{"id":120118,"date":"2026-02-20T13:08:23","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T13:08:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/eac-pushes-five-point-plan-to-ease-cross-border-trade"},"modified":"2026-02-20T13:35:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T13:35:32","slug":"eac-pushes-five-point-plan-to-ease-cross-border-trade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/eac-pushes-five-point-plan-to-ease-cross-border-trade","title":{"rendered":"EAC pushes five-point plan to ease cross-border trade"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>Leaders of the East African Community (EAC) have agreed on five priority actions to reduce trade barriers and boost commerce within the region, following a high-level dialogue held in Kigali on Thursday, February 19.<\/p>\n

The Multi-Sectoral High-Level Dialogue, held under the theme \u201cFrom commitment to action: scaling up regional competitiveness to unlock trade and prosperity in EAC,\u201d brought together policymakers, private sector representatives and regional experts to address long-standing bottlenecks to intra-regional trade.<\/p>\n

Delegates follow a panel discussion in Kigali. The Multi-Sectoral High-Level Dialogue, held under the theme \u201cFrom commitment to action scaling up regional competitiveness to unlock trade and prosperity in EAC.\u201d Craish B<\/p>\n

According to Veronica Nduva, trade among EAC partner states has expanded steadily over the past decade, rising from $6.42 billion in 2016 to $15.25 billion in 2024, an average annual growth rate of about 11\u201312 per cent.<\/p>\n

However, she noted that intra-regional trade still accounts for only around 12 per cent of total exports, up slightly from 11.5 per cent in 2016, underscoring the region\u2019s continued dependence on external markets.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis meeting is about solutions,\u201d Nduva said. \u201cWhat concrete actions can we take back to the Heads of State to show that progress is being made?\u201d<\/p>\n

Removing non-tariff barriers<\/p>\n

Usta Kayitesi, Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said non-tariff barriers (NTBs) remain a major drag on trade within the bloc.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite existing mechanisms to identify and resolve NTBs, they continue to disrupt the free movement of goods and services,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Kayitesi stressed that eliminating these barriers will require stronger coordination among institutions, greater accountability, and renewed commitment to the principles of trust and cooperation that underpin regional integration.<\/p>\n

Closing infrastructure gaps<\/b><\/p>\n

Infrastructure weaknesses were highlighted as another key constraint. Only 36 per cent of roads across the EAC are paved, making transport slow and expensive.<\/p>\n

Transport costs in the region range between $0.17 and $0.25 per tonne-kilometre, nearly three times the average in developing countries.<\/p>\n

\u201cReliable transport networks, efficient trade corridors and better multimodal connectivity are essential to reducing transaction costs,\u201d Kayitesi said, calling for continued investment in roads, railways, ports and inland logistics, guided by coordinated regional planning.<\/p>\n

Harnessing digital trade<\/b><\/p>\n

Digitalisation was also identified as a critical driver of trade integration.<\/p>\n

\u201cDigital trade solutions and aligned regulations can simplify cross-border payments, improve transparency and reduce border delays,\u201d Kayitesi said, adding that predictable and harmonised regulatory frameworks are vital to attracting investment and creating a seamless regional market.<\/p>\n

Easing labour and professional mobility<\/b><\/p>\n

Dennis Karera, Vice Chairman of the East African Business Council (EABC), pointed to persistent barriers to labour and services mobility, despite commitments under the Common Market Protocol.<\/p>\n

\u201cMutual recognition of professionals has largely failed,\u201d he said, citing restrictions facing lawyers, architects, engineers and insurance companies across borders.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoctors trained in the same medical schools cannot freely practice in neighbouring countries, even though the skills and needs are the same,\u201d Karera added, urging the bloc to replicate Rwanda\u2019s bilateral agreements to allow professionals and services to move more freely.<\/p>\n

Making integration inclusive<\/b><\/p>\n

Beatrice Askul Moe, Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers, said regional integration must deliver tangible benefits, particularly for women, youth and small businesses engaged in cross-border trade.<\/p>\n

\u201cCitizens judge integration not by declarations, but by lived experience, the time it takes to clear goods at borders, the cost of transport, the ease of moving for work and business, and the predictability of regulations,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She called for policies that ensure integration efforts translate into real gains for ordinary traders and workers across the region.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Rwanda<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. Leaders of the East African Community (EAC) have agreed on five priority actions to reduce trade barriers and boost commerce within the region, following a high-level dialogue held in Kigali on Thursday, February 19. The Multi-Sectoral High-Level Dialogue, held under the theme \u201cFrom commitment to action: scaling up regional competitiveness to unlock […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":120117,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,15,29],"tags":[3598,758],"class_list":["post-120118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-economy","category-head-lines","tag-eac","tag-rwanda"],"yoast_head":"\nEAC pushes five-point plan to ease cross-border trade - Rwanda<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Leaders of the East African Community (EAC) have agreed on five priority actions to reduce trade barriers and boost comm ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/eac-pushes-five-point-plan-to-ease-cross-border-trade\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"EAC pushes five-point plan to ease cross-border trade\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Leaders of the East African Community (EAC) have agreed on five priority actions to reduce trade barriers and boost comm ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/eac-pushes-five-point-plan-to-ease-cross-border-trade\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Rwanda\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-20T13:08:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-20T13:35:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2026\/02\/sm_1771581836.9027.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"666\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/eac-pushes-five-point-plan-to-ease-cross-border-trade#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/eac-pushes-five-point-plan-to-ease-cross-border-trade\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"EAC pushes five-point plan to ease cross-border trade\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-20T13:08:23+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-20T13:35:32+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/eac-pushes-five-point-plan-to-ease-cross-border-trade\"},\"wordCount\":603,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/eac-pushes-five-point-plan-to-ease-cross-border-trade#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2026\/02\/sm_1771581836.9027.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"eac\",\"Rwanda\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"Economy\",\"head lines\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/eac-pushes-five-point-plan-to-ease-cross-border-trade#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/eac-pushes-five-point-plan-to-ease-cross-border-trade\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/eac-pushes-five-point-plan-to-ease-cross-border-trade\",\"name\":\"EAC pushes five-point plan to ease cross-border trade - 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