Innovative efforts to dismantle trade barriers in East Africa provide a shining example of how the private sector can work alongside governments and nonprofits to help drive sustainable economic growth and lift people out of poverty.
The East African Community has made great steps toward stimulating trade in the region in recent years. Customs union and a common market mean that Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda enjoy some of the most liberal trade relations on the continent. The five member states also qualify for duty-free access to the U.S. market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act.
However, underdeveloped infrastructure, nontariff barriers like rules and regulations, slow and uncertain transit times, and some of the highest transport costs in the world remain big challenges.