Tanzania, June 30 -- Trade has always operated within rules. For much of the twentieth century, those rules centred on tariffs. As tariffs have fallen through successive WTO negotiations, a different set of barriers has taken their place: technical standards.

Today, an avocado consignment moving from Arusha to Germany must meet phytosanitary requirements, traceability rules, pesticide residue limits and, increasingly, supply chain due diligence obligations linked to the EU deforestation regulation.

A farmer in Njombe growing green peas for export faces a level of compliance that would have been unrecognisable a generation ago.

This expansion of standards reflects real shifts in consumer expectations, regulatory oversight and investor s...