. Goods subject to the requirement include clothing textiles, including silk, linen, certain cotton fabrics, lace and terry cloth. Importers can still bring those goods into Morocco without a certificate until May 7.

The Democratic Republic of Congo became the seventh member of the East African Community, the trade bloc announced March 29. The DRC is expected to see substantial trade benefits after its accession to the EAC is officially ratified April 14, including lower tariffs, less trade restrictions among EAC member countries and more free movement of goods, EAC Secretary General Peter Mathuki said. Adding it also expands the territory and reach of the EAC, benefitting other members as well.

Egypt could be facing a significant drop in its wheat imports since two of its largest suppliers, Ukraine and Russia, are at war. According to a report from the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service, wheat imports into Egypt could drop by 8.3% from marketing year 2021/22, to 11 million tons for the marketing year 2022-23 starting in July -- the lowest rate in nine years. Over the past five years, Egypt bought more than 80% of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine due to relatively fast shipping times and low prices. "The war between Russia and Ukraine is potentially aggravating already unsettled supply chains and causing major disruptions of wheat supplies to import destinations in the Middle East and North Africa region," the report said. "Egypt is not isolated from these catastrophic events, which is already affecting its imports of wheat from both countries."

The Suez Canal Authority recently raised toll surcharges for most vessels, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported March 28. Laden and ballast vessels will face surcharges from 5% to 10%, HKTDC said, and bulk carriers, crude oil carriers and petroleum tankers will face a 5% tariff increase. In addition, the SCA will impose an additional 7% fee on liquefied natural gas tankers, roll-on/roll-off vessels, special floating units, general cargo ships and others, and a 10% surcharge on certain northbound and southbound chemical and other liquid bulk tankers, the report said. Additional fees will be levied on the “number of tiers of containers on a vessel’s weather‑deck,” HKTDC said. The fees will help fund canal improvements.