Business leaders say they are ready to increase their share of the East African Community market, which is valued at around $400 billion. However, they are wary of non-tariff barriers. At a stakeholders’ forum hosted by the East African Business Council (EABC) in Nairobi, participants emphasised the importance of deepening regional integration through trade and said that the removal of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) is vital. NTBs are nothing new, with countries routinely imposing measures outside of the agreed protocols, such as those relating to sanitation, ingredient quantity and health.
Intra-regional EAC trade accounts for only 15 per cent of the bloc’s total trade, despite growing by 28 per cent in 2025. Between 30–50 per cent of the region’s trade potential remains unrealised.
