Nairobi, Kenya (May 8, 2025)– The East Africa Cross-Border Trader Associations Forum, convened by the East African Business Council (EABC) in partnership with Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), has called on EAC Partner States to urgently eliminate Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) disproportionately affecting youth and women engaged in agri-food trade.
During the opening session, Nega Wubeneh of AGRA highlighted research findings showing young traders face significant NTBs such as SPS/food safety standards, import levies, and costly certifications.
He reaffirmed AGRA’s commitment to transforming food systems through tools like Mutual Recognition Agreements, the regional food balance sheet, and trade scorecards.
Representing EABC, Mr. Frank Dafa emphasized that Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), predominantly run by women and youth, are the backbone of the EAC economy, yet they continue to face hurdles despite the Simplified Trade Regime.
He urged Partner States to simplify and reduce the cost of SPS and TBT certifications.
Youth trader, Sakina Usengimana from Rwanda stressed that unclear documentation, inconsistent standards, and expensive certification processes discourage youth-led businesses from expanding. She called for better access to finance and simplified trade information.
Panelists also praised Kenya’s move to eliminate the 25% excise tax on key food products in the 2025 Finance Bill, expected to boost intra-regional trade and benefit small-scale traders.
The forum spotlighted proposals including whistleblower protection against harassment and corruption, digitized trade procedures, the use of national IDs for cross-border travel, and support for youth-led export initiatives.
A Cross-Border Traders NTB Working Group is set to be established to drive advocacy and coordination across the region.
