East African businesses are calling for faster action on non-tariff barriers as the bloc seeks to increase intra-regional trade.
Tanzania accounts for almost 40% of the outstanding non-tariff barriers (NTBs) within the East African Community, highlighting persistent obstacles to deeper intra-regional trade despite repeated commitments to remove them.
The EAC’s 40th Regional Monitoring Committee identified 28 outstanding NTBs, with Tanzania responsible for 11, or 39.3%, according to reports. Kenya accounts for five, while the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda each have four.
The findings come after a June 30 deadline set by EAC heads of state for resolving outstanding barriers passed with many restrictions still in place.
Taxes and Levies Continue to Restrict Trade
Tax-related measures, particularly excise duties and levies, remain among the most persistent barriers.
The barriers include an industrial development levy on Kenyan goods, excise duties affecting products including chocolate, paints and confectionery, and charges affecting Ugandan milk. Other EAC members have also maintained restrictions, including Kenyan duties and fees affecting products and transporters from neighboring states.
The impact is being felt by exporters. Kenyan exports to Tanzania fell to KSh2.6 billion ($20.15 million) in February, their lowest level since May 2021, while exports to Uganda dropped to KSh6.6 billion ($51.16 million).
EAC Targets Administrative Bottlenecks
The East African Community has acknowledged that domestic administrative and regulatory obstacles remain a significant impediment to regional commerce.
“We have made significant progress in removing tariff barriers. Our priority now is to eliminate the administrative and regulatory obstacles that continue to increase the cost and time of doing business across our region,” EAC Secretary General Amb. Stephen P. Mbundi said earlier in the year.
The bloc is targeting an increase in intra-EAC trade to 50% by 2030, with Mbundi calling for greater harmonisation of domestic regulation and more efficient border institutions.
Border Reform Remains a Priority
Further reforms are also being pursued at the region’s One Stop Border Posts. A separate EAC assessment of regional border operations identified delays involving government agencies, inadequate infrastructure and staffing shortages among the constraints still affecting traders.
“Increasing trade volumes require us to modernize our border operations through business process re-engineering, digitalization, coordinated border management and greater use of risk-based controls,” said EAC Deputy Secretary General for Customs, Trade and Monetary Affairs Annette Ssemuwemba.
In June, EAC ministers also considered proposals to strengthen the legal framework for eliminating NTBs, including potential sanctions and compensation where traders suffer losses because of illegal taxes or unauthorized restrictions. The proposals remain subject to technical and legal review.
Businesses Push for a More Predictable Market
Private-sector leaders argue that removing barriers could unlock significantly more regional commerce. Intra-EAC trade accounts for around 15% of the bloc’s total trade, despite growing by 28% in 2025, while an estimated 30–50% of regional trade potential remains unrealized, according to findings from a recent East African Business Council forum.
“Our priority must be to make the EAC a more competitive and predictable market for business. We need to remove non-tariff barriers, harmonize standards, reduce logistics costs, and ensure that regional commitments are implemented consistently,” EABC Executive Director Ahmed Farah said.
With regional businesses looking to expand across an EAC economy valued at around $400 billion, the continued use of national taxes, administrative requirements and other restrictions risks limiting the benefits of an increasingly integrated East African market.
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