Firms sharpen trade strategies at EABC workshop

DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIAN companies have sharpened their export strategies through a two-day workshop organised by the East African Business Council (EABC) in collaboration with the EAC Secretariat and the EU–GIZ LIFTED Project.

The event provided practical guidance on developing export plans, navigating regulations and applying best practices to access markets across the EAC, AfCFTA and beyond.

The EABC Executive Director, represented by Mr Adrian Njau, said the sector’s rapid expansion needs skilled guidance. Participants gained actionable insights to expand their regional and continental presence, enhance competitiveness and drive sustainable business growth.

“Services exports are the fastest-growing component of our economies, contributing nearly 28–29 per cent of Tanzania’s GDP and generating 6.9 billion US dollars in export earnings in 2025,” he said. The workshop concluded over the weekend.

SMEs, which form the backbone of the region’s private sector, continue to face challenges such as regulatory bottlenecks, limited access to market information and insufficient export strategies.

The LIFTED Project seeks to address these constraints, with a focus on women- and youthled enterprises, to foster a more inclusive and resilient regional economy.

Participants also highlighted systemic barriers within the EAC services market, including limited trade data, divergent regulations, restricted market access and complex licensing, taxation and investment requirements.

To tackle these issues, EABC, working with Business Membership Organisations under the LIFTED Project, codeveloped the Trade in Services Policy Advocacy Agenda 2025–2030, designed to drive policy reforms, promote regulatory harmonisation and position East Africa as a competitive hub for trade in services.

Services firms at the workshop called on EAC partner states to accelerate regulatory harmonisation, fully implement the EAC Common Market Protocol and expedite the adoption of Annex VII on mutual recognition of academic and professional qualifications.

Further, EABC will provide one-on-one coaching sessions for participating firms, focusing on market access, regulatory navigation and export strategy development.