Strengthening Regional Coordination Through Peer Learning
Trade facilitation was in focus as over 60 participants from eight East African Community Partner States — Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Somalia – as well as EAC Secretariat and Development partners attended a Technical Peer Learning Workshop and Regional Sub-Committee meeting on Trade Facilitation. Participants across the week included Trade Information Portal (TIP) Coordinators, customs officials, Ministry of Trade and private sector representatives
The EAC, in partnership with the International Trade Centre (ITC), UNCTAD, and the European Union (EU), hosted the events, organized under the EU-funded EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme II (MARKUP II).
Trade Information Portals (TIP) – a force for trade simplification
13-15 October, TIP delegates shared country-level progress and innovations. Since January 2025, Tanzania has recorded over 89,580 visitors to its Trade Information Portal, Kenya 82,063, Rwanda 45,225 users, Uganda 38,663 users, and Burundi 9,448 visitors over the same period. Functional enhancements included automated enquiry points and use of AI Chatbot in Rwanda and Tanzania, real time tariff calculator in Rwanda, and integration of reform tracking tools across all member states. A dedicated session introduced the Corridor Mapping module, designed to consolidate trade flow data and harmonize procedures across borders.
TIP Vision 2030: Innovation, Inclusion, and Interoperability
Participants articulated a shared TIP Vision 2030, emphasizing AI-powered features, multilingual support, inclusive design of the platform as well as funding and mobilisation strategies for further sustainability.
Recommendations from the workshop included embedding TIPs in government websites, maintaining TIP teams for at least two years, launching targeted media campaigns, and integrating TIPs with customs systems and single windows. The workshop also emphasized the importance of corridor-level data harmonization and the use of AI for enquiry management and monitoring simplification reforms.
Regional Trade Facilitation Committee Meeting Endorses Strategic Actions
16-17 October, the EAC Sub-Committee on Trade Facilitation reviewed and adopted key recommendations to strengthen regional coherence and implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.The Committee recommended that Partner States increase TIP visibility, develop simplification targets, and roll out the real-time tariff calculator across the region.
Advancing Risk Management and Leather Sectoral Simplification
The Sub-Committee highlighted the importance of an Integrated Risk Management (IRM) approach to border reforms and recommended that Partner States designate focal points for assessments and capacity-building, adopt dedicated online training curriculum, and align national priorities with EAC-level strategies.
The Committee also recommended that a focus should be put on ease of leather trading in the region, with a view to identify priority actions for simplifying and harmonizing trade processes for hides, skins, and leather across Partner States, in support of the mid-term review of the EAC Leather, Leather Products and Footwear Strategy (2020–2030).
A Shared Commitment to Regional Impact
The week concluded with a unified commitment to digital transformation, inclusive design, and coordinated action, laying the groundwork for a more transparent, efficient, and integrated trade environment for businesses across the EAC.
