Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – Permanent Secretaries from the East African Community (EAC) have concluded a meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, focused on accelerating action against non tariff barriers that continue to affect trade and increase the cost of moving goods across the region.
The Permanent Secretaries met from September 22 to 25, 2026, to review challenges affecting intra EAC trade and identify practical measures to improve the movement of goods between partner states.
The meeting sought to translate existing regional commitments into tangible action, particularly through the removal of persistent non tariff barriers and improvements in trade facilitation.
The officials also considered ways to strengthen coordination among EAC partner states as the region works to make cross border trade more efficient and reduce costs for businesses operating within the bloc.
The meeting followed directives from the 25th EAC Heads of State Summit, which called for stronger coordination and decisive action to address obstacles affecting regional commerce.
Non tariff barriers can create delays and additional costs for businesses even where formal customs duties have been reduced or removed. Their removal remains an important part of efforts to improve regional trade and strengthen implementation of the EAC Customs Union and Common Market.
The Permanent Secretaries committed to accelerating efforts to eliminate non tariff barriers, reduce the cost of intra EAC trade and facilitate the seamless movement of goods across the region.
The Dar es Salaam meeting also provided an opportunity for officials to identify practical measures for addressing challenges that continue to slow regional trade and to improve coordination among institutions responsible for implementing EAC trade commitments.
Leave a comment