East African Community leaders and business executives on Wednesday called for faster market reforms to accelerate regional integration, saying the bloc’s goal of raising intra-EAC trade to 50% by 2030 will depend on removing longstanding barriers that continue to hinder cross-border commerce.
Speaking at the East African Business Council (EABC) CEOs–Trade and Investment Roundtable in Dar es Salaam, EAC Secretary-General Ambassador Stephen P. Mbundi said increasing trade among partner states remains a top priority for the regional bloc and should guide future policy reforms and public-private partnerships.
“Our priority as the EAC Secretariat is to implement the vision and commitment of increasing intra-EAC trade. This must become the benchmark against which every policy, partnership and reform is measured,” Mbundi said. “Achieving this target will require genuine collaboration between governments and the private sector.”
The target comes as East African governments seek to deepen economic integration at a time when trade within the bloc continues to lag behind commerce with international markets. According to the EAC Trade Portal’s 2025 annual trade statistics, intra-EAC trade reached US$19.7 billion last year, compared with US$137 billion in trade between EAC member states and the rest of the world, underscoring the region’s continued dependence on external markets.
Private sector leaders said achieving the 2030 objective will require governments to move beyond policy commitments and address persistent obstacles affecting businesses across the region.
Ahmed Farah, executive director of the East African Business Council, said regional integration should be driven by the private sector and called for the elimination of non-tariff barriers, more consistent implementation of the Common External Tariff, harmonized tax regimes and lower transport and logistics costs.
“Regional integration must be built with business, not simply for business,” Farah said. “The private sector must be at the centre of shaping policies that make East Africa more competitive and investment-ready.”
Business leaders have long argued that non-tariff barriers—including customs delays, differing regulatory requirements and inconsistent tax policies—continue to increase the cost of doing business despite the establishment of the EAC Common Market.
Representing the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation, Executive Director Deogratius Massawe welcomed a recent ministerial directive instructing partner states to eliminate discriminatory taxes, fees, quotas and other charges on goods originating within the bloc. He said treating EAC-produced goods as transfers rather than imports would help advance the Common Market’s objectives.
Officials also emphasized the need to strengthen regional manufacturing and industrialization through integrated value chains.
Leodegard Tenga, executive director of the Confederation of Tanzania Industries, said changing global economic conditions require East African countries to build stronger regional production networks capable of competing internationally.
East African Legislative Assembly member Gladness Salema said the bloc must move beyond policy declarations and invest in complementary regional value chains that capitalize on member states’ comparative advantages.
The meeting also highlighted growing international interest in East Africa as an investment destination.
Maximilian Müller, deputy head of mission at the German Embassy in Tanzania, said Germany would continue supporting initiatives that connect governments, investors and businesses through the Invest.EastAfrica! platform, which will expand into national sector-specific events across the region before culminating in a regional investment forum in Germany.
Meanwhile, the East African Development Bank reaffirmed its commitment to financing projects that promote regional integration and industrialization.
Stephen Wambura, the bank’s country manager, said the institution would continue supporting businesses capable of driving sustainable economic growth across the community.
More than 70 government officials, business executives, private sector organizations and development partners attended the round table to discuss measures aimed at improving East Africa’s competitiveness in regional and international trade.
Discussions from the meeting will feed into the EAC Trade and Investment Climate Report, scheduled for release during the East Africa CEO and Investment Forum on Sept. 17-18 in Nairobi. Organizers say the report will outline policy recommendations intended to improve the region’s business environment and attract greater investment.
