The East African Community continues to make strides towards deeper regional integration, but traders and manufacturers say non-tariff barriers remain one of the biggest obstacles to doing business across member states. Business leaders are now calling for urgent policy reforms and digital trade solutions to ease the movement of goods and services across the region.

Despite the existence of the East African Common Market, traders and manufacturers continue to grapple with lengthy border clearance procedures, multiple roadblocks, unharmonized taxes, and differing regulatory requirements that increase the cost of doing business across the region.

According to the East African Community Secretariat, intra-EAC trade grew to approximately USD 15.3 billion in 2024, up from USD 13.8 billion in 2023, demonstrating the growing importance of regional commerce. However, the World Bank estimates that non-tariff barriers increase the cost of trading in Africa by between 15 and 30%, making regional products less competitive.

It is against this backdrop that the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), in partnership with the East African Business Council (EABC), convened a CEO Breakfast Dialogue in Kampala under the theme "Addressing Non-Tariff Barriers and Accelerating Regional Digital Trade Integration."

The dialogue brought together government officials, manufacturers, exporters, logistics firms, and policymakers to identify practical solutions for improving trade and investment across the East African Community.

Executive Director of the Private Sector Foundation Uganda, Stephen Asiimwe, said although the region has made significant progress in regional integration, businesses continue to face unnecessary bottlenecks that delay trade and increase operational costs.

The Executive Director of the East African Business Council, Ahmed Fara, noted that inconsistent domestic taxes, varying standards, and persistent non-tariff barriers continue to undermine the competitiveness of East African businesses. He said the Council is establishing structured engagement platforms that will bring together governments and the private sector to resolve these challenges.

Meanwhile, EABC Vice Chairperson Simon Kaheru challenged the private sector and governments to move beyond talking about East Africa's potential and instead focus on tangible action. He emphasized that smooth borders alone cannot drive trade unless member states invest in manufacturing and value addition.

Kaheru urged East Africans to deliberately support locally manufactured products, saying stronger regional production will create jobs, strengthen supply chains, and reduce dependence on imports from outside the continent.

The East African Business Council says it will continue working with Uganda's business community through a structured support framework to eliminate non-tariff barriers, harmonize trade regulations, and accelerate digital trade integration.

The East African Community, now comprising eight partner states, has a combined population of more than 330 million people and a combined Gross Domestic Product of over USD 340 billion, making it one of Africa's largest regional economic blocs.