Nairobi — The East African Court of Justice has temporarily stopped Tanzania from collecting an excise duty on Kenyan-made safety matches, in a case that raises fresh questions over trade rules within the East African Community.

The court issued an interim injunction restraining the Tanzania Revenue Authority from enforcing a Tsh400 per kilogram excise levy introduced under Tanzania's Finance Act 2025 on imports of safety matches from Kenya.

The order, issued by the First Instance Division in Arusha, will remain in force pending the determination of a case filed by Match Masters Limited.

The court said Tanzania and its agencies must immediately stop collecting or enforcing the tax on Kenyan safety matches, noting that the dispute relates to claims of discriminatory treatment of imported goods compared to locally manufactured products, which may breach EAC trade rules.

The case will proceed for full hearing, with manufacturers and exporters across the region watching closely, as it could set a precedent on how member states apply taxes on goods traded within the East African Community.