Non-tariff barriers could hurt East Africa's integration gains

Stock market capital gains. [Courtesy/GettyImages]

For more than a decade, East Africa has steadily built one of the most compelling regional integration stories on the continent. Governments, working with development partners, have made significant investments in One-Stop Border Posts, and digital customs systems have replaced much of the physical paperwork that once slowed trade. This enables goods to be cleared electronically and processed from centralised points of entry. Coordinated border management and modern customs platforms have helped keep trade moving more efficiently.

Regional agreements have harmonised standards and simplified trade procedures. Along major trade corridors, reforms have gradually reduced the time and cost of moving goods across borders. Efforts to identify and resolve non-tariff barriers (NTBs) have also been strengthened. The impact has been tangible. At several modernized border crossings, clearance times have fallen by as much as 70 per cent, enabling traders to move goods across the region more predictably and at a lower cost. Yet today, this progress is under pressure.