There has been a sharp rise in non-tariff barriers within the East African Community (EAC), with a new report showing they increased from 10 in November 2024 to 48 in May 2025. The surge has been linked to political instability in some member states, cumbersome customs procedures, inconsistent regulations, and numerous roadblocks.

Kenya’s President William Ruto, the current chair of the EAC, has urged partner states to scale down these trade barriers to strengthen regional integration and ease cross-border trade.

Speaking at the opening of the 25th EAC Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Trade Fair in Nairobi, Ruto said small businesses are the backbone of the region’s economies and must be supported through incentives and reduced trade restrictions.“I wish to reaffirm the commitment of EAC Heads of State to resolve persistent non-tariff barriers that continue to constrain cross-border trade. This trade fair offers an invaluable opportunity to elevate these realities ahead of the upcoming EAC Summit,” said President Ruto.

He described MSMEs as “the engines of job creation, drivers of innovation, anchors of industrial growth, and the driving force of our shared prosperity,” urging the region to leverage continental frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to expand markets.

Ruto also paid tribute to Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, and the late presidents Daniel arap Moi of Kenya and Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania, for reviving the EAC in 1999 and launching the Jua Kali exhibitions that have since evolved into the current MSME trade fairs.“Today, we pay tribute to the visionary leadership of three distinguished patriots of our region – Museveni, Moi and Mkapa – who, 25 years ago in Arusha, reinvigorated the EAC through the signing of its founding treaty,” he said.

Despite ongoing efforts to remove NTBs, they remain a major impediment to intra-regional trade. A recent report cited conflicting domestic taxes as a key driver of the new barriers, which continue to hinder trade flows.

EAC Deputy Secretary-General for Customs, Trade and Monetary Affairs Annette Ssemuwemba Mutaawe said the bloc is addressing NTBs through the EAC NTB Reporting Mobile Application and other digital tools that have halved the average resolution time.“The process of resolving NTBs has reduced by 50 percent, and we have mechanisms in place that continue to support their reduction,” she said. “We have increased digital connectivity, and I wish to report that the governors of central banks have now approved an EAC master plan to facilitate cross-border currency movement and trade as we await the Monetary Union.”Meanwhile, the International Trade Centre (ITC) officially launched its new regional office in Nairobi to strengthen continental trade integration.

A joint agency of the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations, ITC helps small and medium-sized enterprises in developing economies to compete globally and contribute to sustainable economic growth within the frameworks of the Aid for Trade agenda and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The 10-day trade fair also featured a ministerial roundtable co-hosted by Wycliffe Oparanya, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and MSME Development, and Pamela Coke-Hamilton, ITC Executive Director, to discuss strategies for domesticating global MSME policies.“This trade fair recognises the creativity and resilience of SMEs while we recommit ourselves as policymakers and partners to address the challenges they face,” Oparanya said.

In Kenya, SMEs contribute about 30 percent of GDP and account for over 90 percent of new jobs. Across the EAC, they represent more than 90 percent of businesses, 60 percent of employment, and 29 percent of regional GDP.

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