New EAC customs bond to ease regional trade
ARUSHA: A MAJOR reform aimed at easing regional trade is expected to headline the upcoming summit of leaders from the East African Community (EAC), where a single regional customs bond will be launched to simplify the movement of goods across Partner States.
The initiative is expected to be unveiled during the 25th Ordinary Summit of EAC Heads of State, scheduled to take place on 7 March in Arusha, Tanzania, bringing together leaders from the bloc’s eight member countries.
The new customs bond will allow traders and clearing agents transporting goods across the region to secure one guarantee recognised by all EAC Partner States, replacing the current system that requires separate national bonds for each country along a transit route.
Officials say the reform is designed to reduce the cost of doing business, cut border delays and facilitate faster movement of cargo, particularly along key regional transport corridors linking seaports to land linked countries.
Under the new arrangement, customs administrations, insurance companies and financial institutions will operate within a unified regional framework that safeguards government revenue while simplifying transit procedures.
The move is part of broader efforts by the regional bloc to strengthen trade integration under the EAC Customs Union framework, which seeks to remove barriers to trade and enhance economic cooperation among Partner States.
The Summit will be held under the theme “Deepening Integration for Improved Livelihoods of EAC Citizens.”
As the highest decision-making organ of the Community, the meeting will review progress in implementing regional programmes and discuss strategic initiatives aimed at strengthening economic cooperation and improving the welfare of citizens across the region.
During the meeting, leaders are also expected to officially launch the 7th EAC Development Strategy (2026/27–2030/31), which outlines the bloc’s priorities for accelerating regional integration and socioeconomic transformation over the next five years.
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The strategy builds on lessons from the previous development cycle and aligns with long-term continental and global development frameworks including the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Speaking ahead of the summit, EAC Secretary General, Ms Veronica Nduva said the gathering provides an important platform for regional leaders to guide the Community’s integration agenda and make decisions that promote trade and economic cooperation.
She said that the launch of the customs bond and the new development strategy demonstrate the bloc’s commitment to implementing practical solutions that enhance regional competitiveness and economic resilience.
“These milestones reflect our collective resolve to remove barriers to trade and to implement a forward-looking development framework that responds to emerging regional and global priorities,” she said.
The summit agenda also includes consideration of the Council of Ministers’ report covering the period from November 2024 to December 2025, discussions on sustainable financing of the EAC budget and the status of integration of Partner States admitted to the Community between 2016 and 2024.
Leaders are further expected to appoint a new Secretary General of the Community, designate judges to the East African Court of Justice and make appointments to several regional institutions.
The outcomes of the summit are expected to strengthen policy coordination among Partner States and accelerate the implementation of programmes aimed at deepening regional integration and supporting inclusive economic growth.
The meeting follows an extraordinary session of the EAC Council of Ministers that has been taking place in Arusha from March 2 to 5. EAC is composed of eight Partner States, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
