Kenya Notifies WTO of Newly Adopted East African Standards for Fertilizers

2025-05-15 Reference source : WTO

On 11 April 2025, Kenya notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) that several previously circulated standards covering 12 fertilizers have now been officially adopted. Published in the Kenya Gazette Notice No. 16886 on 20 December 2024, the adoption marks the formal transition of the draft texts into national standards, contributing to harmonized regulatory practices across the East African Community (EAC).

Adoption of East African Standards

In 2023, five East African Community countries (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda), notified the WTO of draft standards concerning various fertilizers. The majority of these drafts have now been adopted and include detailed provisions on product sampling, packaging, labelling, and allowable levels of heavy metals. The aim is to enhance environmental safety and public health.

Background on East African Standards

The development of harmonized East African Standards is driven by the need to unify quality benchmarks for goods and services across EAC member states. This harmonization is intended to eliminate technical barriers to trade and facilitate the seamless exchange of goods and services within the region.

To achieve this, the East African Standards Committee was established. The committee comprises representatives from national standards bodies, private sector entities, and consumer organizations. Draft standards are circulated for public comment via national standards bodies, after which stakeholder feedback is reviewed and incorporated before final adoption.

These standards are dynamic and subject to periodic review to reflect advancements in technology and emerging regulatory needs. Stakeholders are advised to ensure they always refer to the latest version when implementing these standards.

Focus on Fertilizers Standards

The newly adopted draft standards cover various types of fertilizers, including organic, foliar, urea, and phosphate-based fertilizers as well as guidelines for their safe handling and storage. The intent is to ensure uniform quality, safe usage, and environmental protection.

The adopted standards include:

Standard	Description of contents
DEAS 1164: 2023, Inorganic Foliar Fertilizer— Specification, First edition	This draft East African Standard specifies the requirements, methods of sampling and test for inorganic foliar fertilizers.
DEAS 1167: 2023, Organic fertilizer — Specification, First Edition	This draft East African Standard specifies the requirements, methods of sampling and test for organic fertilizers.
DEAS 1163:2023, Fertilizer – Single Super Phosphate — Specification, First Edition	This draft East African Standard prescribes the requirements, methods of sampling and test of Single Super Phosphate fertilizer in powder and granular forms.
DEAS 904: 2023, Fertilizers — Phosphate rock powder — Specification, second edition.	This draft East African Standard specifies the requirements, sampling and test methods for phosphate rock fertilizers in powder form of biogenic sedimentary origin.
DEAS 905: 2023, Fertilizers ― Granulated phosphate rock ― Specification	This Draft East African Standard specifies the requirements, methods of sampling and test for granulated phosphate rock fertilizers. The fertilizer shall contain phosphorus as the only predominant primary plant nutrient of biogenic sedimentary origin.
DEAS 906: 2023, Fertilizers — Triple Superphosphate — Specification, Second edition.	This draft East African Standard specifies the requirements, sampling and test methods for Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) fertilizer.
DEAS 907: 2023, Fertilizers — Potassium sulphate (sulphate of potash) — Specification, Second edition.	This Draft East African Standard specifies the requirements and methods of sampling and test for potassium sulphate (sulphate of potash) fertilizer.
DEAS 908: 2023, Fertilizers — Potassium chloride (muriate of potash) — Specification, Second edition.	This Draft East African Standard specifies the requirements of sampling and test methods for potassium chloride (muriate of potash) fertilizer.
DEAS 910: 2023, Fertilizers — Urea — Specification	This Draft East African Standard specifies the requirements, sampling and test methods for urea fertilizer. This standard does not cover specifications for coated urea.
DEAS 909: 2023, Fertilizers — Calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) — Specification, Second edition	This Draft East African standard specifies the requirements, sampling and test methods for calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) fertilizers.
DEAS 1162:2023- Fertilizers – Mono-Ammonium Phosphate and Di-Ammonium Phosphate (MAP & DAP) – Specification	This draft East African standard prescribes the requirements, methods of sampling and tests for Mono-Ammonium Phosphate and Di-Ammonium Phosphate (MAP & DAP) fertilizers.
DEAS 1166:2023- Code of Practice for Handling, Storage and Disposal of Bagged Fertilizers or Fertilizer supplements	This draft East African standard lays down the recommended code of practice for handling, storage and disposal of fertilizers or fertilizer supplements packed in bags, with or without a plastics liner.

Conclusion

The adoption of these standards marks a significant milestone in regional integration efforts, by aligning regulatory practices across East African countries. By standardizing the chemical composition, labeling, and handling of key agricultural and public health products, the region is moving closer to achieving a safer, more efficient, and more environmentally sustainable trading environment. These efforts not only strengthen internal trade within the EAC but also enhance the region’s competitiveness in global markets.

We acknowledge that the above information has been compiled from WTO .

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Kenya Notifies WTO of Newly Adopted East African Standards for Fertilizers

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