WORLD  TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  RESTRICTED 
WT/TPR/S/271  
17 October 2012  
 
 (12-5403) 
Trade Policy Review Body  
   
 
  
 
TRADE POLICY REVIEW 
 
Report by the Secretariat 
 
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY 
 
 
  
 
This report, prepared for the second joint Trade Policy Review of the 
East African Community (EAC), has been drawn up by the WTO Secretariat on 
its own responsibility.  The Secretariat has, as required by the Agreement 
establishing the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (Annex 3 of the Marrakesh 
Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization), sought clarification 
from the EAC members on their trade policies and practices. 
 
Any technical questions arising from this report may be addressed to 
Mr. Jacques Degbelo (tel:  022 739 5583), Ms. Jo-Ann Crawford (tel:  
022 739 5422), Ms. Martha Lara (tel:  022 739 6033), Ms. Zheng Wang (tel:  
022 739 5288), Mr. Michael Kolie (tel:  022 739 5931), Mr. Mukela Luanga (tel:  
022 739 6328, Mr. Aimé Murigande (tel:  022 739 5301), and Ms. Joy 
Kategekwa (tel: 022 739 5935). 
 
Document WT/TPR/G/271 contains the policy statements submitted by Burundi, 
Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. 
 
 
Note: This report is subject to restricted circ ulation and press embargo until the end of the first 
session of the meeting of the Trade Policy Revi ew Body on the East African Community.  
 EAC WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page iii 
 
 
 CONTENTS 
Page 
SUMMARY   vii 
I. ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT 1 
(1) M AIN FEATURES OF THE ECONOMY  1 
(2) R ECENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS  2 
(3) T RADE AND INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE  3 
  (i) Trade in goods and services 3 
  (ii) Performance in investments 5 
II. TRADE AND INVESTMENT REGIMES 6 
 (1) O VERVIEW  6 
 (2) T HE EAC  IN PRACTICE  7 
 (3) P ARTICIPATION IN TRADE ARRANGEMENTS  9 
  (i) The WTO 10 
  (ii) The COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Forum 11 
  (iii) Relations with the European Union 11   (iv) Relations with the United States 12 
III. COMMON TRADE POLICY MEASURES 14 
 (1) M
EASURES DIRECTLY AFFECTING IMPORTS  14 
  (i) Customs procedures and documentation 14 
  (ii) Customs valuation 14   (iii) Rules of origin 15 
  (iv) Tariffs, and other duties and charges 15 
  (v) Internal taxes 23   (vi) Contingency measures 24 
  (vii) Import prohibitions, restrictions and licensing 24 
  (viii) Standards and other technical requirements 25   (ix) Sanitary and phytosanitary measures 26 
 (2) M
EASURES DIRECTLY AFFECTING EXPORTS  27 
  (i) Documentation, taxation, and restrictions 27   (ii) Export assistance 27 
 (3) M
EASURES AFFECTING PRODUCTION AND TRADE  28 
  (i) Competition policy and regulatory issues 28   (ii) Intellectual property rights 29 
IV. TRADE POLICIES BY SECTOR 30 
 (1) A
GRICULTURE  30 
 (2) S ERVICES  31 
V. AID FOR TRADE 32 
 (1) O VERVIEW  32 
 (2) R ECENT AID-FOR-TRADE SUPPORT  33 
 (3) A ID FOR TRADE NEEDS  39 
 WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
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 Page  
REFERENCES   41 
APPENDIX TABLES  43 
ANNEX 1:  BURUNDI  A1-51 ANNEX 2:  KENYA  A2-169 
ANNEX 3:  RWANDA  A3-267 
ANNEX 4:  TANZANIA  A4-379 ANNEX 5:  UGANDA  A5-485 EAC WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page v 
 
 
 Page 
CHARTS 
III. COMMON TRADE POLICY MEASURES 
III.1 Distribution of MFN applied tariff rates, 2011 17 
III.2 Tariff escalation by ISIC 2-digit industry, 2011 20 
TABLES 
I. ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT 
I.1 Selected socio-economic indicators, 2005-10 1 
I.2 Total intra-EAC trade, 2005-10 4 
II. TRADE AND INVESTMENT REGIMES 
II.1 Classification of EAC NTBs 8 
III. COMMON TRADE POLICY MEASURES 
III.1 Structure of the MFN tariff in the East African Community (EAC), 2011 16 
III.2 Sensitive products subject to high tariffs, 2011 17 
III.3 EAC tariff summary, 2011 19 
III.4 Products for which applied MFN rates may be higher than the final bound rates, 2011 21 III.5 EAC exemptions to the common tariff regime, 2011 22 
III.6 Customs service fees 23 
IV. TRADE POLICIES BY SECTOR 
IV.1 Summary of services commitments u nder the EAC Common Market framework 31 
V. AID FOR TRADE 
V.1 TRTA activities, 2006 to June 2012 34 
V.2 Donor operations in East Africa, October 2010 34 
V.3 Aid-for-trade commitments to Burundi, 2002-10 36 V.4 Aid-for-trade commitments to Kenya, 2005-10 37 
V.5 Aid-for-trade commitments to Tanzania, 2005-10      38 
V.6 Aid-for-trade commitments to Rwanda, 2005-10 38 V.7 Aid-for-trade commitments to Uganda, 2005-10 39 
APPENDIX TABLES 
III. COMMON TRADE POLICY MEASURES 
AIII.1 Applied tariff averages by HS2-digit level, 2011 45 
IV. TRADE POLICIES BY SECTOR 
AIV.1 Applied MFN tariffs, by ISIC Rev.2 category, 2011 48 
 
 EAC WT/TPR/S/271 
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 SUMMARY 
1. Agriculture is at the core of economic devel opments in the East African Community (EAC). 
Its good performance, underpinned by favourable w eather conditions and rising global demand for 
its exports in recent years, helped EAC countries to register positive economic developments from 
2006 to 2007 and to recover relatively well from the global economic and financ ial crisis.  However, 
low resilience, together with traditional farming practices and a narrow export base, have led to a 
significant economic slowdown in the region, in the wake of the global economic  and financial crisis 
in 2008.  Low tourist arrivals have also played a part, as the industry is crucial for Kenya (the only 
non-LDC in the region) and Tanzania, the two largest economies in the EAC. 
2. Macroeconomic policies remain country specific.   In general, narrow fiscal space, due to a 
large (untaxed) informal sector, ad hoc exempti ons, and low capacity for efficient collection of 
internal taxes, is the main factor behind the fiscal deficits that have prevailed in the region over the 
review period.  To a large extent, inflation has b een imported due to the surge of international prices 
of commodities, mainly petroleum products. 
3. Regional trade flows have increased significan tly since 2006, thanks to continuous regional 
integration efforts, including recent steps toward s the EAC customs union and its single market. 
Additional efforts, such as investment in infrast ructure and streamlining administrative procedures, 
are expected to generate greater and more sustai nable benefits.  Intra-EAC investments have also 
risen since 2006;  Kenya has been the most active EAC intra-regional investor. 
4. Under the U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), EAC countries benefit from 
duty-free and quota-free access to the U.S. market for a range of products until 2015.  In their trade 
relations with the EU, EAC countries are gran ted preferences under the initialled Framework 
Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and under the Everything but Arms (EBA) initiative for 
those listed as LDCs (i.e. all but Kenya).  The negotiations for a comprehensive EPA are on-going. 
5. At the time of the last Review of the EAC, its original members, Kenya, Tanzania, and 
Uganda, were implementing the Common External Tariff (CET), launched in 2005.  Burundi and 
Rwanda acceded to the EAC in 2007, and began implementing the CET in 2009. This enlargement 
has not yet been notified to the WTO.  Serious impediments to the full and smooth implementation 
of the EAC Customs Union include 35 NTBs, which were identified by the EAC Secretariat and are being eliminated for the full operationaliza tion of the FTA component of the community. 
6. A number of legal documents have been adopted  at the EAC level with a view to fully 
harmonizing members' trade policies vis-à-vis  third countries.  However, multiple memberships of 
regional economic communities by individual EAC countries remain among the main impediments 
to full harmonization, and further complicate trad e-related procedures in the region; the recent 
launch of negotiations under the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Forum appears to be geared at 
rationalizing the integration process in the region. 
7. Efforts are under way in EAC countries to streamline customs procedures and documentation 
requirements;  regional priorities highlight the fu ll harmonization of customs-related issues.  Pre-
shipment inspection is still required by Burundi.  On certain products, Kenya and Tanzania require 
pre-shipment inspection by selected compani es on TBT and SPS grounds.  EAC countries continue 
to use different customs systems: Burundi, Rwa nda, Tanzania, and Uganda use ASYCUDA, while 
Kenya uses the SIMBA 2005 system; the two sy stems are somewhat interconnected. The EAC 
provisions on customs valuation have been ali gned on the WTO Agreement on Implementation of WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
Page viii 
  
 Article VII of GATT 1994.  However, national cu stoms administrations encounter implementation 
difficulties.  Appeal mechanisms for customs-related disputes are at national levels. 
8. Since the last Review of the EAC, the CET av erage rate has decreased from 12.9% to 12.7%.  
Three tariff bands (zero, 10%, and 25%) apply to the large majority of imports; higher rates, ranging 
from 35% to 100%, and alternate duties apply to  58 tariff lines of "sensitive" items.  As a 
consequence, for some lines, app lied alternate tariffs may exceed bound ad valorem  rates.  Bindings 
cover 21.6% of all Burundi's tariff lines, 15% of Kenya's, 100% of Rwanda's, 13.5% of Tanzania's, 
and 15.9% of Uganda's.  In th e cases of Burundi and Rwanda, CET ad valorem  rates on certain 
products are higher than bound levels.  Duty a nd tax exemption and concession schemes are being 
harmonized in the EAC framework.  The schemes, including ad hoc duty and tax exemptions, have led to significant revenue forgone in the region. 
9. No contingency measures have so far been impo sed by EAC countries.  However, efforts are 
being made to establish trade remedies committe es.  EAC countries do not maintain quantitative 
restrictions and, in consequence do not require  import licencing to administer such measures. 
10. All EAC members have notification authorities and enquiry points under the WTO SPS and 
TBT Agreements.  Capacity weaknesses are st ill noticeable in standards development and 
implementation, and there are challenges for so me export products to comply with technical 
regulations in international markets.  While tec hnical regulations issues remain country-specific, 
some 1,200 (voluntary) standards have been harmoni zed for uniform application by EAC members.  
Regulations regarding production a nd trade in genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are still at an 
early stage.  Kenya is the only EAC country w ith a full GMO- related institutional framework. 
11. National export regimes are yet to be fully  harmonized.  Harmonized export promotion 
instruments include mainly:  manufacturing under bond, export pro cessing zones, and duty 
remission schemes. Under these schemes, manufacturers  are required to sell at least 80% of their 
products outside the EAC.  The effectiveness of e xport promotion instruments in the community is 
yet to be assessed. 
12. Export taxes continue to be applied by some  EAC countries: in 2006, Kenya and Tanzania 
increased their export taxes on hides and skins from 20% to 40% of the f.o.b. value.  Tanzania 
maintains an export tax of either 15% of the f. o.b. value, or US$160/tonne on raw cashew nuts.  
Uganda maintains a cess of 1% on exports of coffee, 2% on cotton, and US$0.8/kg on raw hides and skins. 
13. In general, open tendering is the rule in pu blic procurement by EAC countries.  Except for 
Uganda, where the Public Procurement and Disposal  of Public Assets Act of 2003 was amended, all 
EAC countries have brought new procurement law in to operation.  Competition issues are not yet 
regulated at the regional level; at national level,  only Kenya and Tanzania have fully functioning 
competition laws and institutions. 
14. The EAC Regional IP Protocol and Policy on the utilization of Public Health-Related WTO-
TRIPS flexibilities was adopted in 2011.  It aims at maximizing the benefits of TRIPS flexibilities, 
through harmonization of EAC countries' polic ies on IPRs to facilitate manufacturing and 
importation of essential medicines.  Efforts are be ing made in Kenya and Uganda to adopt stand-
alone legislation on geographical indications.  In  Rwanda, a new Act (Law on the Protection of 
Intellectual Property) entered into force in 2009,  while Burundi is revising its legal provisions on 
patents and copyrights.  In general, some improve ments have been made in recent years regarding 
the enforcement of IPRs laws. EAC WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page ix 
 
 
 15. Sectoral policies are yet to be harmonized within  the EAC. Agriculture is at core of poverty 
alleviation and is an important source of fore ign exchange for EAC countries.  Food security 
remains the main objective of national agriculture  policies, although public support to the sector 
remains low, compared with actual needs.  Gove rnment intervention for regulation purposes remains 
somewhat excessive and distortive.  Tariffs are the main trade policy instrument in the sector. 
16. Mining is relatively marginal in the region, ex cept in Tanzania, where it has boomed in terms 
of both exploration and extraction for over a decad e, and in Uganda, where commercially viable 
petroleum deposits have been discovered.  During th e review period, the mini ng regime in Tanzania 
underwent legal reforms, with increases in royalti es and taxes aimed at maximizing the contribution 
of the sector to the economy. 
17. The contribution of manufacturing to GDP rema ins relatively low, at less than 10% in 
general.  Low productivity (underpinned by lack of innovation), the high costs of inputs (including 
unreliable and expensive power supply), and the unskilled labour force are, inter alia , the main 
reasons behind the sector’s poor performance.  Various  programmes are in place at national levels to 
promote the sector.  However, making the ge neral business environment more conducive to 
investments continues to be a challenge. 
18. The services sector constitutes the main economic ac tivity.  However, its potential for overall 
economic development remains untapped.  The wa ve of liberalization of telecommunication 
services, together with the rise of mobile banking services, has helped to boost the subsector.  In 
most EAC countries, improvements in transport ser vices and in regulating banking services remain a 
challenge. 
19. EAC countries have taken steps towards mainstre aming trade into their national development 
strategies.  They have individually and collectively benefited from aid for trade.  Nonetheless, they 
need more assistance to address th e bottlenecks that hinder their efforts to make trade contribute 
significantly to their economic development. 
 
    East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
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 I. ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT 
(1) MAIN FEATURES OF THE ECONOMY  
1. The five countries of the East African Community (EAC), Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, 
Tanzania, and Uganda, cover a total land area of  approximately 1.7 million square kilometres 
(Table I.1).  In 2010, their combined population was estimated at 138 million, with Tanzania and 
Kenya accounting for approximately 30% each.  Annual growth of the EAC population has 
remained stable, at 2.9% on average, since 2006. 
Table I.1 
Selected socio-economic indicators, 2005-10 
  2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
Area ('000 km2) 1,705 1,705 1,705 1,705 1,705 1,705 
Population (million) 119 123 126 130 134 138 
   Urban (million) 23  24 25 26 27 28 
   Density (per km2) 70.0 72.0 74.1 76.2 78.5 80.8 
   Growth rate (per year) 2.8 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9 
Life expectancy 50.0 50.6 51.3 52.0 52.7 53.4 
GDP at market price (US$ billion, current prices) 46.4 51.9 62.5 73.5 75.1 79.9 
GDP per capita (US$, current prices) 389 423 495 565 561 580 
Real GDP (constant 2000 US$ billio n) 41.4 44.5 47. 7 50.4 52.9 56.1 
   Percentage change from previous year 6.6 7.5 7.2 5.7 5.0 6.1 
   GDP per capita 347 362 377 388 395 407 
      Percentage change from previous year 3.7 4.5 4.2 2.7 2.0 3.0 
Share of GDP (%, current prices)a   
Agriculture 28.0 25.5 24.0 24.3 25.2 23.6 
Mining and quarrying 1.7 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.4 
Manufacturing 7.5 8.6 8.6 8.8 8.8 9.0 
Electricity and water supply 2.5 2.2 2.2 2.4 2.4 2.5 
Construction 9.2 6.7 6.9 7.1 7.2 7.4 
Services 44.1 47.3 48.0 47.0 46.3 47.0 
Less:  financial services indirectly measured -1.2 -1.1 -1.2 -1.2 -1.4 -1.2 
Taxes less subsidies on products 8.1 9.6 10.1 10.1 10.2 10.3 
Exports of goods and services (nominal  US$ billion)  10.2 11.5 14.0 17.7 16.5 19.6 
Imports of goods and services (nominal US$ billion)  14.3 17. 4 21.6 28.5 26.1 30.9 
Trade in goods and services (% of GDP) 52.8 55.8 57.0 62.9 56.7 63.2 
 
a Burundi is not included in the calculations.  Kenya is not ta ken into account in calculations for 2005, due to lack of data. 
 
Source:  Banque de la Republique du Burundi.  Viewed at:   h ttp://www.brb.bi; Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.  
 Viewed at:  http://www.knbs .or.ke; National Institute of Statistics  of Rwanda (NISR).  Viewed at:  
 http://statistics.gov.rw/#;  The Ministry of Fi nance's The Economic Survey 2010.  Viewed at:  
 http://www.mof.go.tz;  Uganda Bureau of Statistics' St atistical Abstract reports 2010 and 2011.  Viewed at:  
 www.ubos.org;  IMF BoP database.  Viewed at:  h ttp://elibrary-data.imf.org /; and World Bank's World 
 Development Indicators.   Viewed at:  http://databank.worldbank.org/ddp/home.do. 
2. EAC countries differ in terms of level of de velopment, economic structure, and social 
indicators. Kenya has the largest economy with a nominal GDP of US$32 billion in 2010, i.e. over 
40% of the region's total;  while Burundi's no minal GDP represented only 1.7%, with a nominal 
GDP of US$1.4 billion. Kenya is the only EAC c ountry not listed as a least developed country 
(LDC).  Nonetheless, human development indicators remain similar within the EAC, and are among WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
Page 2  
 
 
 the lowest in the world.  Th e share of the population living below the poverty line in 2006 was 
35.7% (the lowest) in Tanzania and 68% (the highest) in Burundi.1 
3. In general, the economies of EAC countries are not diversified.  The services sector accounts 
for the largest share of the GDP, and has been gr owing strongly, particularly through increases in 
tourism, transport, and telecommunications.  Ex cept for Burundi, the ser vices sector accounts for 
over 40% of EAC members' economies.  Neverthe less, agriculture remains a leading economic 
activity within the region.  It provides livelihood for about 80% of the population (see Annexes 1-5).  
Frequent unfavourable weather c onditions have been the main factor underpinning the EAC's recent 
poor agricultural performance.  Mining activities are generally marginal in the EAC countries, with 
the exception of Tanzania, which has considerable mineral reserves and has attracted large foreign 
investments during recent years, and Uganda, since the recent discovery of its petroleum deposits (Annexes 4 and 5). 
4. The informal sector plays an important role in all the EAC countries.  It provides jobs for over 
75% of the population in Burundi, Kenya, Rwa nda, and Uganda;  and acc ounts for approximately 
20% of their GDP.  
5. In their efforts to pave the way for the estab lishment of a Monetary Union, the EAC countries 
agreed on macroeconomic convergence criteria for 2007-10.  The primary criteria included (a) an 
overall budget deficit (excluding grants) to GDP ra tio of not more than 6%, and an overall budget 
deficit to GDP (including grants) of not more than  3%;  (b) an annual average inflation rate not 
exceeding 5%;  and (c) external reserves of more  than four months of imports of goods and non-
factor services.  The secondary criteria include eight qualitative and quantita tive indicators covering 
issues such as achieving sustainable and stable exch ange rates, real GDP growth, and their financial 
situation. 
6. According to EAC's integration plan, the region is scheduled to have a single currency by the 
end of 2012.  However, the April 2012 Summit noted that the deadline may not be met, due to challenges in the implementation of the Custom s Union and Common Market protocols, and the 
unresolved issue of macroeconomic convergence.  In  addition, following the recent debt crisis, the 
issue of enforcing a suitable EAC debt-management framework has been proposed as a prerequisite 
for a sustainable monetary union. 
(2) R
ECENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS  
7. During the review period (2006-2011), GDP growth  in the EAC was erratic.  Growth rates 
were high in 2006 and 2007 (7.5% and 7.2% respectively), mainly due to buoyant agriculture and services sectors, but external and internal shoc ks undermined performance in 2008 and 2009, before 
a noticeable improvement in 2010 (Table I.1).  The 7% annual growth rate target was reached 
sporadically over the six years to 2011 by all members (Annexes 1-5).  Macroeconomic policies 
continue to be conducted independe ntly by each EAC country;  fiscal policies appear to be the main 
tool used to influence economic activities.  Moneta ry policies by central banks aim at containing 
inflation and exchange rate variability, which threat en the long-term sustainability of EAC countries' 
economic performance, including trade and investment. 
8. In general, all EAC countries are suffering from su pply-side constraints.  Efforts to address 
this challenge should focus mainly on improving th eir business climate, including stable and reliable 
political governance, with a view to attracting investments.  
                                                           
1 EAC Development Strategy (2011-16), January 2011, Arusha. East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page 3 
 
 
 9. Fiscal imbalances remain a concern in most EA C countries.  While Kenya and Uganda have 
relatively low fiscal deficits, the other members have run large deficits, in some years in excess of 10% of GDP.  In general, tax revenues are low, due  to the considerable size of informal activities. 
10. Although price stability is an explicit objective of monetary policies in EAC countries, they 
have witnessed inflationary pressures since 2006.  These were caused mostly by rising energy and 
food prices in the world market;  along with unfav ourable weather conditions in the region.  As a 
result, inflation in Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda surged significantly during 2008, and 
somewhat in 2009, before stabilizing to single-digit levels over the last three years.  Even Uganda, 
which had maintained relatively low inflation during the past decade, experienced high rates (in 
double digits) in 2008 and 2009.  The financing of gove rnments' deficits by central banks has also 
contributed to the high inflation rates. 
11. In general, EAC countries operate flexible ex change rate systems aimed at maintaining 
competitiveness and judicious levels of internati onal reserves to cushion against exogenous shocks. 
The central banks intervene in the foreign exchange  market, when necessary, to limit exchange rate 
volatility. 
12. The overall balance of payments (BOP) situation has recently deteriorated in all EAC 
countries, as a consequence of widening current account deficits, attributed mainly to higher bills for 
food and oil imports.  Between 2007 and 2008, th e BOP in Kenya and Tanzania moved from a 
surplus to a deficit, while Uganda's surplus shrank;   and the BOP of Burundi and Rwanda worsened.  
Official reserves have averaged five months of imports within the EAC Members. 
13. In general, the economic outlook is positive (Annexes 1-5). 
14. Increased public investments in infrastruct ure, full implementation of the set of 
macroeconomic and sectoral reforms, together with  regional integration, are expected to reduce 
costs of doing business, and improve the productivity of individual EAC economies.  The fast expansion of the services sector will continue to  drive overall economic performance.  The average 
rate of GDP growth is expected to increase in the short and medium-term, at an annual rate of over 
5%. 
15. A major collective risk for the economies of EAC would be incomplete implementation of 
regional regulations and disciplines.   This would lead to more co mplex procedures, and limit the 
effectiveness of the regional market.  In add ition, as Kenya is the EAC's major economic and 
financial centre, there is a risk of economic sl owdown if the 2012 elections result in political 
instability.  Weather conditions also constitute a risk for most of EAC countries, since their 
agriculture is in large part rain fed. 
(3) T
RADE AND INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE  
(i) Trade in goods and services 
(a) Intra-EAC trade 
16. The value of intra-EAC trade increased st eadily between 2006 and 2010, from USS1.6 billion 
to US$3.8 billion (Table I.2).  In addition, its share in total EAC trade improved from 7.8% to 
11.4%, with significant differences in country-specifi c figures.  This is attributed, in part, to 
diversion of trade towards the regional bloc.  Ho wever, intra-EAC trade performance continues to 
suffer from poor infrastructural services, mainly ph ysical infrastructure (roads and rail), and high WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
Page 4  
 
 
 costs of energy, resulting in high costs of doing business.   In addition, the use of different currencies 
remains a factor explaining the poor intra-EAC trade performance, while negotiations towards a 
monetary union are ongoing.  
17. Intra-EAC imports recorded a steady growth between 2006 and 2010.  Uganda is the main 
regional importer (36.9% of intra-EAC imports in  2010) (Table I.2).  Intra-EAC imports include 
industrial and agricultural products, and natural reso urces.  Total intra-EAC exports also increased 
during the review period.  Kenya is by far the leading exporter to other EAC countries (with 57.2% 
of the total in 2010);  it also accounted for an average share of over 40.0% of total intra-EAC trade during the review period.  In addition, Kenya has maintained a trade surplu s with its EAC partners 
during the period, due to the relative development of its production systems and its trade promotion 
structure (Annex 2). 
Table I.2 
Total intra-EAC trade, 2005-10 
(US$ million) 
Country Imports 
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
Burundi .. 61.2 79.6 84.9 86.8 89.2 
Kenya 59.5 76.7 188.0 181.0 162.5 256.8 
Rwanda 139.8  139.8 201.9 303.3 363.5 344.6 
Tanzania 175.9 220.6 110.1 425.3 316.9 295.9 
Uganda 550.8 429.7 526.5 566.8 547.0 576.5 
Total 786.2 727.0 824.6 1,173.1 1,476.7 1,563.0 
 Exports 
Burundi    27.0 15.4 10.7 14.2 16.0 
Kenya 831.2 641.0 830.4 1,036.6 1,169.5 1,280.0 
Rwanda .. 36.6  45.1  43.4 93.2 50.4 
Tanzania 142.0 147.4 169.4 310.5 285.0 462.7 
Uganda 87.9 101.8 148.8 195.2 398.8 428.6 
Total 1,061.1 890 1,148.6 1,542.2 1,960.6 2,237.7 
 Total EAC trade value 
Burundi .. 88.2 95.0 95.6 101.0 105.2 
Kenya 890.7 717.7 1,018.4 1,217.6 1,332 1,536.8 
Rwanda .. 176.4 247.0 46.7 456.6 395.0 
Tanzania 317.9 368.0 279.5 735.8 601.9 758.6 
Uganda 638.7 531.4 675.3 762.0 945.7 1,005.1  
Total 1,847.3 1,617.1 1,973.2 2,715.4 3,437.3 3,800.7 
 
.. Not available.  
Source:  Information provided by the EAC Secretariat. 
(b) EAC trade with the rest of the world 
18. Total EAC trade with the rest of the world continues to be dominated by imports (averaging 
75% of total trade since 2006), originating mainly from the EU, United States, and African countries.  The value of EAC trade with the rest of the world fell from US$31 billion in 2008 to 
US$28.8 billion in 2009, as a consequence of the global economic crisis on both imports and 
exports.  However, the recovery in global ec onomy, with favourable commodity prices in 2010, 
provided an appropriate environm ent for export growth.  The rebound of output growth in EAC 
countries, with massive investments in infrastructur e, also led to increased imports of capital goods. East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page 5 
 
 
 (ii) Performance in investments 
19. Efforts are under way in EAC countries to st rengthen and stabilize national investment 
policies.  Administrative, regulatory, and lega l frameworks, are being improved to create an 
investor-enabling environment.  Furthermore, all the five countries have established investment 
promotion authorities responsible for prom oting domestic and foreign investments. 
20. In general, EAC countries consider public priv ate partnerships (PPPs) as an important process 
in establishing a sound business climate.  These platfo rms have been initiated in most EAC countries 
to promote partnerships between the Government and private sector. 
21. Performance in attracting investments from the rest of the world varies:  Uganda and 
Tanzania performed relatively better during the re view period, due to increased investments in 
capital-intensive sectors, such as mining and oil exploration (Annexes 1-5). 
22. Kenya is the major source of intra-EAC investme nt flows;  and Uganda and Tanzania are the 
main destinations. Total intra-EAC investment s surged from some US$83 million in 2007 to over 
US$530 million in 2008.  The main drivers were major investments by Kenya in steel manufacturing, poultry farming, construction of co mmercial buildings, manufacture of implements, 
and construction of tourist lodges in Tanzania.  Ho wever, due to external challenges (volatility of 
international oil prices, the global financial cris is), total intra-EAC investment flows decreased 
sharply to US$317 million and US$19 5 million, in 2009 and 2010 respectively.  Services, including 
ICT and finance, are also gaining importance in intra-EAC investments. WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
Page 6  
 
 
 II. TRADE AND INVESTMENT REGIMES 
(1) OVERVIEW  
23. The East African Community (EAC) originally  comprised Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.  
Burundi and Rwanda acceded to the EAC Treaty on 18 June 2007 and became full members with 
effect from 1 July 2007.  The EAC aims at  economic, social, and political integration.2 
24. The integration process is guided by the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African 
Community (EAC).  According to the Treaty, the objectives of the Community are to develop 
policies and programmes aimed at widening and deepening cooperation among the member states in 
political, economic, social, and cultural fields, resear ch and technology, defence, security, and legal 
and judicial affairs, for their mutual benefit.  Specific objectives include:  (a) promoting sustainable 
growth and equitable development for its members,  including rational use of the region's natural 
resources and protection of the environment;  (b) strengthening and consolidating the long-standing 
political, economic, social, cultural, and traditiona l ties of its members;  (c) enhancing the 
participation of the private sector and civil society;  (d) mainstreaming gender in all its programmes 
and enhancing the role of women in developmen t;  (e) promoting good governance, including 
adherence to the principles of democratic rules of  law, accountability, transparency, social justice, 
equal opportunities, and gender e quality;  and (f) facilitating peace a nd stability within the region.  
25. The EAC's medium-term development strategi es serve as tools for operationalizing the 
Treaty.  The first Development Strategy (1997-2000 ), focused on re-launching the EAC;  the second 
(2001-2005) focused mainly on the establishment of the EAC Customs Union;  the third (2006-2010) prioritized the establishment of the EAC Common Market;  and the fourth, Current Strategy (July 2011 to June 2016, in line with EAC’s budge ting cycle) focuses mainly on implementation of 
the EAC Common Market and establishment of the EAC Monetary Union. 
26. The 2011-2016 Development Strategy identifies sev en priority areas to be addressed, with a 
view to implementing the common market, consolidating the Customs Union, and enhancing 
productive capacity and competitiveness:  (a) coope ration between EAC and other major partners 
such as the EU, United States;  (b) the political, economic, social, and environmental situation of the region; (c) the relationship of the EAC with the emerging economies;  (d) the African Union integration agenda and governance framewo rk;  (e) the EAC/COMESA/SADC tripartite 
arrangement;  (f) the legal and institutional framewo rk;  and (g) trade arrangements involving EAC 
members and common trade policy measures.  In additi on, the strategy considers trade as one of the 
fundamental pillars for promoting economic grow th and development among member states.  It 
focuses mainly on improving market access and co mpetitiveness through trade facilitation reforms, 
and export development programm es.  Under the 2006-2010 Development Strategy, the trade 
development objectives were to inter alia,  establish the Customs Union with the Common External 
Tariff (CET), eliminate internal tariffs, rem ove NTBs, and adopt common rules of origin. 
27. Article 5(2) of the Treaty provides for a Customs Union, a Common Market, subsequently a 
Monetary Union and ultimately a Political Federation.   The Customs Union is the entry point for the 
EAC integration process:  the EAC Customs Uni on protocol was signed in  March 2004 and entered 
into force on 1 January 2005. 
28. Since January 2005, the CET has been fully op erational for Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
3  
Burundi and Rwanda started its implementation in January 2009.  EAC enlargement to include 
                                                           
2 See WT/TPR/S/171/Rev.1, for details of the background of the EAC. East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page 7 
 
 
 Burundi and Rwanda is yet to be notified to the WTO.  According to the EAC Secretariat, the region 
has faced challenges in implementing the CET, due to membership in multiple agreements.  Efforts 
to address these challenges are being considered under the EAC/COMESA/SADC tripartite negotiations. 
29. Operationalization of the Customs Union is gui ded by a number of legal instruments.  The 
EAC Customs Management Act, the most functiona l instrument since 2005, aims at regulating the 
uniform application of the day-to-day operations of customs matters.  
30. Since the last TPR of the EAC, the instituti onal framework has not changed fundamentally.  
The organs comprise:  the Summit of Heads of Stat e and/or Government;  the Council of Ministers; 
the Coordination Committee;  the Sectoral Committees;  the East African Court of Justice;  the East 
African Legislative Assembly; and the Secretaria t.  The amendment of the Treaty establishing the 
EAC in December 2006, reconstituted the EAC Court of  Justice in 2007 with two divisions:  a First 
Instance Division and an Appellate Division. 
31. The EAC has the following auto nomous institutions:  Lake Victoria Basin Commission; the 
East African Development Bank (EADB); Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO);  the Inter-
University Council for East Africa (IUCEA);  and the Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight 
Agency (CASSOA). 
32. Under the Customs Union Protocol, each member is free to negotiate bilateral trade 
agreements, subject to notification to the other memb ers.  Such agreements should not be in conflict 
with the provisions of the Customs Protocol. 
33. All EAC countries are  also members of two or more regional economic communities.  This 
overlapping membership poses certain difficulties due mainly to differences in rules of origin, and 
intra-regional trade liberalization mech anisms under the various agreements.  
34. EAC members are also eligible for non-r eciprocal preferential treatment under the 
Generalized System of Preferences (GSP); and the U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act 
(AGOA).  As least developed countries (LDCs) , Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda are 
eligible for the Everything-but-Arms (EBA) initiative of the EU. 
(2) T
HE EAC  IN PRACTICE  
35. The programme for gradual elimination of intern al tariffs, adopted in 2005, was completed in 
January 2010.  EAC members had adopted an asymmetrical tariff reduction approach with a 
transitional period of five years, in order to acc ount for the differences in the size and structure of 
their economies.  All of Kenya's imports from Tan zania and Uganda attract ed zero tariffs, while 
exports from Kenya to Tanzania and Uganda were  categorized into two lists.  Category A goods 
benefited from duty-free status within the comm unity, while category B products (880 importable 
goods from Kenya to Tanzania and 443 from Kenya to  Uganda) were subject to duties until 2010.  
There are no longer any internal tariffs on intra-EAC trade.  
36. Burundi and Rwanda started implementing the provisions of the Customs Union from July 
2009.  Tariffs on trade between Kenya and Burundi  and between Kenya and Rwanda had already 
been eliminated under the Common Market fo r Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). 
                                                                                                                                                                     
3 See WT/TPR/S/171/Rev.1 WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
Page 8  
 
 
 37. Non-tariff barriers (NTBs) remain major impe diments to trade and business development in 
the EAC. NTBs affecting intra- EAC trade include non-harmonized technical regulations, sanitary 
and phytosanitary requirements, customs procedures  and documentation, rules of origin, and police 
road blocks. 
38. National monitoring committees (NMCs) have been established in all EAC member states to 
monitor progress on the elimination of NTBs. NMCs report quarterly to the EAC Sectoral Committee on Trade, Industry and Investment, which is responsible for resolving outstanding NTBs. 
Issues that are not resolved at this le vel are to be referred to the EAC council.
4 
39. According to the EAC Customs Protocol, member  states must agree to eliminate remaining 
NTBs and refrain from imposing new ones.5  In December 2008, the EAC Secretariat identified 35 
NTBs for elimination (Table II.1);  they  were organized into four categories: 
 Category A for NTBs with low political and ec onomic complexity and a low impact on EAC 
trade:  immediate action is required for this category, and consensus is reached in the EAC 
Council; 
 Category B for NTBs with low political and ec onomic complexity and a high impact on EAC 
trade:  NTBs in this category are listed for re moval within 1-6 months, and consensus exists 
in the Council but no agreement on its implementation; 
 Category C for NTBs with high political and economic complexity and a high impact on EAC 
trade:  these measures are to be eliminated ove r 6-12 months, and political consensus is still 
required at the EAC Council  
 Category D for NTBs with high political and economic complexity and a low impact on EAC 
trade:  actions for these measures may take mo re than 12 months, and political consensus is 
required. 
Table II.1 
Classification of EAC NTBs 
Category NTMs notified to 
EAC Secretariat A B C D 
Government participation 1 - - 1 - 
Customs and administrative entry procedures 12 7 4 - 1 
Technical barriers to trade 4 1 - 2 1 
Sanitary and phytosanitary measures 5 3 1 1 - 
Specific limitations .. .. .. .. .. 
Charges on imports 2 2 .. .. .. 
Other NTBs (business licensi ng, roadblocks) 11 6 1 2 2 
Total 35 19 6 6 4 
 
- Nil. 
 .. Not available.  
Source:  EAC Secretariat (2008), Arusha, EAC Time-Bound Programme for elimination of identified non-tariff barriers . 
40. The action agenda is prioritized according to th e degree of difficulty in achieving a consensus 
and the quantitative impact on intra-regional trade fl ows.  In practice, there has been very little 
                                                           
4 EAC Secretar iat (2008). 
5 The working definition of NTBs within the EAC is "quantitative restrictions and specific limitations 
that act as obstacles to trade"(other than tariffs) that  may be embedded in government laws, regulations,and 
practices at the national and local level. East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page 9 
 
 
 progress in tackling NTBs.  This calls for a shift from identifying and discussing NTBs to 
implementing regulatory reforms and reducing trade restrictive measures.6  A legally binding 
mechanism with sanctions for non-compliance w ould help to fully exploit economies of scale 
related to economic integration. 
41. Firms within the EAC, as members of COMESA  or SADC, may participate in the COMESA-
SADC online mechanism for reporting, monitoring, and eliminating NTBs.7 
42. Under the EAC Customs Management Act, onl y the country in which imported goods are 
finally consumed has the mandate to collect the impor t duty.  This has prompted the formulation of a 
model for collection of customs revenue at the en try point into the community, to share among the 
EAC countries.  According to the EAC Secretaria t, implementation of this model is among the 
priorities in the Development Strategy 2011-2016. 
43. EAC countries are in the process of harmonizing their cargo-tracking systems, which would 
enhance trade facilitation and exchange of informati on.  It is set to ensure that duties and taxes 
collected at a port of entry serve as a guarantee fo r goods in transit, and are then allocated to the 
country of destination.  This system should pr ovide the required security for the national customs 
authorities, and remove the burden of additional costs from importers.  However, country-specific 
customs bond guarantees continue to be applied, wh ich is an additional cost to doing business.  
Kenya is already implementing the harmonized tracking system while Uganda, Tanzania, and 
Rwanda are in the process of establishing it.  The EAC is exploring entry into partnership with 
commercial banks to develop new products allowi ng the transfer of duties and taxes from the 
country of customs declaration to relevant cust oms authorities.  The Tanzania Revenue Authority 
was designated to implement the pilot programme  at the port of Dar es Salaam, which handles 
imports to the landlocked cities of Bu jumbura (Burundi) and Kigali (Rwanda).8 
44. The EAC Common Market Protocol, signed in November 2009, became effective in July 
2010.  The protocol provides for various rights and freedoms including free movement of goods, capital, services, and labour.  The protocol also  provides for the right of establishment and 
permanent residence.  Chapter 29 of the Common Market Protocol provides for the protection of 
cross-border investments.  While the full implemen tation of the Customs Union continues to be a 
challenge, additional commitments under the Co mmon Market Protocol are to be addressed 
progressively, by 2015. 
(3) P
ARTICIPATION IN TRADE ARRANGEMENTS  
45. All EAC countries are members of the African Union (AU). Kenya and Uganda are members 
of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Develo pment (IGAD);  Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and 
Uganda are members of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA);  and Tanzania belongs to SADC.  Kenya and Tanzania also participate in the Indian Ocean 
Rim-Association for Region al Cooperation (IOR-ARC).
9  Burundi and Rwanda similarly participate 
in the Economic Community of Great Lakes Countri es (CEPGL).  EAC countri es also benefit from 
                                                           
6 Kirk,(2010). 
7 Trade agents within COMESA/S ADC countries have the possibility to report online any NTB at:  
www.tradebarriers.org. 
8 Trade Watch , Volume 10 Issue 1.  Viewed at:  http://tmagazine.ey.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/ 
03/7130932.pdf. 
9 WTO document WT/TPR/S/171/Rev.1. WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
Page 10  
 
 
 non-reciprocal preferential treatment from many tr ading partners under the Generalized System of 
Preferences. 
46. Tanzania is the only EAC country signatory to the Agreement on the Global System of Trade 
Preferences (GSTP) among Developing Countries. 
47. The use of trade prefer ences by EAC countries remains limite d.  In the main, this reflects 
severe supply-side constraints in EAC countries, bu t some features of the preference schemes limit 
their impact.  Various studies note that trade preferences often exclude, or include on a limited basis, products in which developing countries have the greatest comparative advantages (such as 
agricultural goods, processed products in particular;  te xtiles;  clothing; and footwear).  Burdensome 
rules of origin (e.g. a high value-added criterion) could serve as a deterrent to small countries with 
limited technological capacity, and may cause  difficulties in meeting the documentation 
requirements;  and stringent technical regulati ons and SPS measures may add to these difficulties.  
In addition, these preferences may be considered uncertain as they may be revoked or modified 
unilaterally, and the provisions for graduating countries out of partic ular sectors could weaken the 
incentive for large-scale investment  in the activities concerned.  Un certainty is increased by the 
inclusion of various non-trade (political, labour, so cial, and environmental) concerns as conditions 
for accessing all or certain aspects of the available preferences.  Furthermore, even without these 
constraints, liberalization of preferential mark ets (including through the increasing number of 
regional trade agreements or multilaterally)  continues to erode existing preferences. 
48. The EAC countries are currently involved in trade negotiations under the COMESA-EAC-
SADC tripartite FTA negotiations, the EAC-EU EPA negotiations, and th e WTO negotiations under 
the Doha Development Agenda (DDA).  They co ncluded the Trade and Investment Framework 
Agreement (TIFA) with the United States in July 2008. 
(i) The WTO 
49. The EAC Members are neither signatories nor observers to any of the WTO plurilateral 
agreements.  They have not been involved directly , either as complainant or defendant, in any WTO 
dispute settlement proceedings.  However, Kenya and Tanzania have participated, as third parties, in 
the disputes brought separately by Australia, Br azil, and Thailand, on "European Communities-
export subsidies on sugar".
10  The five EAC countries accord at least MFN treatment to all their 
trading partners. 
50. The priority areas for the EAC countries in the DDA include: improved market access for 
their agricultural products through bound duty-free and quota-free access, and the removal of other 
non-tariff barriers, export subsidies, and domestic support;  reduction of high tariffs and tariff 
escalation on products of interest to developi ng countries and LDCs;  greater opportunities in 
services, particularly through the movement of  natural persons, including less skilled labour; 
extension of geographical indicati ons coverage beyond wines and spir its, in order to maintain the 
identity of indigenous export products; strengthe ning of S&D provisions;  and the provision of 
meaningful technical assistance, including in capac ity building, which will allow DCs and LDCs to 
participate fully and effectively in all negotiations, to address supply-side constraints, and ultimately 
to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the multilateral trading system. 
51. The position of the EAC is that, a truly deve lopmental outcome of the DDA must support 
poverty-reducing economic growth, and provide sp ace for DCs and LDCs to pursue appropriate 
                                                           
10 WTO documents WT/DS265/R, WT/DS266/R, and WT/DS283/R, 15 October 2004. East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page 11 
 
 
 national policies that enhance welfare and foster  economic development.  The results of the 
negotiations must also strengthen and support th e regional integration initiatives in the EAC 
countries and other regional trading a rrangements on the African continent. 
(ii) The COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Forum 
52. The COMESA-EAC-SADC tripartite arrangement  was initiated in 2005 with the main 
objective of rationalizing the integration processes in  the Southern and Eastern Africa region, in line 
with the African Union Action Plan for the harmonization of Regional Economic Communities 
throughout the continent.  This is being achie ved through initiatives aimed at harmonizing the 
policies and programmes of the three regional econo mic communities (RECs) in the areas of trade, 
customs, and infrastructure development.11 
53. The Tripartite Free Trade Area initiative is wo rking towards establishing a free trade area and 
subsequently a customs union.  The initiative comprises a larger trade area of 28 countries with a combined population of some 527 million.  
54. The 2nd COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Summit of Heads of State and Government, was 
held in Johannesburg in June 2011, launched the negotiations for the establis hment of the Tripartite 
Free Trade Area, and adopted the roadmap, as well as negotiating principles, processes, and 
institutional framework. 
55. The Tripartite Free Trade Area negotiations w ill be in two phases.  The first phase, with a 
timeline of 36 months for completion, will cover:  tariff liberalization;  rules of origin;  dispute 
resolution;  customs procedures, and simplification of customs documentation;  transit procedures;  
non-tariff barriers;  trade remedies;  technical ba rriers to trade;  and sanitary and phytosanitary 
measures.  Movement of business persons will also be dealt with during the first phase, as a parallel 
and separate track.  The second phase will cover:  trade in services;  intellectual property rights;  competition policy;  and trade development and co mpetitiveness.  No timeframe has been indicated 
for the second phase. 
56. The Tripartite Trade Negotiation Forum (TTNF), which is charged with the negotiations, has 
met several times, and has adopted a Work Plan  for Trade in Goods. According to the EAC 
Secretariat, the TTNF has established working gr oups on:  customs co-operation;  documentation 
procedures and transit instruments;  technical barriers to trade, including standards and metrology, sanitary and phytosanitary measures and other NTBs;  and rules of origin. 
57. According to the EAC Secretariat, a comprehens ive list of priority infrastructure projects for 
the region and an administrative and institutional a rrangement have been finalized for mobilization 
of resources.  These projects include energy, transport (all modes), and telecom sectors.  A project Preparatory Implementation Unit has been establis hed in addition to an Investment Committee. 
58. Once in place, the Tripartite is expected to address challenges related to overlapping 
membership through harmonized regimes for the three RECs. 
(iii) Relations with the European Union 
59. EAC members are among the 79 African, Caribbean  and Pacific (ACP) states with which the 
European Union concluded the Cotonou Agreement on 23 June 2000, to replace the 
                                                           
11 See http://www.comesa-eac- sadc-tripartite.org/. WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
Page 12  
 
 
 Lomé convention, which was the basis for ACP- EU development cooperation since 1975.  Until 
31 December 2007, the EU by way of a waiver, granted duty-free entry for non-agricultural products 
and most agricultural products originating in  the ACP countries (excluding South Africa), on a 
non-reciprocal basis.12 
60. The EAC countries and EU initialled an interim framework agreement (FEPA) on 
27 November 2007.  The negotiations for a comp rehensive EPA are ongoing.  Access to the EU 
market is on the basis of the initialled FEPA until finalization of the EPA.  The EU Everything-but-Arms Initiative provides for duty-free and quota-fr ee access for all products (excluding arms and 
ammunitions) originating in LDCs, i.e. including all EAC countries except Kenya. 
(iv) Relations with the United States 
61. All EAC countries are eligible for trade preferences under the U.S. African Growth and 
Opportunity Act (AGOA) initiative.  The Act orig inally covering Octobe r 2000 to September 2008, 
was amended in July 2004 extending it until 201 5 (AGOA III).  At the same time, a special 
dispensation relating to apparel was extended to 2012. 
62. Eligible countries qualify for duty-free and quota-free access under the AGOA for a range of 
products, including selected agricultural and textile pr oducts (except for "wearing apparel").  To be 
eligible, African countries must make progress in:  establishing a market-based economy;  developing the rule of law and political pluralism;  eliminating discriminatory barriers to U.S. trade 
and investment; protecting intellectual property;  combating corruption;  protecting human and 
worker rights;  and removing practices of child labour.
13 
63. Eligibility for the wearing apparel provisions is governed by a separate set of conditions and 
associated rules of origin.14  To export apparel (and certain tex tile items) to the United States under 
the AGOA, countries must implement a "visa system " that ensures compliance with the required 
rules of origin.  Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Ug anda are currently eligible for these preferences 
(Annexes 1-5).  The Africa Investment Incentive Act of 2006, (AGOA IV), which amended the 
textile and apparel provisions of the AGOA provid es duty-free and quota-free treatment for eligible 
apparel articles made in qualifying sub-Saharan African countries until 2015.  
64. In July 2008, the EAC signed a Trade and Inv estment Framework Agreement (TIFA) with the 
U.S.  The purpose of the TIFA is to strengthen the U.S.-EAC trade and investment relationship, expand and diversify bilateral trad e, and improve the business climate between U.S. and EAC firms.  
The TIFA establishes regular, high-level talks on all trade and investment topics, including the 
AGOA, the WTO Doha Round, trade facilitation issues, and trade capacity building assistance.
15 
                                                           
12 WTO Members agreed to a derogation from the EU's  obligations under Article I:1 of the GATT 1994 
(on MFN treatment) from 1 March 2000 to 31 December 2007 (WTO docum ent WT/MIN(01)/15, 
14 November 2001). 
13 African Growth and Opportunity Act online in formation.  Viewed at: http://www.agoa.gov/ 
index.html. 
14 Under the AGOA amendments, the waiver from the normal rules of origin for wearing apparel, as 
applicable to "lesser developed beneficiary countries", was extended from September 2004 to September 2007. 
15 Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.  Viewed at:  http://www.ustr.gov/countries-
regions/africa/regional-economic-communities-rec/east-african-community. East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page 13 
 
 
 65. The EAC-U.S. Council was established in 20 10, to operationalize trade and investment 
relations under the TIFA.  The Council is responsible for, inter alia , monitoring trade and 
investment relations between the EAC and the United States;  tackling all the unnecessary impediments to trade and investment between them;  and identifying trade and investment 
opportunities for both parties. WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
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 III. COMMON TRADE POLICY MEASURES 
(1) MEASURES DIRECTLY AFFECTING IMPORTS  
(i) Customs procedures and documentation 
66. According to the EAC Customs Union Protocol , customs formalities in the member states 
should be based on standardized and harmonized documentation and procedures.  However, in 
practice, customs procedures and documentation requi rements have not been fully harmonized.  Pre-
shipment inspection is still required by Burundi and Tanzania, and on certain products, Kenya 
requires pre-shipment by selected companies, on TBT and SPS grounds. 
67. According to the EAC Secretariat, actions are under way to harmonize these procedures and 
documentation requirements.  An EAC Customs Pr ocedure Manual has been adopted by the EAC 
Council of Ministers, and its application is to  commence during 2012/13.  In addition, under the 
EAC framework, an initiative is under way to es tablish a fully integrated and interconnected 
customs system for the whole region.  Meanwhile, EAC countries continue to use different customs 
systems: Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda  use ASYCUDA, while Kenya uses SIMBA 2005.  
This creates some difficulties in attaining a smooth exchange of information, although an interface 
of the two systems is in operation under the Revenue Authorities Digital Data Exchange 
(RADDEx).  
68. The RADDEx an information exchange syst em between EAC customs administrations, 
initiated in 2007, enables the sharing of bilatera l information on goods unde r customs control in 
transit to other EAC states.  Due to capacity issues and resistance to change, RADDEx has been 
partially implemented only at some customs posts.  According to the EAC Secretariat, the second phase of RADDEx is being operationalized, and shoul d allow exchange of information through a 
centralized framework.  Both ASYCUDA and SIMBA systems have inbuilt risk-management 
modules that classify imports, depending on their risk level.  In addition, a region-wide authorized 
economic operator system is being established to allo w compliant traders better and faster clearance.  
In general, the risk-assessment sy stem takes into account a number of factors, including:  type of 
product imported;  country of origin; importer's record;  clearing agent; transporter; place of discharge;  supplier;  and frequency of impor tation of a product by an individual importer. 
69. The EAC is currently assisting its members in developing one-stop border post (OSBP) 
infrastructures.  These are already operating at:  Malaba (Kenya/Uganda);  Gatuna/Katuna 
(Rwanda/Uganda);  and Nemba/Kasenyi (Rwanda/Bur undi).  According to the EAC Secretariat, 
they are to be operated at:  Rusumo (Tanzania /Rwanda);  Kobero/Kabanga (Tanzania/Burundi);  
Namanga (Kenya/Tanzania);  Holili/Taveta (K enya/Tanzania);  Busia (Uganda/Kenya);  
Kagitumba/Gagitumba (Uganda/Rwanda); Mutukula (Uganda/Tanzania);  and Lunga Lunga/Horo 
Horo (Tanzania/Kenya). 
(ii) Customs valuation 
70. The principles of EAC customs valuation are in corporated in the EAC Customs Management 
Act, 2004.  They are based on the WTO Agreem ent on Implementation of Article VII of GATT 
1994. However, implementation by individual memb er states poses serious challenges.  Although 
the EAC has developed a customs valuation manual to  enable uniform interpretation and application 
of Community customs valuation provisions, valuat ion procedures have not been fully harmonized 
in practice.  The EAC Secretariat is planning to establish a regional electronic valuation database by 
June 2013 to address valuation challenges. East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page 15 
 
 
 71. The appeal mechanism relating to customs, in cluding valuation, is at the national level 
(Annexes 1-5).  Under the EAC Customs Management  Act, an importer affected by a decision or 
omission of the customs administration, in relation to valuation or any other matter, has the right of appeal.  The objection must be lodged with the Commissioner within 30 days, and if the 
commissioner does not respond, the appeal will be  presumed as allowed.  An importer who is 
dissatisfied with the decision of the Commissioner may appeal to the Tax Tribunal.
16 
(iii) Rules of origin 
72. The EAC rules of origin are set out in Annex III to the Protocol on the establishment of the 
Customs Union.  Goods are defined as originating in  the country where they are wholly produced or 
undergo substantial transformation.  Substantial tran sformation is where the imported content of the 
goods is no more than 60% of the c.i.f. value of  materials used in their production or the value-
added resulting from the production process accounts for at least 35% of the ex-factory cost of the goods or there is change in tariff heading.  In a ddition, in order to qualify as originating in the 
region, goods must be consigned directly from a member state. 
73. The Annex also provides for a model certificate of  origin.  The EAC certificate of origin was 
launched in 2007.  However, the diversity of issuing authorities in some countries affects the 
effectiveness of EAC rules of origin.  Simplified certificates of origin (for use by small-scale cross-
border traders) were also adopted in 2007 for g oods valued at less than US$2,000.  However, 
implementation of the issuance procedures h as been slow in some member states. 
(iv) Tariffs, and other duties and charges 
(a) MFN applied tariff structure 
74. The EAC CET is broadly set according to cate gory of goods:  raw materials and capital goods 
generally attract the zero rate, intermediate goods 10%, and finish ed goods 25%; higher rates, 
ranging from 35% to 100%, apply to 58 tariff lines of  sensitive items.  On request, a waiver may be 
granted by the Council for a limited period.
17 
75. The 2011 CET contains 5,274 lines at the HS eight-digit level, of which 99.8% carry 
ad valorem  duties (Tables III.1 and AIII.1);  the other lines carry mixed tariffs.  There are no 
seasonal or variable tariffs, or tariff quotas.  Some 37.4% of tariff lines are duty free (Chart III.1).  The sensitive tariff lines cover, inter alia,  dairy products, wheat, rice, maize, and sugar (Table III.2) 
                                                           
16 EAC Secretariat, (2010). 
17 EAC CET.  Viewed at:  http://www.scribd. com/doc/91254153/EAC-CET-Tariff-Handbook-1. WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
Page 16  
 
 
 Table III.1 
Structure of MFN tariff in the East African Community (EAC), 2011  
(%) 
MFN applied Final bounda 
2006b 2011 Kenya Burundi Tanzania Rwanda Uganda 
1. Bound tariff lines (% of all tariff lines) .. .. 15.0 22.4 13.5 100.0 15.9 
2. Simple average tariff rate 12.9 12.7 95.3 66.5 120.0 89.2 73.2 
Agricultural products (WTO def.) 19.7 20.2 100.0 94.2 120.0 73.9 77.4 
Non-agricultural products (WTO 
def.) 11.8 11.5  55.9 25.1 120.0 91.5 50.5 
Agriculture, hunting, forestry and 
fishing (ISIC 1) 17.3 17.7  96.3 98.7 120.0 83.8 74.6 
Mining and quarrying (ISIC 2) 5.3 4.8 Uf UfUf 100.0 Uf 
Manufacturing (ISIC 3) 12.7 12.5 94.9 58.8 120.0 89.3 72.6 
3. Duty-free tariff lines (% of all lines) 36.2 37.4 0.0 0.7 0.0 0.9 0.0 
4. Simple average rate of dutiable lines 20.2 20.2 95.3 68.7 120.0 89.9 73.2 
5. Tariff quotas (% of all lines) 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
6. Non-ad valorem  tariffs (% of all lines) 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
7. Non-ad valorem  tariffs with no AVEs (% 
of all lines) 0.2 0.2  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
8. Domestic tariff "spikes" (% of all lines)c 0.8 0.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
9. International tariff "peaks" (% of all 
lines)d 41.1 40.5  15.0 19.0 13.5 97.0 15.9 
10. Overall standard deviation of app lied rates 11.9 12.0 14.5 41.8 0.0 24.3 13.1 
11. "Nuisance" applied rates (% of all lines)e 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
 
.. Not available.  
a Calculations of bound averages are based on the following numb er of bound tariff lines (including partially bound):  Kenya -
 789;  Burundi - 1,179;  Tanzania 714;   Rwanda - 5274;  and Uganda – 839. 
b Based on WTO (2006), Trade Policy Review:  East African Community . 
c Domestic tariff spikes are defined as those exceeding three times the overall simple average applied rate (indicator 4). 
d International tariff peaks are defined as those exceeding 15%. e Nuisance rates are those greater than zero, but less than or equal to 2%. 
f Unbound. 
 Note: The 2011 tariff is based on HS07 nomencla ture consisting of 5,274 tariff lines (a t 8-digit level).  For mixed-duty rates (11 tariff 
 lines), calculations include the ad valorem  part.  (No duty rates were provided for three tariff lines.) 
 
Source: WTO Secretariat calculations, based on data provided by EAC Secretariat, and WTO CTS database. East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page 17 
 
 
 (37.4%)
(22.1%).(39.3%)
(1.1%)
02004006008001,0001,2001,4001,6001,8002,0002,200
Duty free 10 25 >25% ("Sensitive" items)
WTO Secretariat calculations, based on data provided by the EAC Secretariat.Chart III. 1
Distribution of MFN appl ied tariff rates, 2011
Tariff rates 
Figures in parentheses denote the share of total lines.  Percentages do not add up to 100% due to missing duty 
rates for three tariff lines, which account for 0.06% of total lines.Number of tariff lines
Note :
Source: 
Table III.2 
Sensitive products subj ect to high tariffs, 2011 
 HS code Description MFN duty 
  Milk and cream not concentrated nor containing added sugar  
1 0401.1000   Of a fat content, by weight, not exceeding1% 60% 
2 0401.2000   Of a fat content, by wei ght, exceeding 1% but not exceeding 6% 60% 
3 0401.3000   Of a fat content, by weight, exceeding 6% 60% 
  Milk and cream concentrated or containing added sugar  
4 0402.1000   In powder, granules or other so lid forms, of a fat content, by weight,  
   not exceeding 1.5% 60% 
5 0402.2110  Specially prepared for infants 60% 
6 0402.2190  Other 60% 
7 0402.2910  Specially prepared for infants 60% 
8 0402.2990  Other 60% 
9 0402.9110  Specially prepared for infants 60% 
10 0402.9190  Other 60% 
11 0402.9910  Specially prepared for infants 60% 
12 0402.9990  Other 60% 
  Wheat and meslin other than durum wheat  
13 1001.9020   Hard wheat 35% 
14 1001.9090   Other 35% 
15 1005.9000   Maize (corn) other than seed 50% 
16 1006.1000   Rice in the husk (paddy or rough) 75% or US$200/MT whichever is 
higher 
Table III.2 (cont'd) WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
Page 18  
 
 
  HS code Description MFN duty 
17 1006.2000   Husked (brown) rice 75% or US$200/MT whichever is 
higher 
18 1006.3000   Semi-milled or wholly milled rice, whether or not polished or glazed 75%  or US$200/MT whichever is 
higher 
19 1006.4000   Broken rice 75% or US$200/MT whichever is 
higher 
20 1101.0000 Wheat or meslin flour 60% 
21 1102.2000   Maize (corn) flour 50% 
    Cane sugar   
22 1701.1110   Jaggery 35% 
23 1701.1190   Other 100% or US$200/MT whichever is 
higher 
    Beet sugar   
24 1701.1210  Jaggery 35% 
25 1701.1290  Other 100% or US$200/MT whichever is 
higher 
26 1701.9100  Other sugar containi ng added flavouring or colouring ma tter 100% or US$200/MT whichever is 
higher 
27 1701.9910  Other sugar for industria l use 100% or US$200/MT whichever is 
higher 
28 1701.9990  Other sugar 100%  or US$200/MT whichever is 
higher 
29 2402.2010  Cigarettes not exceeding 72 mm in length including the filter tip 35% 
30 2402.2090  Other 35% 
31 2403.1000  Smoking tobacco, whether or not containing tobacco substitutes  35% 
32 2523.2900  Portland cement other than white 55% 
33 3605.0000 Matches, other than pyrot echnic articles of heading 36.04 50% 
34 5208.5110   Khanga, Kikoi, and Kitenge 50% 
35 5208.5210   Khanga, Kikoi, and Kitenge 50% 
36 5209.5110   Khanga, Kikoi, and Kitenge 50% 
37 5210.5110   Khanga, Kikoi, and Kitenge 50% 
38 5211.5110   Khanga, Kikoi, and Kitenge 50% 
39 5212.1510   Khanga, Kikoi, and Kitenge 50% 
40 5212.2510  Khanga, Kikoi, and Kitenge 50% 
41 5513.4110   Khanga, Kikoi, and Kitenge 50% 
42 5514.4110   Khanga, Kikoi, and Kitenge 50% 
43 6211.4210   Khanga, Kikoi, and Kitenge 50% 
44 6211.4310  Khanga, Kikoi, and Kitenge 50% 
45 6211.4910   Khanga, Kikoi, and Kitenge 50% 
46 6302.2100   Bed linen, printed, other than knitted or crocheted, of cotton 50% 
47 6302.3100   Bed linen, not printed, othe r than knitted or crocheted, of cotton 50% 
48 6302.5100   Table linen, other than  knitted or crocheted, of cotton 50% 
49 6302.9100  Other toilet linen and kitchen lin en than of terry towelling, of cotton 50% 
50 6305.1000   of jute or of other tex tile bast fibres of heading 53.03 35%  
51 6309.0000 Worn clothing and other worn ar ticles 45% or US$0.3/kg whichever is higher 
52 8309.1000   Crown corks 40% 
53 8506.1000   Manganese dioxide 35% 
54 8506.3000   Mercuric oxide 35% 
55 8506.4000  Silver oxide 35% 
56 8506.5000   Lithium 35% 
57 8506.6000   Air-zinc 35% 
58 8506.8000   Other primary cells and primary batteries 35% 
 
Source: EAC Secretariat. East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page 19 
 
 
 76. The EAC tariff is based on the 2007 version of the Harmonized Commodity and Coding 
System (HS).  Tariffs are applied on the c.i.f. valu e of imports at the point of entry to the customs 
union.  Few changes have been introduced to the EAC CET since the last TPR of the EAC. 
77. The average applied MFN tariff decreased slightly from 12.9% in 2006 to 12.7% in 2011. 
This was mainly due to reviews of the CET that a ffected lines with higher rates more than those with 
lower rates, and the conversion to HS 2007.  The co efficient of variation, at 0.94, indicates moderate 
tariff dispersion.  Non-agricultural products (WTO  definition) attract an average CET of 11.5%, 
while the average on agricultural goods remains rela tively high, and has risen from 19.7% to 20.2%.  
Using the ISIC (Revision 2) definition of sectors,  agriculture, including hunting, forestry, and 
fishing, has the highest tariff rates, followed by manufacturing, and mining and quarrying (Table 
III.3). 
Table III.3 
EAC tariff summary, 2011 
  Number of 
lines Average 
(%) Range (%) Standard 
deviation Duty free 
(%) 
Total 5,274 12.7 0-100 12.0 37.4 
HS 01-24 764 22.4 0-100 12.4 8.9 
HS 25-97 4,510 11.0 0-55 11.2 42.2 
By WTO category      
WTO agricultural products 706 20.2 0-100 14.1 16.4 
   Animals and products thereof 95 23.2 0-25 6.5 7.4 
   Dairy products 24 45.4 25-60 17.3 0.0 
   Fruit, vegetables, and plants 187 21.6 0-25 8.0 9.6 
   Coffee and tea 24 19.6 0-25 9.7 16.7 
   Cereals and preparations 90 23.4 0-75 15.4 10.0 
   Oils seeds, fats, oil and their products 77 11.8 0-25 9.0 23.4 
   Sugars and confectiona ry 19 39.5 10-100 37.1 0.0 
   Beverages, spirits and tobacco 51 25.3 10-35 3.2 0.0 
   Cotton 5 0.0 0-0 0.0 100.0 
   Other agricultural products, n.e.s. 134 10.5 0-25 10.5 41.0 
WTO non-agricultural products  4,568 11.5 0-55 11.3 40.6 
   Fish and fishery products 125 24.5 10-25 2.6 0.0 
   Minerals and metals 932 10.7 0-55 10.1 35.7 
   Chemicals and photographic supplies 888 4.4 0-25 8.5 74.7 
   Wood, pulp, paper and furniture 269 15.9 0-25 10.8 25.7 
   Textiles 604 19.7 0-50 9.6 7.1 
   Clothing 222 25.3 25-50 2.9 0.0 
   Leather, rubber, footwear and travel goods 162 12.7 0-25 9.3 21.0 
   Non-electric machinery 534 3.4 0-25 6.5 74.2 
   Electric machinery 251 10.8 0-35 10.2 34.7 
   Transport equipment 158 7.3 0-25 9.9 58.2 
   Non-agricultural products, n.e.s. 395 14.8 0-50 11.3 30.1 
   Petroleum 28 4.5 0-25 8.1 71.4 
By ISIC sectora      
   ISIC 1 - Agriculture, hunting and fishing 294 17.7 0-75 12.4 25.2 
   ISIC 2 - Mining and quarrying 99 4.8 0-25 7.7 65.7 
   ISIC 3 - Manufacturing 4,880 12.5 0-100 12.0 37.6 
Table III.3 (cont'd) WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
Page 20  
 
 
   Number of 
lines Average 
(%) Range (%) Standard 
deviation Duty free 
(%) 
By stage of processing      
   First stage of processing 639 13.7 0-75 13.1 39.9 
   Semi-processed products 1,744 9.9 0-100 11.9 46.6 
   Fully processed products 2,891 14.1 0-60 11.6 31.3 
 
a International Standard Industrial Classification (Rev.2).   Electricity, gas and water are excluded (1 tariff line). 
 Note: Calculations for averages are based on the EAC CET line le vel (8-digit level).  For mixed-duty rates (11 tariff lines), c alculations 
 include the ad valorem  part used for the analysis.  No duty ra tes are provided for three tariff lines.  
 
Source:  WTO Secretariat calculations, based on data provided by the EAC Secretariat.  
78. In aggregate, the EAC's tariff shows mixed escalation:  negative from the first stage of 
processing (average tariff of 13.7%) to semi-finished  products (9.9%, and pos itive to fully processed 
goods (14.1%).  Further disaggregation of the tari ff at ISIC (Revision 2) two-digit level shows 
positive escalation in textiles and apparel;  wood pr oducts;  chemicals, including petroleum, coal, 
rubber and plastics.  All the other indus tries show mixed escalation (Chart III.2). 
0.05.010.015.020.025.030.0Chart III.2
Tariff escalation by IS IC 2-digit industry, 2011
Per cent
Source : WTO Secretariat estimates, based on information provided by the EAC Secretariat .All products
Food, 
beverages 
and tobacco
Textiles and
apparel
Wood 
products
Paper, 
printing
Chemicals, 
petroleum, coal, 
rubber, plastics
Non-metallic 
mineral products
Basic metal 
products
Fabricated 
metal products
Other 
manufacturingAgriculture
MiningRaw materials Semi-processed Fully processed
Electrical 
energy
 
79. The EAC member states have bound their tariffs individually at various levels and coverage 
(Table III.1 and Annexes 1-5).  For 11 lin es, applied mixed tariffs may exceed bound ad valorem  
rates, depending on the unit import price of the product (Table III.4). East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page 21 
 
 
 Table III.4 
Products for which applied MFN rates may be higher than the final bound rates, 2011 
HS code Description Applied MFN tariff 
(higher rates applies 
in all cases) Bound rates (%) 
  Burundi Kenya Rwanda Tanzania Uganda 
10061000 Rice in the husk (paddy or rough) 75% or $200/MT  100 100 80 120 80 
10062000 Husked (brown) rice 75% or $200/MT  100 100 80 120 80 
10063000 Semi-milled or wholly milled rice, 
whether or not polished or glazed 75% or $200/MT  100 100 80 120 80 
10064000 Broken rice 75% or $200/MT 100 100 80 120 80 
17011190 Cane sugar: other than Jaggery  100 % or $200/MT  100 100 80 120 80 
17011290 Beet sugar: other than Jaggery 100 % or $ 200/MT  100 100 80 120 80 
17019100 Other than raw sugar: containing 
added flavouring or colouring 
matter 100 % or $ 200/MT  100 100 80 120 80 
17019910 Other than raw sugar: sugar for 
industrial use  100 % or $200/MT  100 100 80 120 80 
17019990 Other than raw sugar:  other not 
including sugar for industrial use 100 % or $200/MT  100 100 80 120 80 
63051000 Sacks and bags: – of jute or of 
other textile bast fibres of heading 53.03 45% or US$0.45 
per bag U U 100 U U 
63090000 Worn clothing and other worn 
articles 35% or US$ 0.2 per kg  U U 100 U U 
 
Note: U = Unbound.  
Source: WTO Secretariat estimates, based on information provided by the EAC Secretariat, and CTS, WTO database. 
(b) Tariff preferences 
80. In accordance with Article 10 of the Protoc ol on the Establishment of the EAC Customs 
Union, all members have eliminated tariffs on intra-EAC trade, since 2010.  
81. EAC members also grant tariff preferences on a reciprocal basis under trade agreements in 
which they participate individually.  Consequently, tariff preferences may differ from one country to 
another.  The main preferences are those accord ed by Tanzania to imports from other SADC 
countries;  and by Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, a nd Uganda to imports from other COMESA states. 
Burundi, Kenya, and Rwanda participate in the free trade area under CO MESA, while Uganda is 
still under the preferential trade regime and has attained 80% reduction of tariffs on goods 
originating in other COMESA countries that are out side EAC.  All imports from SADC to Tanzania 
are duty free. 
(c) Tariff and tax exemptions and concessions 
82. Under the Customs Union Protocol, EAC member s have agreed to harmonize their duty and 
tax exemption and concession schemes.  The exempt ion regime is provided for by the EAC Customs 
Management Act. 
83. Country-specific waivers are granted by the EAC Council on a case-by-case basis, on 
justification of any injury or threat of injury (Tab le III.5).  Approval is by consensus.  In addition a 
duty remission scheme (DRS) allows manufactur ers of designated goods to import inputs under 
preferential tariff conditions.  Imported inputs that  have benefited from the DRS include, sugar for 
industrial use, paper for exercise books and text books, CKDs for assembly of bicycles and motor 
cycles, and items for manufacture of goods for export (Annexes 1-5). WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
Page 22  
 
 
 Table III.5 
EAC exemptions to the common tariff regime, 2011 
 HS code Description of goods Waiver 
1. 1101.00.00 Wheat flour Burundi and Rwan da to apply import duty rate at 35% 
for one year. 
2. 8701.20.90 Road tractors for semi- trailers Bu rundi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda to apply 
import duty rate at 0% for one year. 
3. 8704.22.90 Motor vehicles for transport of goods with gross 
vehicle weight exceeding 5 tonnes but not 
exceeding 20 tonnes Burundi, and Uganda to appl y import duty rate at 10% 
for one year. 
4. 8704.23.90 Motor vehicles for transport of goods with gross 
vehicle weight exceeding 20 tonnes Burundi, and Uganda to appl y import duty rate at 0% 
for one year. 
5. 1006.10.00 Rice in the husk Rwanda to a pply import duty rate at 30% for one year. 
6. 8704.22.90 Trucks of carrying capacity of 5 tonnes and 
above Rwanda to apply import duty rate at 10% for one year. 
7. 8704.23.90 Trucks of carrying capacity of over 20 tonnes Rwanda to apply import duty rate at 0% for one year. 
8. 1001.90.90 Wheat grain Rwanda to appl y import duty rate at 0% for one year. 
9.        .. Construction materials imported by registered 
investors with projects of at least US$1.8 million 
Construction materials for registered investors 
with projects of at least US$1.8 million Rwanda to stay application of the import duty rates in 
the EAC CET and apply import duty rate of 5% on construction materials importe d by registered investors 
with projects of at least US$1.8 million for a period of 
one year. 
10. 7413.00.90 Other stranded wi re, cables plaited bands and 
their like Rwanda to apply import duty rate at 10% instead of 
25% for one year. 
11. 1001.90.20 Hard wheat (wheat grain) Tanzania  and Uganda to apply import duty rate at 0% 
for one year. 
 1001.90-90 Other  
12. 8702.10.99 
8702.90.99 Motor vehicles for the transport of more than 25 
persons Tanzania to apply import duty rate at 10% for one year. 
13. 8704.22.90 Motor vehicles for the transport of goods with 
gross vehicle weight exceeding 5 tonnes but not 
exceeding 20 tonnes Tanzania to apply import duty rate at 10% for one year. 
14. 8704.23.90 Motor vehicles for the transport of goods with 
gross vehicle weight exceeding 20 tonnes Tanzania to apply import duty rate at 0% for one year. 
15. 8201.30.00 Hoes Uganda to apply im port duty rate at 0% for one year 
16. 7308.90.90 Road guard rails Uganda to a pply import duty rate at 10% for one year 
 7326.20.00 Gabions and gabion mattresses 
17. 7217.20.00 Galvanized wire Duty rate on galvanized wire increased from 0% to 10% 
18. 7614.10.00 
7614.90.00 Aluminium conductors and cables Uganda and Rwanda to apply 10% instead of 25% for 
one year 
19. 7413.00.90 Other electrical wires Uganda to apply 10% instead of 25% for one year 
20. 1006.10.00 Rice in the husk 
Kenya to stay application of EAC CET on rice and 
apply 35% instead of 75% or US$200/MT for one year  1006.20.00 Husked (brown) rice 
 1006.30.00 Sent milled or wholly milled rice 
 1006.40.00 Broken rice 
21.  Exemption of Armed Forces Canteen 
Organization (AFCO) Exemption regime extended for Tanzania Armed Forces 
Canteen Organization (AFCO) for one year 
 
.. Not available. 
 
Source: EAC Gazette, June 2011 .  Viewed at:  http://www.kra.go.ke/cust oms/pdf/EAC-GAZETTE-30TH-JUNE-2011.pdf.  
(d) Other duties and charges 
84. EAC members have bound other duties and char ges individually (Annexes 1-5).  The EAC 
Customs Management Act provides for other du ties and charges applicable on imports. These East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page 23 
 
 
 include overtime fees, fees for cautionary visits , licence fees, and fees for services to the public 
(Table III.6).18 
Table III.6 
Customs service fees 
Service or certificate Fees 
Certification of a copy of any document US$5.00 
Issuance of a landing certificate, for each original entry in which goods are entered US$10.00 
Transhipment US$10.00 
Transfer of ownership US$10.00 
Issuance of certificate of weight for a consignment US$5.00 
Approval of alterations in the marks, numbers or other pa rticulars in any document submitted to Customs, other 
than an inward manifest US$5.00 
Cancellation of entries US$10.00 
Issuance or certification of any other certifi cate or document issued by Customs US$3.00 
Amendment of an inward report US$10.00 
 
Source: EAC Customs Management Re gulations, 2010.  Viewed at:  http:// www.eac.int/legal/index. php?option=com 
_docman&task=doc_details&gid=153&Itemid=227 
(v) Internal taxes 
85. Under the EAC Common Market Protocol, EAC member states undertake to progressively 
harmonize their tax policies and laws on domestic ta xes, with a view to removing tax distortions, 
and facilitating the free movement of goods, services,  and capital, and the pr omotion of investments 
within the Community. 
86. Individual countries' internal tax systems, esp ecially tax bases and rates, may distort cross-
border transactions, capital flows, and the regional labour division.  Mainly in cases where taxes (or 
tax subsidies) are used as strategic instruments to strengthen the national position "in international 
competition on location advantages" within the regional community.19 
87. There are substantial differences in, inter alia,  the definitions of tax bases and rates in the 
EAC countries, as well as in experience of VA T use.  While Kenya introduced VAT in 1990, 
Tanzania in 1996, and Uganda in 1998, Rwanda and Burundi adopted the VAT system only in 2009. 
Nonetheless, with the exception of Kenya, which charges VAT at 16% on most goods and services, 
and a reduced rate of 12% on electricity and fuel , all other EAC members use a standard rate of 
18%;  Tanzania reduced its VAT rate from 20% to  18% in 2009.  In all the EAC member states 
exports are zero rated for VAT. 
88. National legal framework for excise duties va ry significantly within EAC (Annexes 1-5). 
89. Following a 2008 study on tax harmonization, speci fic recommendations included:  the strict 
reduction of the zero-rated transactions to expor ts, the harmonization and reduction of exempt 
transactions, the application of harmonized rules and practices for VAT refunds, and the 
harmonization of the tax bases.  According to the EAC Secretariat, a tax harmonization programme 
has been initiated in the region.  In addition,  an agreement on avoidance of double taxation was 
                                                           
18 EAC Customs Management Regulations, 2010.  Viewed at:  http://www.eac.int/legal/index.php? 
option=com_docman&task=doc_details&gid=153&Itemid=227. 
19 EAC Secretar iat (2009). WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
Page 24  
 
 
 signed by all EAC countries in 2010, and is currently  under the ratification process.  To facilitate 
exchange of information, revenue authoriti es have signed a memorandum of understanding on 
exchange of information on tax matters. 
(vi) Contingency measures 
90. The Protocol on Establishment of the EA C Customs Union provides for anti-dumping, 
countervailing and safeguard measures.  However no cases have been reported since the last Review 
of the EAC. 
91. Provisions on contingency measures are laid dow n in Articles 16 to 20 and Article 24 of the 
Protocol on the Establishment of the East African Customs Union.  Article 20 of the Customs Union 
Protocol calls upon member states to cooperate in  the detection and investigation of dumping, 
subsidies, and sudden surge in imports, and in th e imposition of measures to curb such practices.  
92. The Protocol also provides for the establishmen t of an East African Community Committee 
on Trade Remedies, which is yet to be establishe d.  According to the EAC Secretariat, the 
Committee is to be operationalized by 2013;  it will handle, inter alia , anti-dumping, subsidies, and 
non-tariff barriers.  The Committee is to determ ine its own procedures and have the following 
functions:  initiation of investigations, through the investigating authorities of member states; 
determination on investigations; recommendation of provisional measures to where a preliminary 
affirmative determination is ma de;  and annual review of th e implementation of measures. 
93. Dumping is prohibited if it causes or threatens to cause material inju ry to an established 
industry in member state; materia lly retards the establishment of a domestic industry;  or frustrates 
the benefits expected from the removal or absence  of duties and quantitative trade restrictions 
between the member states.  Provisions on the implementation of anti-dumping measures are laid 
down in Annex IV to the Customs Union Protocol. 
94. EAC countries may impose counter vailing measures for the purpose of offsetting the effect of 
subsidies.  The countervailing duty shall be equal to the amount of the subsidy estimated to have 
been granted on the production or export of the good. 
95. Safeguard measures may be applied by EAC Members where there is a sudden surge in 
imports of a product, under conditions that cause or  threaten to cause seri ous injury to domestic 
producers. 
(vii) Import prohibitions, restrictions, and licensing 
96. Prohibited imports under the Second Schedul e to the EAC Customs Management Act, 
include:  pornographic material, narcotic drugs, hazar dous wastes and their disposal, used tyres, and 
various agricultural and industrial chemicals.  In addition, the Act allows EAC member states to 
maintain national import prohibitions in force for a transitional period.  The Second Schedule 
requires an import permit for 31 product groups, including arms and ammunition, worked and 
unworked ivory, ozone-depleting s ubstances, genetically modified products, non-indigenous species 
of fish, historical artefacts, and endangered speci es of wild flora and fauna in accordance with 
CITES.20 
                                                           
20 EAC Customs Management Act, 2004, Second and Third Schedules. East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page 25 
 
 
 (viii) Standards and other technical requirements 
97. Article 13 of the Protocol on the Establishmen t of the East African Customs Union urges 
member states to remove all non-tariff barriers (N TBs), with immediate effect, and not to impose 
any new ones.  Furthermore, EAC member states have formulated a mechanism for identifying and 
monitoring the elimination of NTBs, including standards and technical requirements (see section 2).  
Substantial progress still needs to be  achieved in this direction. 
98. Some 1,200 voluntary standards have been ha rmonized for uniform application by EAC 
members.  A comprehensive list of the up-to-date East African standards is contained in the Catalogue of East African Standards.
21  The entries are arranged  according to International 
Classification for Standards (ICS) subjects.22 
99. The East African Standards Committee (EASC)  develops new standards or harmonizes 
existing ones; it is composed of representatives of th e national Quality System Institutions and of the 
private sector.  It has four functioning techni cal subcommittees on: standards, quality assurance, 
metrology, and testing.  According to the EAC Secretariat, there is a proposal to establish a 
subcommittee on technical regulations. 
100. According to East Africa Standardization, Quality Assurance, Metrology and Testing Act 
(SQMT) Act 2006, "where a member state intends  to develop and implement a national technical 
regulation relating to a product that does not fall within the scope of a compulsory standard, the 
member state shall notify the Secretariat and th e other member states of the national technical 
regulation at least 60 days before the national technical regulation comes into force.  Member states 
shall base their national technical regulations on East  African Standards, where these exist, in order 
to lead to the declaration of the techni cal regulations as compulsory standards." 
101. The procedures and mechanisms by which the EASC and the EAC member states are to 
harmonize existing standards, and develop and publish new standards were codified and published 
in 2005.  A proposal for a standard harmonization (or standard development) project may be made 
to the EASC, through any EAC country’s Nationa l Standards Body.  A standard development 
process refers to a proposal, at regional level, for a new standard, a new part or revision of an 
existing standard, or a technical specification.  
102. The EASC is in charge of approving the sta ndard project and allocating it to a National 
Standard Body, which will act as the focal point for the specific project.  The draft harmonized 
standard is circulated by the designated focal  point to all EAC countries standards bodies for 
comments.  The draft harmonized standard (or proposed standard) is notified to the WTO and 
available for public comments for 60 days.  Standa rds are approved by the EASC, then forwarded to 
the EAC Council of Ministers to be declared as East African standards.  Newly harmonized standards (or developed standards)  are gazetted;  their number, title and scope are posted on the 
EAC web-portal for public information, and c opies are available from the National Standards 
Bodies, on demand.
23 
                                                           
21 Catalogue of East African St andards.  Viewed at:  http:// eac-quality.net/fileadmin/eac_quality/ 
user_documents/3_pdf/EAS_CATALOGUE_2007.pdf. 
22 Catalogue of East African St andards.  Viewed at:  http:// eac-quality.net/fileadmin/eac_quality/ 
user_documents/3_pdf/EAS_CATALOGUE_2007.pdf. 
23 See www.eac-quality.net. WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
Page 26  
 
 
 103. According to the EAC SQMT Act 2006, developm ent of standards and technical regulations 
in the EAC should seek to respond to regulatory needs (e.g. security, safety, and environment considerations); market requirements; scientif ic and technological development;  national 
Government and EAC Council of Ministers pr iorities;  and export promotion needs. 
104. A formal review of each EAC Standard is to  be conducted at regular intervals, by the 
responsible Technical Committee, to determine its continued applicability, or if necessary the need 
to amend, revise, or withdraw it. 
105. The EAC Council of Ministers is responsible for the final declaration of East African 
Standards.  Under the SQMT Act, the member st ates are required to adopt the approved text as a 
national standard within six months, and withdraw any existing national standard with similar scope 
and purpose. 
106. Accreditation in EAC is covered in Sections (10) and (11) of the Act.  It prescribes 
accreditation structures at national and regional le vels.  The East African Accreditation Board 
(EAAB) is mandated to promote, fa cilitate, and coordinate accreditati on activities.  However, Kenya 
is the only EAC member with an internationally recognized accreditation body (see Annex 2).  
107. Recognition of certification marks among EAC countries on regionally traded goods, is 
proving difficult to implement.  National quality instit utions may verify the quality of such goods in 
certain circumstances.  According to the EAC Secr etariat, a regional regulation to further promote 
the recognition of certification marks within the region, has been approved by the Council of Ministers, and was expected to commence in mid-2012. 
(ix) Sanitary and phytosanitary measures 
108. Article 108 of the Treaty for Establishment of the East African Community, and Article 38 of 
the Protocol on the Establishment of the East African Community Customs Union provide for the 
development of EAC harmonized SPS measures.  The objectives of the protocol include:  
establishment of a framework to guide the devel opment, adoption, enforcement, and harmonization 
of sanitary and phytosanitary measures within the Community in accordance with provisions of the 
WTO-SPS agreement;  provision of a framework for operation and implementation of the EAC-
harmonized sanitary and phytosanitary measures;  es tablishment of pest-free areas, and promotion of 
safe trade in agricultural products within the region and with others. 
109. In practice, there is no formal structure for the application of SPS measures at the regional 
level. 
110. The decision to develop the EAC protocol on SPS  was adopted during the first meeting of the 
EAC Sectoral Council on Agriculture a nd Food security, held in September 2006. 
111. The EAC SPS protocol, developed with a view to protecting human, animal, and plant live 
and health;  and promoting trade in agri-food produc ts, emphasizes the need to define procedures for 
conformity assessment, establish mutual rec ognition, and determine equivalences across EAC 
member states.  The protocol encompasses ha rmonized SPS measures for plants;  for mammals, 
birds and bees;  for fish and fishery products;  and on food safety. East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page 27 
 
 
 112. At its 20th meeting in 2010, the EAC Council of Ministers adopted the EAC SPS protocol 
and referred it to the Sectoral Council on Le gal and Judicial Affairs for legal input.24  In addition, 
the Council decided to expand the scope of respons ibility of the current EAC Standards Committee 
to include bodies involved in developing SPS standards. 
113. Full adoption and enforcement of harmonized SPS measures will rationalize the development 
of agriculture production, improve  quality, and enhance trade within  the EAC region and with other 
trading partners. 
(2) MEASURES DIRECTLY AFFECTING EXPORTS  
(i) Documentation, taxation, and restrictions 
114. Customs documentation requirements for exports have not yet been fully harmonized within 
the EAC.  The number of documents required varies from five in Tanzania to nine in Burundi.  
115. Part A of the Third Schedule of the EAC Customs Management Act covers prohibited 
exports.  It refers to export prohibitions decided and enforced by individual member states when 
necessary.  Export authorization is required for pr oducts listed in Part B of the Third Schedule.  
Items on this list include:  waste and scrap of ferrous cast iron, timber from wood grown in EAC 
member states, fresh unprocessed fish (Nile pe rch and tilapia), cloves, wood charcoal, used 
automobile batteries, lead scrap, crude and refined l ead, and all forms of scrap metal.  In addition, 
EAC members may individually impose export authorization requirements, under national 
legislation in force on 1 January 2005. 
(ii) Export assistance 
116. The common export assistance regime has progressed since the last Review of the EAC.  The 
first strategy, for the period 2006-2010 in which a road map was developed, was aimed at creating a 
sound environment for EAC's exports  diversification.  A Joint Export Promotion and Investment 
Strategy, covering 2012-2016, is being formulat ed.  A regional Committee on Trade and industry, 
and a Committee on Investment are in charge of monitoring export promotion and investment 
issues, respectively. 
117. The Customs Management Act and the Protocol  on the Establishment of the East African 
Customs Union provide for manufacturing under bon d, export processing zone s, and duty drawback 
schemes.  Pursuant to Article 25 (3) of the Protoc ol, the sale of goods in the customs territory, under 
any of these schemes, is subject to authorization by  a competent authority an d limited to 20% of the 
company's annual production. 
118. Section 140 of the EAC CMA provides for duty remission on goods imported for the 
manufacture of export products.  Duty remissi on regulations and a duty remission manual were 
adopted in 2008 and 2010 respectively.  The scheme allows for remission of tariffs on raw materials 
used in the manufacture of goods for export.  Manufacturers of goods produced using inputs 
imported in under the duty remission scheme are requi red to sell at least 80% of their production 
outside the EAC.  Prior to full implementation of  the Customs Union the rule applied only to goods 
sold outside the national border of the member States. 
                                                           
24 EAC Gazette , August 2011.  Viewed at:  http://www.eac.int/custo ms/index.php?option=com_ 
docman&task=doc_details&gid=135&Itemid=106. WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
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 119. According to the EAC Secretariat, there are administrative challenges in monitoring and 
enforcing the exemption regime to ensure that goods  are exported and those sold within the region 
attract full duties.  No evaluation of the scheme has been undertaken. 
120. The EAC Secretariat has enacted EPZ regulati ons intended to ensure uniformity in the 
implementation of the Customs Union EPZ provisions, and to ensure, to the extent possible, that the 
process is transparent, accountable, fair, and pred ictable.  An EAC member that does not have 
national legislation on EPZs must undertake, before  applying the EAC regulations, to enact national 
legislation to implement them.  Members must unde rtake to align national legislation, with the 
provisions of the regulations.25  The EAC Model Export Processing Zones Operational Manual, 
adopted in November 2011,  provides for exemptions from duties and taxes on specific imports for 
exclusive use in eligible business activities.  The manual encourages EAC members to develop a 
harmonized list of exemptions under these regulati ons.  According to the EAC Secretariat, the 
harmonized list of exemptions is being finalized. 
121. The Africa Trade Insurance Agency (ATIA), estab lished by African states with technical and 
financial support from the World Bank, is a mu ltilateral developmental financial institution 
dedicated to providing credit and political-risk insu rance and other financia l products to promote 
trade and investment in Africa.  The particip ating countries include EAC member states.  The 
ATIA's main objective is to facilitate access to , and improve the terms of trade finance for 
participating countries.  The beneficiaries of the ATIA include foreign companies exporting goods 
or services to participating countries, companies from participating countries that are exporting 
goods or services, and banks engaged in export credit. 
(3) MEASURES AFFECTING PRODUCTION AND TRADE  
(i) Competition policy and regulatory issues 
122. Article 21 of the Customs Union Protocol oblig es EAC members to prohibit any practice that 
adversely affects free trade, including any agreemen t, undertaking or concerted practice that has as 
its objective or effect the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition within the Community.  The Article is to be implemented in accord ance with the EAC competition policy and law. 
123. The EAC competition policy was adopted in 2004, and the EAC Competition Act was 
enacted in 2006.  The Act contains provisions on, inter alia , abuse of market dominance, mergers 
and acquisitions, consumer welfare, member st ates subsidies, and prohibits anti-competitive 
concerted practices. 
124. The Act provides for the establishment of an East African Competition Authority composed 
of five Commissioners (one from each member state), and with power to:  investigate and compel evidence, hold hearings, issue legally binding decisions, and impose remedies.  The EAC Competition Authority and competition institutions in member states are to cooperate in the 
implementation of the EAC Competition Act.  In  particular, national competition authorities may 
assist in investigations and enforcement of th e decisions of the EAC Competition Authority. 
125. Implementation of the Common Market, which be gan in 2010, revealed a legal gap in the 
regulation of companies whose activities have cros s-border effects. Articles 33 to 36 of the Common 
Market Protocol obliges member states to, among othe rs, prohibit any practices that adversely affect 
free trade, including restrictive trade agreements a nd concerted practices, concentrations that create 
                                                           
25 EAC Customs Union (Export Processing Zones) regulations. East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page 29 
 
 
 or strengthen dominant position, and abuse of dominance by undertakings. Member states should 
also ensure consumer protection. 
126. Chapter V of the EAC Competition Act deals with  subsidies in EAC member states.  Subject 
to the provisions of the Act, a member may grant a s ubsidy to any sector, if it is in the public interest 
to do so.  However, before granting a subsidy,  the member must notify it to the EAC Competition 
Authority.  The Authority considers whether the subsidy is within the list of exemptions, and 
communicates its decision to the member.  Aggrieved members may challenge the Authority's decisions in the East African Court of Justice.  If the Court determines that th e subsidy is illegal, the 
member state must recover the subsidy from its recipient. 
127. Under Article 16, EAC members should not grant any subsidy that distorts or threatens to 
distort competition in the Community.  In add ition, a member should not grant any subsidy, inter 
alia, for the promotion of exports or imports between EAC member states, or on the basis of 
nationality or residence of persons or c ountry of origin of goods or service. 
128. To date, the EAC Competition Act has not been  operationalized.  According to the EAC 
Secretariat, effective implementation of the EA C Competition Act faces a number of challenges, 
including the lack of competition laws and ins titutions in some member states, and technical 
capacity issues at national and regional levels.  In  addition, key national a nd regional stakeholders 
need to be sensitized on the benefits of compe tition policies, including laws.  Currently, only Kenya 
and Tanzania have fully functi oning national competition laws and institutions.  Sensitization 
workshops targeting key policy-make rs were carried out in 2009, in  Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda. 
(ii) Intellectual property rights 
129. Article 103 of the EAC Treaty and Article 43 of the EAC Common Market Protocol set out 
the framework for regional cooperation in and harmon ization of IPRs policies.  Significant progress 
has been made since the last TPR of the EAC.  A draft EAC Regional IP Pr otocol and Policy on the 
utilization of Public Health-Related WTO-TRIPS flexibilities was adopted by the Sectoral Council 
of Ministers of Health in March 2011, and is expected  to be finalized in 2013.  This initiative aims at 
maximizing the benefits of TRIPS flexibilities, th rough harmonization of EAC countries' policies on 
IPRs, to facilitate the manufacture and imports of essential medicines.  A Technical Committee on TRIPS and Access to Medicines (TECTAM) is al ready in place to oversee the implementation of 
this initiative. 
130. The main challenge to development of the po licy and protocol has been the low level of 
awareness, by key stakeholders within the EAC, of th e role of intellectual property in development, 
and in particular the importance of the WTO TRIPS flexibilities in facilitating local manufacturing capacity within the region. 
131. Efforts are being made at the regional level to fight counterfeit and pirated products.  The 
EAC Anti-Counterfeiting Bill is being finalized. WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
Page 30  
 
 
 IV. TRADE POLICIES BY SECTOR 
(1) AGRICULTURE  
132. With about 80% of EAC population living in ru ral areas and depending on agriculture for 
their livelihood, agriculture is vital for the regi on.  However, its contribution to the EAC economies 
continues to decline, while services and manufacturing are becoming increasingly important (Annexes 1-5).  
133. Crop production systems vary significantly within the EAC.  Agriculture is dominated by 
smallholders, mixed farming of livestock, food cr ops, cash crops, fishing, and aquaculture.  The 
major food crops are maize, rice, potatoes, bana nas, cassava, beans, vegetables, wheat, sorghum, 
millet, and pulses, some of which are also sold and could be regarded as cash crops.  However, some 
highly mechanized undertakings produce mainly cash crops for export;  these include tea, cotton, coffee, pyrethrum, sugar, sisal, horticultural cr ops, oil-crops, cloves, tobacco, coconut and cashew 
nuts. Forestry products include fruits, honey, herbal medicine, timber and wood for fuel.  
134. The livestock subsector consists of cattle, sheep, goats, and camels, mainly for meat and milk 
production, as well as pigs and poultry for white me at and eggs, and hides and skins for export and 
industrial processing.  Fish and fisheries products include assorted fresh wa ter fish harvested from 
rivers, dams, lakes, and ponds, and marine fish from the Indian Ocean. 
135. The main constraints for agriculture within th e EAC include lack of access to appropriate 
technologies, high costs of inputs, frequent droug ht, pests and diseases, and markets instabilities.
26  
In addition, it suffers from high cost of credit, in adequate extension services, inadequate funding for 
research, low levels of transfer of technology, low productivity and inadequate marketing systems, 
and lack of rural infrastructure including roads.  The Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC made 
agriculture and food security a key area for c ooperation.  The main regional initiatives are the 
Agriculture and Rural Development Policy, Agricu lture and Rural Development Strategy, and the 
EAC Food Security Action Plan (2010-15). 
136. The EAC Agriculture and Rural Development Polic y was developed as an initial step towards 
operationalizing the agriculture-rela ted provision of the Treaty.  The Strategy outlines the various 
actions identified for accelerating development of  the sector, which include:  improving food 
security;  accelerating irrigation development; stre ngthening early warning systems against climatic 
hazards;  strengthening agricultural research and training;  and improving trade infrastructure and 
utilities.  In animal production, the policy aims at, inter alia , developing a common regulatory 
framework to monitor livestock production, trade in livestock products and inputs, and animal 
diseases and pests control;  a nd promoting value addition. 
137. The EAC Food Security Action Plan identifies th e main constraints to food security in EAC 
countries, and provides for implementation and coordination arrangements; monitoring and 
evaluation;  and resource mobilization for its impl ementation.  The plan highlights the need for:  
adopting harmonized SPS measures to tackle the fre quent bans on food imports in intra-EAC trade, 
as these measures separate surplus food producti on from the deficit markets;  improving 
infrastructures in rural areas;  and developing in surance instruments for ag riculture.  The plan is 
scheduled for implementation during 2011 to 2015,  guided by the Sectoral Council of Ministers 
Responsible for Agriculture and Food Security. 
                                                           
26 EAC Agriculture and Rural Development Policy, November 2006. East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page 31 
 
 
 138. National ministries responsible for agriculture , and food security, and respective sectoral 
ministries will be charged with implementing the Pl an.  An Inter-Ministerial Coordination Team, 
comprising the relevant ministries will be establishe d, where they don’t exist, to ensure close 
supervision.  It may include stakeholders, active NGOs, and private sector representatives. 
139. According to the EAC Secretariat, the Plan will be financed by a number of sources, 
including EAC development partners, climate change  adaptation funds, private-sector investors, and 
financial institutions such as commercial banks, de velopment finance institutions (DFIs) and micro-
finance facilities.  A financial resource mobiliza tion plan will be prepared by EAC Secretariat in 
collaboration with member states to attract funds.  
140. According to the Action Plan, all food-security  actions in the EAC should take into account 
in-built gender and HIV/AIDS considerations. 
141. On 3 April 2006, EAC countries signed a Regi onal Protocol on Environment and Natural 
Resources Management, which aims to coordinate me mber states' actions to prevent environmental 
degradation.  The institutional setting to implemen t the protocol comprises the Sectoral Council on 
Environment and Natural Resources, supported by it s Sectoral Committee, and six experts working 
groups on:  terrestrial ecosystems ;  aquatic ecosystems;  policy, legal and institutional framework; 
pollution issues;  bio-safety; and climate change. 
142. In practice, formulation of agricultural policies in the EAC remains largely the jurisdiction of 
domestic authorities.  Agricultural products attr act higher tariff protection than non-agricultural 
goods (Table AIV.1). 
(2) SERVICES  
143. The EAC Common Market Protocol (CMP) provides for free movement of services in the 
region.  Under Article 23 (1), "liberalization shall be progressive and in accordance with the 
negotiated Schedules of Specific Commitments as provided in Annex V of the Protocol."  The 
Annex on Mutual Recognition of A cademic and Professional Qualifications was adopted. Bilateral 
MoUs have been concluded by lawyers, medi cal boards, architects, and accountants in EAC 
countries. 
144. The Schedule of Specific Commitments follows  the positive list approach under the GATS 
and covers market access and national treatment acco rding to each of the four modes of supply.  
145. The first round of service liberalization focused on  seven core service se ctors (Table IV.1).  
According to the EAC Secretariat, negotiations on the remaining sectors and subsectors are ongoing. 
Table IV.1 
Summary of services commitments under the EAC Common Market framework 
Services sector BU KE RW UG TZ 
Communication 6 17 21 21 17 
Business 31 15 32 33 7 
Distribution 3 3 4 4 2 
Education 4 4 5 5 4 
Financial 9 12 15 11 16 
Tourism and travel-related 4 3 4 4 4 
Transport 17 9 20 20 9 
Total commitments (out of 160) 74 63 101 98 59 
Source:  Information provided by the EAC Secretariat. WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
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 V. AID FOR TRADE 
(1) OVERVIEW  
146. Four of the EAC countries are classified as LDCs (Burundi, Rwanda, Ta nzania, and Uganda), 
while Kenya is a developing country.  As the EAC engages in deeper, more ambitious integration, 
aid for trade continues to play an important s upporting role through addressing the fundamental and 
structural bottlenecks hindering the region from maximizing the potential for trade to contribute to economic development.  To this end, all the EAC countries are making efforts towards 
mainstreaming trade in their various National Deve lopment Plans (Annexes 1-5, Chapter II).  They 
have taken measures at varying leve ls to manage aid for trade.  For the EAC LDCs, the EIF provides 
the institutional framework. 
147. In Burundi, aid coordination has tended to be very fragmented and scattered.  According to 
their nature, issues are addressed by the Ministries in  charge of finance, planning, trade, foreign 
relations, and the interior.  The wide range of aid coordination entities has often led to jurisdictional 
conflicts and a lack of efficiency.  In 2007, the government and the devel opment partners therefore 
agreed to set up the National Aid Coordination Co mmittee (CNCA) with a permanent secretariat.  
The CNCA and the partners, in their turn, establis hed what they called the "Partner Coordination 
Group" to coordinate the activities of the donors vi a the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) 
and the Strategic Framework for Peacebuilding (CSCP).  The Coordination Group set up 13 sectoral groups, of which four are responsible for trade-related issues:  the sectoral group for private sector development, the sectoral group for agricultural and rural development, the sectoral group for 
infrastructure development, and the sect oral group for regional integration. 
148. In Kenya, Coordination Group meetings, chaired by the Minister of Finance, have provided 
regular opportunities since 2004, for the government a nd development partners to discuss matters of 
mutual concern.  The Development Partners C oordination Group (DPCG), chaired by the World 
Bank, meets each month.  The Harmonization, A lignment, and Coordination Group (HACG), which 
includes the ministries of Finance, and of Planning and National Development, actively promotes 
dialogue with donors at national level. Other coor dination mechanisms include:  the Government 
Coordination Group (GCG) and Sector Working Gro ups (SWGs).  About 17 donors, providing some 
90% of total official development assistance (ODA) to  Kenya, have joined together to formulate the 
Kenya Joint Assistance Strategy.  Sixteen sector  donor groups coordinate dialogue and programme 
support at the sectorial level. Three-quarters of th ese are currently involved in developing sector-
wide approaches with government counterparts.  The aim is to further reduce duplication and waste.  
Donors actively involved in private-sector development formed the Private Sector Donor Group (PSDG), which meets regularly to discuss a nd review new and existing programmes under the 
Kenya Private Sector Development Strategy ( PSDS), aimed at:  improving Kenya's business 
environment; accelerating institutional transformatio n; facilitating growth through greater expansion 
of trade; improving the productivity of enterprises;  and supporting entrepreneurship and indigenous 
enterprise development. 
149. Rwanda and its development partners have put in place  the Development Partners 
Coordination Group, composed of Government of Rwanda representatives (Secretaries General and 
Directors of Planning), Heads of bilateral and multilateral donor agencies, as well as representatives 
of civil society and the private sector.  Meetings of the Group are co-chaired by the Secretary 
General and Secretary to the Treasury of the Mini stry of Finance and Economic Planning, and the 
UN Resident Coordinator, on behalf of developmen t partners.  The Development Partners Working 
Group, the highest level coordination structure in  Rwanda, meets every two months, and holds an East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page 33 
 
 
 annual two-day retreat.  The Budge t Support Harmonization Group, whic h consists of all partners 
that are providing budget or balance-of-payments support, is a technical working group operating 
under the Partnership Framework fo r Harmonization and Alignment of Budget Support.  It discusses 
broad issues (of which trade) relevant to the efficiency and effectiveness of budget support 
programmes.  It meets quarterly.  The Private Sector Cluster is a technical working forum through 
which the Trade Ministry and stakeholders meet to  discuss the implementation of the strategic plan 
and development programmes for the private sector.  It meets once a month and focuses on trade matters. 
150. In Tanzania, the National Implementation Unit of the EIF provides a framework for managing 
aid for trade.  The Tanzanian Trade Integration Stra tegy (TTIS) is in the process of implementation.  
Tanzanian authorities have also prepared a road map for TTIS implementation in Zanzibar (based on 
the Zanzibar Export Development Strategy ( ZEDS) 2009-2015, replacing the intended separate 
DTIS for Zanzibar that would have been prepared under the ongoing Window II project).  Coordination of support for trade-capacity develo pment among development partners and between 
the latter and the Government has improved ove r time and a Memorandum of Understanding was 
signed with the Government on Implementation of the TTIS 2009-13.
27  In May 2012, Tanzania 
submitted to the Executive Secretariat of the EIF a revised Tier 1 project proposal on "Capacity 
Development for Mainstreaming Trade".   The tota l project cost is around US$5 million for a period 
of three years. Tanzania is seeking US$1.5 m illion from the EIF Trust Fund, and the remaining 
balance will be funded by UNDP and the UN. 
151. In Uganda, the Ministry of Finance provides th e overall framework for coordination of aid. 
Dialogue between the Government and national stak eholders is through the Inter-Institutional Trade 
Committee (IITC), the Competitiveness Investment Climate Steering Committee, the Presidential 
Investor's Round Table, and the Trade Sector Revi ew Mechanism.  Donor interventions are aligned 
with the DTIS Action Matrix and the National Tr ade Sector Development Plan (NTSDP ). The IITC 
is responsible for mainstreaming trade and trade-re lated matters.  Uganda has significantly improved 
its process of trade-policy formulation and impl ementation, though some institutional challenges 
remain in relation to programme coordination a nd strengthening of private-sector involvement, and 
effectiveness of district commercial offices for which the Enhanced Integrated Framework is 
providing assistance.  With funding from Tier 1 of the EIF Trust Fund, Uganda put in place a National Implementation Unit (NIU) in early 2010 that oversees the implementation of the EIF 
programme.  The NIU is chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and 
Cooperatives.  The NIU, under the leadership of the EIF National Focal Point, works on advancing 
Uganda`s trade mainstreaming. Overall, the EIF provides an opportunity to enhance trade policy 
formulation and to ensure that trade is mainstreamed  at an operational level.  Uganda is elaborating 
a new Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, which w ill provide an opportunity to further mainstream 
trade into the national development strategy. 
(2) R
ECENT AID-FOR-TRADE SUPPORT  
152. During the period under review, EAC c ountries benefited from over 100 WTO TRTA 
activities (Table V.1).  These included Geneva-bas ed Trade Policy Courses;  Regional Trade Policy 
Courses;  Geneva-based Introduction Courses;  Th ematic Courses (such as on SPS, Intellectual 
property);  Short Trade Policy Courses;  Geneva-b ased Specialized Courses on various issues (such 
as NAMA, TBT, RTAs, agriculture, services, TRIPS, development);  the WTO Mission internship;  
and the WTO Regional Coordinator internship;  as well as the Netherlands Trainee Program.  Other 
                                                           
27 See Tanzania Trade Integration Strategy, 2009. WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
Page 34  
 
 
 activities were undertaken under the now defunct Jo int Integrated Technical Assistance Programme 
(JITAP).  All EAC countries have benefited fro m trade facilitation needs-assessments and they 
participate regularly in the trade facilitation mee tings at the WTO under the capital-based officials 
programme. 
Table V.1 
TRTA activities, 2006 to June 2012 
EAC Participation inTRTA activities28 
Burundi 110 
Kenya 175 
Rwanda 131 
Tanzania 125 
Uganda 174 
 
Source:  WTO Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation Database. 
153. In 2005, aid for trade represented 7%, 37%, 29% 40% and 24% of to tal sector allocable ODA 
respectively for Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzan ia and Uganda, against 44%, 51%, 20%, 46%, and 
40% in 2010.  Aid for trade has been provide d increasingly to support the integration process 
through regional programmes.  The main dono rs providing support to regional integration 
programmes in the EAC include the World Bank, DFID, and the European Union.29 
Table V.2 
Donor operations in East Africa, October 2010 
World Bank Various projects under the World Bank Regional Integr ation Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa which include:  East 
Africa Trade and Transport Facilitation Project (US$300 mill ion);  Regional Communications Infrastructure Project 
(US$300 million);  Geo-Thermal Energy Project, financed  with Global Environmental Facility (US$70 million);  
EAC Regional Financial Integration Pr oject (US$40 million);  Lake Victoria  Environmental Management Project 
(US$120 million);  East Africa Agricultural Productivity Pr ogramme (US$120 million);  and East Africa Public 
Health Laboratory Networking Project (US$60 million).  The World Bank also a key partner in the Nile Basin 
Initiative (more than US$1 billion). 
 
DFID Two main projects:  The Regional East Africa Progr amme (focusing on Capacity Development Action Plan and 
Support for the CES Tripartite Process)  and the East Africa Transit Improve ment Programme (focusing on trade 
facilitation).  DFID is also involved in the Nile Basin Initiative.   
European Union (EU) Support is mainly on Regional Economic Inte gration (80% of budget).  There is also the EU Horn of Africa Initiative 
that covers projects in the transport, energy and wate r sectors along the major corridor s in the Horn of Africa. 
 
UNDP Focus of UNDP is the promotion of  pro-poor growth and accountability to achieve the MDGs. UNDP is conducting a 
study of the benefits of regional integration on human development.  
 
Table V.2 (cont'd) 
                                                           
28 Numbers do not include the va rious eTraining online courses. 
29 For full details of donor operations in Africa see African Development Bank (2010), Eastern Africa 
Regional Integration Strategy Paper 2011–2015, Regional Departments – East (Orea/Oreb) October.  Viewed at:  
http://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents /Project-and-Operations/RISP-East%20Africa%20-%20 
Shortened%20Draft%20-%20Pre%20OpsCom%20Version%20-%20Revision%2028%2010%202010% 20RR%20Clean.pdf;  and African Development Bank (2011),  Regional Integration Strategy Paper 2011 – 2015, 
Regional Departments – East I & East II (Orea/Oreb), September.  Viewed at: http://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/ 
uploads/afdb/Documents/Policy-Documents/ East%20Africa%20-%20Rev%20RISP%20.pdf. East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page 35 
 
 
   
AfDB AfDB’s support focuses on transpor t corridors, Energy, ICT, cooperation on sh ared water resources, trade facilitation, 
and climate change adaptation.  Projects include:  the Ea st African Trade and Facilitation Project, Arusha naminga, 
Athi River Road Development Project, Arusha-Holili and Malindi-Lunga Multinationa l Roads Project, Regional 
Power System Master Plan and Grid Code a nd Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation Project. 
 
USAID USAID two main programmes are:  management of rive r basins and protection of bi odiversity and diagnostic study 
on Djibouti-Ethiopia, Central and Lamu corridors.  
TMEA Support from Trade Mark East Africa is mainly on Tr ade Facilitation including: one stop border posts, Border Post 
Infrastructure, procedures audit, and EAC Customs Training Programme, Corridor Diagnostic Studies, Corridors 
Observatories, and EAC Ca pacity Building Project. 
 
Norway Norway’s main projects are:  th e EAC Climate Change Initiative, and the Re gional Strategy on Scaling Up Access to 
Modern Energy Services.  
Holland Support to Trade Mark East Africa programmes. 
 
Denmark Support is mainly to the Partnership Fund in Arusha (about US$30 million) a nd Trade Mark east Africa. 
 
German Support is channelled through the GTZ and KfW.  Projects focus on peace and security, as well as water and 
sanitation. 
 
Source:  African Development Bank (2010), Eastern Africa Regi onal Integration Strategy  Paper 2011-2015, Regional 
 Departments – East (Orea/ Oreb) October.  Viewed at :  http://www.afdb.org/filead min/uploads/afdb/Documents/ 
 Project-and-Operations/RISP-East%20Africa%20 -%20Shortened%20Draft%20-%20Pre%20OpsCom%20 
 Version%20-%20Revision %2028%2010%202010%20RR%20Clean .pdf; and African Development Bank (2011),  
 Regional Integration Strategy Pa per 2011 – 2015, Regional De partments – East I & East II (Orea/Oreb), 
 September.  Viewed at:  http ://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/ Documents/Policy-Documents/East%20 
 Africa%20-%20Rev%20RISP%20.pdf. 
154. EAC countries are also beneficiaries of the North-South Corridor Initiative, a regional 
capacity-building project approved by the COMESA-E AC-SADC.  It aims at reducing the time and 
costs of road and rail travel along two priority corridors:  the Dar es Salaam Corridor linking the port 
of Dar es Salaam to the copper belt;  and the No rth-South Corridor, which links the copper belt to 
the southern ports of South Africa.  The Corridor, with its spurs, services eight countries – Tanzania, 
DR Congo, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, Zimbab we, Mozambique, and South Africa.  The 
programme brings together all the ongoing initia tives taking place along the North-South Corridor 
(Africa's busiest in terms of frei ght volumes) under one umbrella, to en sure that reforms to Customs, 
border management, infrastructure, and transport regulation are mutually reinforcing and properly 
sequenced.  The aim is to ensure that improveme nts in one area are not nullified by bottlenecks in 
another.  It was showcased at the second global aid fo r trade review in July 2009.  There is also the 
Northern Corridor, a regional capacity-building pr oject anchored by the port of Mombasa.  
Activities around the initiative aim at facilitating trade, lowering costs for business, advancing 
regional integration, and improving the economic liv elihood of all East Africans.  Donors involved 
in this initiative include USAID, DFID, and JICA.30 
155. EAC countries benefit from a series of country-specific programmes. 
156. In Burundi, the resources that were mobilized by  donors were allocated first and foremost to 
the reconstruction and stabilization of the country after many long years of conflict.  The Aid-for-Trade resources are difficult to identify in the overall context of Official Development 
Assistance.  The last CNCA report on the distribu tion of aid dates back to 2011 and contains data 
for 2009 and 2010.  It points to two main sources of aid:  multilateral a nd bilateral.  A certain 
amount of aid was also provided by NGOs, charity organizations and private entities, but it remained negligible.  Aid for Trade ranks third among the different headings of the Growth and 
                                                           
30 Viewed at:  http://www.eastafricancorridors.org/cds.  WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
Page 36  
 
 
 Poverty Reduction Strategy Fram ework (GPRSF), and represented 22 per cent of total aid granted to 
Burundi in 2009, and 31 per  cent in 2010 (Table V.3).  This aid is chiefly directed towards 
production support infrastructure, road building, ag riculture and the environment, and the growth 
sectors. 
Table V.3 
Aid for Trade:  Commitments in favour of Burundi, 2005-2010 
(Millions of US dollars, constant prices) 
Sector(s) Average 
2002-20052006 2007 2008 2009 2010
II.1 Transport and storage 27.24 35.04 34.17 3.71 46.33 43.82
II.2 Communications 1.26 1.49 19.54 0.01 0.04 0.04
II.3 Energy .. 0.07 11.45 32.79 0.29 23.39
II.4 Banking and other fina ncial services 1.79 8.47 3.04 6.70 31.70 3.38
II.5 Trade and other services .. 15.23 2.22 10.32 0.11 13.59
III.1.a Agriculture 17.58 43.02 16.96 29.01 37.84 110.53
III.1.b Forestry 0.00 0.00 00.01 .. 0.69 0.00
III.1.c Fisheries 0.00 0.03 0.14 0.13 0.13 0.00
III.2.a Industry 3.85 2.75 1.98 6.24 0.52 0.81
III.2.b Mineral resources .. .. 2,009.50 6,501.30 2,434.70 4,185.40
III.3.a Trade policy and regulations .. 0.06 1.84 0.42 0.83 4.65
III.3.b Tourism .. .. 0.03 .. 0.10 0.46
Total Aid for Trade 51.77 106.20 97.03 92.28 133.10 200.74
 
.. Not available. 
 Source : OECD-DAC, Aid activity database, Creditor Reporting System Database;  and BRP (2012), Annual Report. 
157. Kenya's committed trade-related aid flows in creased significantly between 2005 and 2010, 
from about US$358.1238 to 1.636.447 billion.  A notable drop in 2008 was likely due to post-
election violence.  The overall increasing trend in commitments reflects increased attention to trade 
by Kenya's development partners.  The rise in the share of aid for trade in total aid also likely 
reflects the strong trade focus of the Vision 2030.  However, according to information from the 
Kenyan Authorities, ODA funds need to be disaggregat ed in order to facilitate identification of the 
resource envelop intended for aid for trade.  More over, they recommend that disbursement of funds 
be effected.  Kenya's main direct trade support programmes include EU support for the Kenya 
Investment Climate Programme (KICP) (2010-2 014);  DANIDA – Business Sector Development 
Programme (BSPS) (2011-2015);  In ternational Finance Corporati on support to KICP (2008-2012);  
JAICA – OVOP (2009-2011);  JAICA support for the Project for Capacity Building for Customs 
Administrations of Eastern African Region (2007-2011);  Catalyst Fund (DANIDA, UNDP, EU and DFID) – support for implementation of PSD Strategy  (2007-2012);  DFID – PRIME (2009-2014);  
Trade Mark East Africa – multi-donor programme supporting Kenya's regional integration process 
(2010-2015);  and EU-ASMEP.  Under the Standa rds and Trade Development Facility (STDF), 
Kenya has benefited from, inter alia , project grants for the developm ent of regional action plans to 
enhance veterinary capacity in East Africa (2006-08)
31, and for the establishment of a centre of 
phytosanitary excellence (COPE) (2008-10).32 
                                                           
31 See STDF/PG/013.  Viewed at:  http://w ww.standardsfacility.org/en/PGProStat.htm. 
32 See STDF/PG/171.  Viewed at:  http://w ww.standardsfacility.org/en/PGProStat.htm. East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page 37 
 
 
 Table V.4 
Aid-for-trade commitments to Kenya, 2005-10  
(US$ million, 2010 constant) 
Sector(s)  2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
II.1 Transport & storage 20.72 197.22 506.16 3.04 416.90 72.97 
II.2 Communications 1.12 1.54 65.94 1.36 3.41 3.56 
II.3 Energy 135.64 37.71 81.47 0.44 269.69 1,077.13 
II.4 Banking & financial services 25. 70 5.83 1.37 10.34 26.20 33.39 
II.5 Business & other services 1.82 30.21 11.56 2.38 32.92 63.11 
III.1.a Agriculture 94.43 172.10 115.65 56.70 160.76 344.28 
III.1.b Forestry 17.79 1.40 20.52 0.73 13.24 13.39 
III.1.c Fishing 0.07 0.14 0.25 0.08 0.022 13.59 
III.2.a Industry 9.06 9.53 18.98 17.04 48.63 12.57 
III.2.b Mineral resources & mining 0.02 .. .. 0.12 .. 0.06 
III.3.a Trade policies & regulations 51.65 1.76 0.94 0.31 0.91 0.64 
III.3.b Tourism 0.05 0.06 0.037 0.03 2.74 1.69 
Total aid for trade 358.12 457.55 822.92 92.63 975.46 1,636.44 
.. Not available. 
Source:  OECD-DAC, Aid activity data base, Creditor Reporting System Database. 
158. Rwanda received a total of US$1.12 billion in  aid-for-trade commitments between 2005 and 
2010;  annual commitments averaged US$187 million.  There was a significant increase in 2009, to US$417.34 million, followed by a fall in 2010, back  to US$212.57 million.  Aid-for-trade support 
has been concentrated in econom ic infrastructure and building productive capacity.  Transport and 
storage accounted for 35% of total aid for trade, agriculture 32%, and the remainder went to energy, 
banking, and business.  In 2009, un der the Enhanced Integrated Fr amework, Rwanda benefited from 
a three-year Phase I programme (Tier I), wort h US$934,400 with the objectives of building 
sufficient institutional and management capacity to formulate and implement trade-related 
strategies;  and mainstreaming trade into national development strategies, policies, and plans.  The 
Diagnostic Trade Integration St udy (DTIS) was updated in 2011.
33 
159. For Tanzania, the OECD CRS Database reports  that commitments more than doubled 
between 2005 and 2010, from about US$546.55 million to about 1,426.70 billion.  The increase 
especially from 2007 reflects continued trade focus in donor activity.  Flows in transport and 
storage, as well as business and others services grew th e most.  The increase of aid for trade in total 
aid also likely reflects the strong trade focus of the MKUKUTA (2005-2010), Tanzania's National 
Development Strategy, as well as the TTIS.  Tanz ania's main direct trade support programmes, 
mentioned in its TTIS, include:  the DANIDA-BSPS III (2008-2011), SIDA's TRAPCA (2006-2010), EU trade support to CSOs (2008-2011);  IF AD-MOVI, Rural Financial Services Programme 
and marketing through the Agricultural Marke ting Systems Development Programme;  USAID-
SHOP;  DFiD/World Bank/Trade Private Sector Competitiveness Programme (US$95 Million- 
2001-2012);  and the World Bank Multi-Donor Trust Fund on Trade and Development.  Other key 
trade support programmes within the review peri od include:  BEST Progra mme 2005-2010;  EU and 
USA-MCA;  Tax Administration Reform Multi- Donor Fund (DFID, DANIDA, EU and World 
Bank);  Financial Sector Reform Programme 2006- 2011 (DFID and World Bank);  Financial Sector 
Deepening Trust 2005-2010 (DFID, CIDA, DANIDA,  RNE, SIDA and WB/IFC);  and planned 
Infrastructure Policy Support Programme.  STDF provided a project preparation grant (PPG) to the 
                                                           
33 Rwanda, through the Ministry of Trade and Industry, has developed Tier II projects which await 
review and approval. WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
Page 38  
 
 
 Horticulture Development Counc il of Tanzania Support Project.34  It also provided support to 
harmonize the legal, regulatory and institutional fra mework for a sanitary a nd phytosanitary (SPS) 
control management system in 2008.35 
Table V.5. 
Aid-for-trade commitments to Tanzania, 2005-10  
(US$ million, 2010 constant) 
Sector(s)  2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
II.1 Transport & storage 195.17 93.18 233.79 615.85 215.48 689.91 
II.2 Communications 2.17 16.37 5.08 5.23 79.34 8.05 
II.3 Energy 5.48 16.60 123.21 444.33 101.28 386.84 
II.4 Banking & financial services 45. 84 17.75 9.93 44.42 20.30 150.80 
II.5 Business & other services 4.03 0.29 21.70 116.02 42.04 26.57 
III.1.a Agriculture 197.44 159.88 97.83 99.75 246.29 144.52 
III.1.b Forestry 0.22 13.63 6.65 .. 7.07 6.65 
III.1.c Fishing 0.19 0.20 0.39 0.43 0.26 0.06 
III.2.a Industry 83.28 56.43 10.50 9.82 23.34 6.96 
III.2.b Mineral resources & mining 0.15 0.04 0.04 5.20 51.66 0.09 
III.3.a Trade policies & regulations 9.41 2.61 2.65 1.46 1.01 6.18 
III.3.b Tourism 3.10 0.01 0.03 0.03 0.37 0.00 
Total aid for trade 546.55 377.06 511.86 1,342.58 788.50 1,426.69 
 
.. Not available.  
Source:  OECD-DAC, Aid activity data base, Creditor Reporting System Database. 
Table V.6 
Aid-for-trade commitments to Rwanda, 2005-10 
(US$ million at 2009 current prices) 
Sector(s) 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
II.1 Transport & storage 40.78 62.06 21.36 0.35 83.42 75.75 
II.2 Communications 0.28 1.16 4.34 27.17 1.91 2.08 
II.3 Energy 33.80 13.04 33.39 31.55 157.26 15.31 
II.4 Banking & financial services 1.46 0.64 4.10 7.16 12.92 14.18 
II.5 Business & other services 2.47 0.21 1.64 11.04 10.97 12.64 
III.1.a Agriculture 31.32 27.95 20.15 83.82 123.25 69.16 
III.1.b Forestry 0.07 0.03 0.02 0.68 1.69 9.34 
III.1.c Fishing 0.03 0.00 0.02 .. 0.01 0.08 
III.2.a Industry 0.18 4.05 16.41 7.97 16.91 2.87 
III.2.b Mineral resources & mining .. .. .. 0.36 0.01 0.02 
III.3.a Trade policies & regulations 0.00 0.07 0.38 0.43 8.93 6.26 
III.3.b Tourism 0.01 .. .. .. .. 4.81 
Total aid for trade 110.45 109.25 101.84 170.57 417.34 212.57 
 
.. Not available.  
Source:  OECD-DAC, Aid activity data base, Creditor Reporting System Database. 
160. Uganda's aid for trade grew to an estimated  US$749 million in 2010, equivalent to 40% of 
ODA.  The largest share of disbursements was direct ed towards transport and storage, with most of 
the remainder targeting energy and agriculture.  The growth of flows into economic infrastructure 
                                                           
34 Viewed in document STDF/PPG/126.  Viewed  at:  http://www.standardfacility.org/en/PGPpg 
Stat.htm. 
35 Viewed in document STDF/PPG/268 .  Viewed at:  http://www.sta ndardfacility.org/en/PGPpg 
Stat.htm.  East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page 39 
 
 
 (transport, communications, and energy), reflects th e shifting nature of aid priorities as well as 
recognition of Uganda's deep infrastructural cons traints.  Uganda's main direct trade support 
programmes during the review period include: the EU funded Uganda Programme for Trade 
Opportunities and Policy (UPTOP);  Trade Cap acity Enhancement Project (TRACE) under EIF 
funding; Economic Partnership Agreement Trade a nd Private Sector Support Project (EPA TAPSS); 
Quality Standards and Infrastructure Programme (QUISP) funded by the Swedish Development 
Agency; Competitiveness and Investment Climate St rategy (CICS) funded by various donors;  and 
the World Bank Private Sector Competitiveness Project (PSCP II). 
Table V.7  
Aid-for-trade commitments to Uganda, 2005-10 
(US$ million at 2009 current prices) 
Sector(s) 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
II.1 Transport & storage 160.96 86.26 90.79 108.48 473.92 304.46 
II.2 Communications 0.62 0.32 10.27 0.98 7.70 1.52 
II.3 Energy 15.01 6.62 498.45 32.89 176.58 118.84 
II.4 Banking & financial services 1. 80 6.58 26.56 19.20 17.14 46.36 
II.5 Business & other services 4.89 3.00 20.22 5.57 5.27 8.57 
III.1.a Agriculture 25.97 50.45 121.50 76.37 234.23 226.34 
III.1.b Forestry 0.08 0.04 11.29 14.43 19.51 0.70 
III.1.c Fishing 0.19 0.05 0.25 0.17 0.01 .. 
III.2.a Industry 7.32 18.57 4.39 26.79 3.75 30.57 
III.2.b Mineral resources & mining 7.89 .. 0.03 4.58 15.68 1.87 
III.3.a Trade policies & regulations 4.70 0.70 2.01 9.05 17.51 10.46 
III.3.b Tourism 0.05 0.01 0.04 0.07 .. 0.04 
Total aid for trade 229.55 172.65 785.86 298.64 971.37 749.79 
 
.. Not available. 
 
Source:  OECD-DAC, Aid activity data base, Creditor Reporting System Database. 
(3) AID FOR TRADE NEEDS  
161. Aid for Trade in the East African Community needs to address various constraints to the 
development of EAC internal and external trade.  These constraints include trade policy development, trade capacity development, s upportive infrastructure, trade facilitation, and 
adjustment assistance.  Aid for trade can play  a key role in overcoming these challenges by 
contributing to improved competitiveness and incr eased productive capacity;  and to trade-driven 
economic growth and wealth creation, especially for the poorest. 
162. Specific challenges to the development of EAC countries' trade include limited capacity for 
diversification and low value-add ition in production;  increased use of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) in 
export markets; lack of competitiveness, due to in efficient trade facilitation infrastructure; limited 
availability of affordable trade finance;  limite d negotiation capacity, and uncoordinated negotiation 
processes;  erosion of preferences;  unconduciv e licensing and regulatory framework, and limited 
ability for exporters to meet international standards, including SPS requirements;  high 
transportation costs;  inadequate logistics a nd ICT capacities and skills;  inadequate business 
management skills; weak supply chains; and poor ly serviced business premises (Annexes 1 and 3, 
Chapter III).
36 
                                                           
36 See Kenya National Trade Policy. WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
Page 40  
 
 
 163. The EAC countries also face various difficulties in implementing some of the WTO 
Agreements, in particular the Customs Valuation Agreement, as well as their obligation to make 
timely notifications.  Also, for Burundi and Rwa nda, tariff rates under the EAC CET exceed their 
WTO bound levels for several lines.37 
164. Donor commitments on aid for trade to all the EAC countries are increasing, due to the 
important steps taken by the countries to mainstream  trade in their developm ent strategies.  Regional 
dimensions also need to be considered:  trans border infrastructure, customs, communications, and 
regulatory reforms will play a key role in consolidat ing regional markets, including for the benefit of 
those that are landlocked.  This will be key to  realizing economies of scale and spurring regional 
competitiveness and growth.  Success therefore depe nds on advancing on both tracks, regional and 
national. 
                                                           
37 The EAC CET was agreed by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda in June 2003, prior to Burundi and 
Rwanda joining the EAC. East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page 41 
 
 
 REFERENCES 
EAC Secretariat (2008), Study on the establishment of the EAC Common Market .  Viewed at: 
http://www.eac.int/index.php/advisory-opinions/doc_d etails/160-study-on-the-establishment-of-an-
east-african-common-market.html. 
 
EAC Secretariat (2009), Tax systems and tax harmonization in the EAC , Arusha. 
 EAC Secretariat (2010) EAC Customs Valuation Manual , November.  Viewed at: 
http://tradehelpdesk. eac.int/documen ts/Customs_Valuation_Manual.pdf. 
 
Kirk, R. (2010), Addressing Trade Restrictive Non-Tariff Measures on Goods Trade in the East 
African Community .  Viewed at:  http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTAFRREGTOPTRADE/ 
Resources/NTB_East_Africa_Policy_Note_FINAL.pdf.  Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Marketing (2009), Tanzania Trade Integration Strategy , Dar es 
Salaam. 
 Ministry of Trade (2009), Kenya National Trade Policy .  Viewed at:  http://www.eac.int/trade/index. 
php?option=com_docman&task=doc _details&gid=12&Itemid=124. 
  
 APPENDIX TABLES  
 East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page 45 
 
 
 Table AIII.1 
Applied tariff averages by HS2-digit level, 2011 
HS Description No. of 
lines Average 
tariff (%) Range  
(%) Standard 
Deviation Duty-free 
lines (%) 
 Total/Average 5,273 12.7 0-100 12.0 37.4 
01 Live animals 26 18.3 0-25 11.1 26.9 
02 Meat and edible meat offal 58 25.0 25 0.0 0.0 
03 Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic 
invertebrates 106 25.0 25 0.0 0.0 
04 Dairy produce;  birds' eggs;  natural honey;  edible 
products of animal origin, not elsewhere specified or 
included 31 40.8 25-60 17.4 0.0 
05 Products of animal origin, not elsewhere specified or 
included 21 19.5 0-25 10.0 19.1 
06 Live trees and other plants;  bulbs, roots and the like;  cut 
flowers and ornamental foliage 16 14.1 0-25 12.4 43.8 
07 Edible vegetables and certain r oots and tubers 58 25.0 25 0.0 0.0 
08 Edible fruit and nuts;  peel of citrus fruit or melons 55 24.5 10-25 2.8 0.0 
09 Coffee, tea, maté and spices 31 25.0 25 0.0 0.0 
10 Cereals 21 28.3 0-75 26.7 33.3 
11 Products of the milling industry;   malt;  starches;  inulin;  
wheat gluten 28 22.3 10-60 11.5 0.0 
12 Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits;  misc grains, seeds and 
fruit;  industrial or medicina l plants;  straw and fodder 39 6.7 0-10 4.7 33.3 
13 Lac;  gums, resins and other vegeta ble saps and extracts 10 0.0 0 0.0 100.0 
14 Vegetable plaiting material s;  vegetable products not 
elsewhere specified or included 5 10.0 10 0.0 0.0 
15 Animal or vegetable fats and oils and their cleavage 
products;  prepared edible fats;  animal or vegetable 
waxes 50 13.7 0-25 10.3 26.0 
16 Preparations of meat, of fi sh or of crustaceans, molluscs 
or other aquatic invertebrates 26 25.0 25 0.0 0.0 
17 Sugars and sugar confectio nery 19 39.5 10-100 37.1 0.0 
18 Cocoa and cocoa preparations 11 13.2 0-25 11.3 36.4 
19 Preparations of cereals, flour, starch or milk;  pastry 
cooks' products 23 21.5 0-25 7.9 8.7 
20 Preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts or other parts of 
plants 51 25.0 25 0.0 0.0 
21 Miscellaneous edible preparations 19 21.1 10-25 6.6 0.0 
22 Beverages, spirits and vi negar 26 24.4 10-25 2.9 0.0 
23 Residues and waste from the food industries;  prepared 
animal fodder 24 9.6 0-10 2.0 4.2 
24 Tobacco and manufactured tobacco  substitutes 10 28. 0 25-35 4.6 0.0 
25 Salt;  sulphur;  earths and stone;  plastering materials, 
lime and cement 69 6.9 0-55 9.5 50.7 
26 Ores, slag and ash 37 0.0 0 0.0 100.0 
27 Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their 
distillation;  bituminous substances;  mineral waxes 65 6.0 0-25 7.7 53.9 
28 Inorganic chemicals;  orga nic or inorganic compounds of 
precious metals, of rare-ear th metals, of radioactive 
elements or of isotopes 166 0.7 0-25 3.3 94.6 
29 Organic chemicals 337 0.0 0 0.0 100.0 
30 Pharmaceutical products 32 0.8 0-25 4.4 96.9 
31 Fertilizers 23 0.0 0 0.0 100.0 
32 Tanning or dyeing extracts;  tannins and their derivatives;  
dyes, pigments and other colouring matter;  paints and 
varnishes;  putty and other mastics;  inks 47 6.7 0-25 10.5 68.1 
33 Essential oils and resinoids;  perfumery, cosmetic or toilet 
preparations 29 16.7 0-25 11.5 31.0 
Table AIII.1 (cont'd)WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
Page 46 
  
 HS Description No. of 
lines Average 
tariff (%) Range  
(%) Standard 
Deviation Duty-free 
lines (%) 
34 Soap, organic surface- active agents, washing 
preparations, lubricating prep arations, artificial waxes, 
prepared waxes, polishing or scouring preparations, candles and similar articles, modelling pastes, dental waxes and dental prepar ations with a basis 24 16.3 0-25 10.8 25.0 
35 Albuminoidal substances;  modified starches;  glues;  
enzymes 15 12.7 0-25 8.1 13.3 
36 Explosives;  pyrotechnic products;  matches;  pyrophoric 
alloys;  certain combustible preparations 8 22.5 10-50 12.5 0.0 
37 Photographic or cinematogra phic goods 33 9.4 0-10 2.4 6.1 
38 Miscellaneous chemical products 85 5.0 0-25 8.4 67.1 
39 Plastics and articles thereof 154 12.1 0-25 10.6 34.4 
40 Rubber and articles thereof 88 8.2 0-25 8.1 38.6 
41 Raw hides and skins (other than fu rskins) and leather 37 10.0 10 0.0 0.0 
42 Articles of animal gut (other than silk-worm gut) 20 25.0 25 0.0 0.0 
43 Furskins and artificial fur;  manufactures thereof 12 9.6 0-25 9.9 41.7 
44 Wood and articles of wood;  wood charcoal 75 16.2 0-25 10.7 24.0 
45 Cork and articles of cork 7 5.7 0-10 5.0 42.9 
46 Manufactures of straw, of esparto or of other plaiting 
materials;  basketware and wickerwork 11 25.0 25 0.0 0.0 
47 Pulp of wood or of other fibrous cellulosic material;  
recovered (waste and scra p) paper and paperboard 21 0.0 0 0.0 100.0 
48 Paper and paperboard;  article s of paper pulp, of paper or 
of paperboard 114 18.9 0-25 8.9 9.7 
49 Printed books, newspapers, pi ctures and other products of 
the printing industry;  manuscripts, typescripts and plans 22 7.1 0-25 10.3 63.6 
50 Silk 9 11.7 0-25 10.3 33.3 
51 Wool, fine or coarse anim al hair;  horsehair yarn and 
woven fabric 38 9.6 0-25 10.6 47.4 
52 Cotton 131 20.1 0-50 10.6 3.8 
53 Other vegetable textile fibres;  paper yarn and woven 
fabrics of paper yarn 23 10.7 0-25 10.4 39.1 
54 Man-made filaments 70 17.7 10-25 7.5 0.0 
55 Man-made staple fibres 109 17.1 0-50 11.1 19.3 
56 Wadding, felt and nonwovens;  special yarns;  twine, 
cordage, ropes and cables and articles thereof 33 17.4 0-25 8.0 3.0 
57 Carpets and other textile floor  coverings 21 25.0 25 0.0 0.0 
58 Special woven fabrics;  tufted textile fabrics;  lace;  
tapestries;  trimmings;  embroidery 40 25.0 25 0.0 0.0 
59 Impregnated, coated , covered or laminated textile fabrics;  
textile articles of a kind suitable for industrial use 24 13.5 0-25 9.6 20.8 
60 Knitted or crocheted fa brics 43 25.0 25 0.0 0.0 
61 Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or 
crocheted 106 25.0 25 0.0 0.0 
62 Articles of apparel and cl othing accessories, not knitted or 
crocheted 116 25.7 25-50 4.0 0.0 
63 Other made up textile articles;  sets;  worn clothing and 
worn textile articles;  rags 53 25.9 0-50 9.4 3.8 
64 Footwear, gaiters and the like;  parts of such articles 26 22.7 10-25 5.4 0.0 
       
65 Headgear and parts thereof 9 17.2 0-25 9.2 11.1 
66 Umbrellas, sun umbrellas,  walking-sticks, seat-sticks, 
whips, riding-crops and parts thereof 6 20.0 10-25 7.1 0.0 
67 Prepared feathers and down and articles made of feathers 
or of down;  artificial flower s;  articles of human hair 8 25.0 25 0.0 0.0 
68 Articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or 
similar materials 53 21.2 0-25 8.1 9.4 
Table AIII.1 (cont'd)  East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page 47 
 
 
 HS Description No. of 
lines Average 
tariff (%) Range  
(%) Standard 
Deviation Duty-free 
lines (%) 
69 Ceramic products 29 17.4 0-25 10.8 24.1 
70 Glass and glassware 67 13.7 0-25 8.2 10.5 
71 Natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious 
stones, precious metals, metals clad with precious metal, 
and articles thereof;  imitation jewellery;  coin 57 22.4 0-25 7.7 10.5 
72 Iron and steel 168 5.9 0-25 6.5 48.2 
73 Articles of iron or steel 130 14.5 0-25 10.1 21.5 
74 Copper and articles thereof 52 13.2 0-25 8.2 11.5 
75 Nickel and articles thereof 17 9.7 0-25 10.6 47.1 
76 Aluminium and articles thereof 39 15.6 0-25 10.2 20.5 
78 Lead and articles thereof 8 3.8 0-10 4.8 62.5 
79 Zinc and articles thereof 9 3.3 0-10 4.7 66.7 
80 Tin and articles thereof 5 4.0 0-10 4.9 60.0 
81 Other base metals;  cermets;  articles thereof 48 0.0 0 0.0 100.0 
82 Tools, implements, cutlery, spoons and forks, of base 
metal;  parts thereof of base metal 66 10.5 0-25 3.4 1.5 
83 Miscellaneous articles of ba se metal 37 17.3 10-40 8.3 0.0 
84 Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical 
appliances;  parts thereof 519 3.1 0-25 6.2 75.5 
85 Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof;  
sound recorders and reproducers, television image and 
sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles 271 11.6 0-35 10.3 32.1 
86 Railway or tramway locomotives, rolling-stock and parts 
thereof;  railway or tramway track fixtures and fittings 
and parts thereof;  mechanical (including electro-
mechanical) traffic signalling equipment of all kinds 23 0.0 0 0.0 100.0 
87 Vehicles other than railway  or tramway rolling-stock, and 
parts and accessories thereof 113 9.6 0-25 10.2 44.3 
88 Aircraft, spacecraft, and pa rts thereof 15 0.0 0 0.0 100.0 
89 Ships, boats and floating structures 18 5.6 0-25 10.4 77.8 
90 Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, 
checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and 
apparatus;  parts and accessories thereof 150 3.4 0-25 6.7 74.7 
91 Clocks and watches and part s thereof 51 25.0 25 0.0 0.0 
92 Musical instruments;  parts and accessories of such 
articles 17 10.0 10 0.0 0.0 
93 Arms and ammunition;  parts and accessories thereof 20 25.0 25 0.0 0.0 
94 Furniture;  bedding, mattresses, mattress supports, 
cushions and similar stuffed furnishings;  lamps and 
lighting fittings, not elsewher e specified or included;  
illuminated signs, illuminated name-plates 44 22.3 0-25 7.1 6.8 
95 Toys, games and sports requisites;  parts and accessories 
thereof 31 25.0 25 0.0 0.0 
96 Miscellaneous manufactured articles 49 21.7 0-25 6.6 2.0 
97 Works of art, collectors' pi eces and antiques 7 25.0 25 0.0 0.0 
 
Note: Calculations for averages are based on the tariff line level 8-digit. 
 
Source : WTO Secretariat estimates, based on data provided by the authorities. WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
Page 48 
  
 Table AIV.1 
Applied MFN tariffs, by ISIC Rev.2 category, 2011 
ISIC 
code Description Number 
of lines Simple 
average (%) Range (%) Standard 
deviation 
 Total 5,274 12.7 0-100 12.0 
1 Agriculture, hunting, forestry & fishing 294 17.7 0-75 12.4 
11 Agriculture and hunting 223 17.8 0-75 12.8 
12 Forestry and logging 21 1.9 0-10 3.9 
121 Forestry 13 3.1 0-10 4.6 
122 Logging 8 0.0 0.0 0.0 
13 Fishing 50 23.7 0-25 5.3 
1301 Ocean and coastal fishing 43 23.5 0-25 5.7 
1302 Fishing n.e.c. 7 25.0 25.0 0.0 
2 Mining and quarrying 99 4.8 0-25 7.7 
21 Coal mining 4 2.5 0-10 4.3 
22 Crude petroleum and natural gas production 4 6.3 0-25 10.8 
23 Metal ore mining 23 0.0 0.0 0.0 
2301 Mining of iron ores 2 0.0 0.0 0.0 
2302 Non-ferrous ore mining 21 0.0 0.0 0.0 
29 Other mining 68 6.5 0-25 8.2 
2901 Mining of feldspar 32 4.1 0-10 4.9 
2902 Mining of fertilizer and chemical minerals 12 5.0 0-10 5.0 
2903 Salt mining 1 25.0 25.0 0.0 
2909 Mining and quarrying n.e.c. 23 9.8 0-25 10.8 
3 Manufacturing 4,880 12.5 0-100 12.0 
3 - 31 - - Manufacturing (excluding food processing) 4,380 11.3 0-55 11.2 
31 Manufacture of food, beverages and tobacco 500 23.6 0-100 12.8 
311 Food products 405 24.6 0-100 13.4 
3111 Meat products 80 23.2 0-25 5.2 
3112 Dairy products 26 37.5 10-60 19.9 
3113 Fruit and vegetable canning 92 25.0 25.0 0.0 
3114 Fish products 80 24.4 0-25 3.9 
3115 Manufacture of oil and fats (veg. and animal) 56 13.8 0-25 9.4 
3116 Grain mill products  34 29.0 10-75 17.1 
3117 Manufacture of bakery products 14 20.4 0-25 9.2 
3118 Sugar products 10 63.0 10-100 37.6 
3119 Cocoa and chocolate conf ectionery 13 16.2 0-25 11.5 
312 Other food products and animal feeds 60 16.3 0-25 8.2 
3121 Other food products 50 17.6 0-25 7.8 
3122 Manufacture of animal feeds 10 9.5 0-25 6.5 
313 Beverages 28 22.9 10-25 5.3 
3131 Distillation of spirits and alcohol production 10 25.0 25.0 0.0 
3132 Manufacture of wines 10 22.0 10-25 6.0 
3133 Manufacture of malt liquors and malt 4 17.5 10-25 7.5 
3134 Soft drinks and mineral waters 4 25.0 25.0 0.0 
314 Tobacco manufactur ing 7 29.3 25-35 5.0 
32 Textile, wearing apparel and leather industries 863 21.1 0-50 8.6 
321 Textiles 671 20.7 0-50 9.0 
3211 Textile spinning, weaving a nd finishing 393 18.8 0-50 9.8 
3212 Made-up textile goods except wearing apparel 56 25.8 0-50 9.2 
3213 Knitted and crocheted fabrics 149 25.0 25.0 0.0 
3214 Carpets and rugs 21 25.0 25.0 0.0 
3215 Cordage, rope, etc 11 20.9 10-25 6.7 
3219 Textiles n.e.c. 41 14.8 0-25 9.2 
Table AIV.1 (cont'd)East African Community WT/TPR/S/271 
 Page 49 
 
 
 ISIC 
code Description Number 
of lines Simple 
average (%) Range (%) Standard 
deviation 
322 Manufacture of wearing apparel, except footwear 130 25.0 0-50 4.9 
323 Leather products, except footwear a nd wearing apparel 48 15.0 10-25 7.1 
3231 Tanning and dressing of leather 28 10.0 10.0 0.0 
3232 Fur dressing and dying 6 15.0 10-25 7.1 
3233 Leather products except footwear 14 25.0 25.0 0.0 
324 Footwear, except vulcanized rubber or plastic footwear 14 22.9 10-25 5.3 
33 Wood and wood products, including furniture 101 19.5 0-25 8.9 
331 Wood and wood products, except furniture 77 18.1 0-25 9.4 
3311 Sawmills and wood mills 49 16.6 0-25 9.8 
3312 Wooden case containers and cane ware 14 25.0 25.0 0.0 
3319 Wood and cork products 14 16.1 0-25 9.5 
332 Manuf. of furniture & fixtures, except primarily of metal 24 24.0 0-25 5.0 
34 Paper, paper products , printing and publishing 158 15.1 0-25 11.1 
341 Paper products 128 15.9 0-25 10.8 
3411 Pulp, paper and paperboard 81 14.1 0-25 11.5 
3412 Containers, pape rboxes, paperboard 10 20.5 10-25 6.9 
3419 Articles n.e.c.(stationery) 37 18.7 0-25 9.1 
342 Printing and publishing and allied industries 30 11.3 0-25 11.6 
35 Chemicals, petroleum, coal, rubber, plastics 1,113 5.1 0-50 8.9 
351 Industrial chemicals 704 2.3 0-25 6.2 
3511 Basic industrial chemicals 510 0.6 0-25 2.7 
3512 Fertilizers and pesticides 33 1.7 0-25 5.0 
3513 Synthetic resins, plastic  materials except glass 161 7.9 0-25 9.9 
352 Other chemicals, incl. pharm. 245 8.6 0-50 10.8 
3521 Paints, varnishes and lacquers 16 13.8 0-25 11.7 
3522 Drugs and medicines 89 0.3 0-25 2.6 
3523 Soaps 31 22.7 0-25 6.1 
3529 Other chemicals n.e.c. 109 10.7 0-50 10.1 
353 Petroleum refineries 40 5.1 0-25 8.5 
354 Manuf. of miscellaneous petroleum & coal products 15 9.3 0-25 7.5 
355 Rubber products 80 12.3 0-25 8.7 
3551 Tyre and tube industries 25 14.4 0-25 9.3 
3559 Rubber products n.e.c. 55 11.3 0-25 8.2 
356 Manufacture of plastic products n.e.c. 29 21.2 0-25 7.7 
36 Non-metallic mineral products except of petrol & coal 170 16.4 0-55 10.1 
361 Pottery and china 16 15.3 0-25 11.4 
362 Manufacture of glass and glass products 67 14.0 0-25 8.2 
369 Other non-metallic mineral products 87 18.3 0-55 10.8 
3691 Structural clay products 17 16.5 0-25 10.7 
3692 Cement, lime and plaster 9 18.9 0-55 15.2 
3699 Non-metallic mineral products 61 18.8 0-25 10.0 
37 Basic metal industries 379 6.9 0-25 8.5 
371 Iron and steel basic industries 207 6.2 0-25 7.1 
372 Non-ferrous metal basic industries 172 7.8 0-25 9.8 
38 Fabricated metal products, machinery & equipment 1,411 8.4 0-40 10.0 
381 Fabricated metal products, except machinery & equip. 229 15.2 0-40 9.1 
3811 Manufacture of cutlery and hardware 72 12.8 0-25 6.1 
3812 Metal furniture and fixtures 8 19.4 10-25 7.3 
3813 Structural metal products 22 7.3 0-25 11.1 
3819 Fabricated metal prod. except mach. & equip. n.e.c. 127 17.6 0-40 9.0 
382 Non-electrical machinery incl. computers 518 3.9 0-25 7.2 
Table AIV.1 (cont'd)WT/TPR/S/271 Trade Policy Review 
Page 50 
  
 ISIC 
code Description Number 
of lines Simple 
average (%) Range (%) Standard 
deviation 
3821 Engines and turbines 14 1.4 0-10 3.5 
3822 Agricultural machinery 34 1.8 0-25 6.1 
3823 Metal and woodworking machinery 108 1.0 0-10 3.0 
3824 Special industrial machinery 142 0.6 0-25 2.9 
3825 Office machinery 36 4.7 0-10 5.0 
3829 Non-electrical machinery and equipment, n.e.c. 184 8.6 0-25 9.2 
383 Electrical machinery apparatus, appliances & supplies 274 12.0 0-35 10.5 
3831 Electrical motors and apparatus 61 2.8 0-10 4.5 
3832 Radio, television a nd communication equipment 121 12.1 0-25 9.6 
3833 Electrical appliances and housewares 25 18.4 10-25 7.5 
3839 Electrical apparatus n.e.c. 67 17.7 0-35 10.8 
384 Transport equipment 184 6.9 0-25 9.5 
3841 Ship building and repairing 22 5.5 0-25 9.6 
3842 Railway and tramway 23 0.0 0.0 0.0 
3843 Motor vehicles 91 9.4 0-25 10.0 
3844 Motorcycles et bicycles 22 11.4 0-25 9.3 
3845 Aircraft manufacture 21 0.5 0-10 2.1 
3849 Other transport equipment n.e.c. 5 7.0 0-25 9.8 
385 Professional and scientific equipment 206 9.0 0-25 11.0 
3851 Prof., scientific, measuring equipment 103 1.2 0-25 4.7 
3852 Photographic and optical goods 53 9.2 0-25 8.5 
3853 Watches and clocks 50 25.0 25.0 0.0 
39 Other manufacturing industries 185 20.6 0-25 7.8 
3901 Jewellery and related articles 22 20.9 0-25 8.9 
3902 Musical instruments 18 10.8 10-25 3.4 
3903 Sporting goods 26 25.0 25.0 0.0 
3909 Other manufacturing n.e.c. 119 21.0 0-25 7.7 
4 Electrical energy 1 10.0 10.0 0.0 
Source : WTO Secretariat calculations, based on data provided by the EAC Secretariat.