Progress So Far (Option 1)
Faster Trade
Progress So Far (Option 2)
Faster Trade
Physical Connectivity
TMA is tackling one of the most pressing challenges to the region’s trade: high transport costs and extended times due to network congestion and…
Quality and Value of Traded Goods
TMA is taking a systemic approach to improve the safety, quality and value of goods traded internationally within EAC…
Digital trade systems
TMA is dismantling trade barriers across East Africa through digital systems that have significantly reduced trading times and operational costs.
Trade and Investment Environment
TMA interventions support AfCFTA and RECs to integrate conducive trade policy and national domestication, harmonise…
Frictionless Trade
Less barriers to access markets
Trade becomes frictionless when traders and firms face fewer duplicated checks, fewer informal costs, clearer procedures and greater confidence that their goods will be accepted across markets. TMA-supported interventions under Strategy 2 helped reduce friction by strengthening standards and SPS systems, improving border operations, and supporting more transparent trade processes
Quality and Value of Traded Goods
TMA-supported standards and SPS reforms helped reduce technical barriers to trade by improving the systems through which goods are tested, certified and recognised. This matters because goods do not move frictionlessly simply because they cross a border; they must also be accepted by regulators, buyers and consumers. The results included:
More than 600 TMA-supported harmonised standards, out of over 2000 EAC harmonised standards (as of 2026) sit within standards-sensitive sectors such as cereals, dairy, cement, fortified foods and fish products, where compliance directly affects market entry. These standards are estimated to cover product categories representing 💲8- 💲12 billion in annual intra-EAC trade.
Regional adoption of harmonised standards rose from 45% in 2018 to 87% in 2022, strengthening the basis for cross border recognition and reducing regulatory fragmentation.
45% reduction in product interceptions in targeted value chains
Improved compliance reduces product rejections and facilitates market access
Trade and Investment Environment
TMA-supported trade regulatory reforms helped reduce friction by strengthening the systems through which non-tariff barriers are identified, reported and resolved. The portfolio supported National Trade Facilitation Committees, joint border committees, the Tripartite NTB mechanism and private-sector platforms.
The evaluation found that TMA significantly contributed to reducing non-tariff barriers across the EAC region, while also noting that some politically sensitive barriers remain unresolved. In the EAC, 77% of reported NTBs had been resolved by 2020, compared with 43% in 2016, and by 2023 above 90% of reported NTBs were being resolved.
The portfolio also helped address 80% of high-priority restrictions requiring legislative alignment.
Physical Connectivity
TMA-supported interventions helped reduce friction at the border that comes through informal costs and unpredictable procedures.
At Goli-Mahagi OSBP, reported bribes and facilitation fees fell by 96%, while complementary Simplified Trade Regime support helped simplify procedures and encourage more traders, including women, to use formal channels.
Fairer Trade
Maximising opportunities for all
Trade becomes fairer when there are increased cross-border trade opportunities for underrepresented groups. This is achieved by removing structural barriers and enabling traders to participate in safer, formal and profitable trade.
Digital trade systems
Digital tools improve access to information and markets for small-scale traders.
iSOKO digital platform connects over 95,000 traders across five countries (Kenya, Uganda, DRC, Burundi and Rwanda).
73% of users report improved market access, 19% report increased sales.
Trade and Investment Environment
Trade policy work strengthened private-sector participation in reform processes, including NTB advocacy, SME capacity building and regional trade consultations. Joint cross-border and cluster committees also helped improve security for women traders and contributed to NTB reduction at the micro level. 30+ gender-responsive policy and regulatory reforms implemented.
These reforms improved access to formal markets, strengthened trader protections and supported safer, responsive trade systems.
Resilient and Inclusive Trade
Through the Making Trade Work for Women Programme, TradeMark Africa is expanding economic opportunities for women traders across Eastern Africa.
150,000 women traders supported across Eastern Africa.
23% increase in incomes for women cross‑border traders participating in TMA‑supported programmes.
35 cooperatives established, supporting over 50,000 women traders.
34% reduction in gender-based violence at targeted borders
Further Trade
Enhanced connectivity
Trade goes further when producers, traders and firms are connected to larger markets, and when the systems around them make cross-border trade commercially viable. TMA-supported interventions strengthened this connectivity through corridor infrastructure, digital platforms, standards systems and regional policy reforms. Together, these investments helped firms and traders move beyond local markets, reach buyers across borders, and participate more confidently in regional and global trade.
Physical Connectivity
Infrastructure investments increased trade flows and strengthened market access along regional corridors in these ways:
Hargeisa Bypass contributed to a 44% increase in Somaliland livestock exports, strengthening access to the Berbera corridor.
Trade at Goli-Mahagi doubled between 2019 and 2022, supported by improved border infrastructure and more efficient crossing.
At Nimule-Elegu One Stop Border Posts, trade volumes grew by 30% between 2016 and 2021, supporting trade between Uganda and South Sudan. Corridor upgrades reduced transport constraints and enabled traders to access larger and competitive markets.
Mombasa Roads (Mbaraki, Port-Reitz, Magongo) improved access around the Port of Mombasa, supporting cargo movement along the Northern Corridor.
Trade Catalyst Africa (TCA) was established to act as a commercially oriented investment arm. It provides first-loss capital to make trade infrastructure projects attractive to private equity and commercial banks.
Digital trade systems
Digital systems helped connect traders, border agencies, ports and markets across countries, making it easier for businesses and agencies to coordinate trade more frequently beyond national borders. The results included:
Businesses using digital systems recorded a 29% increase in monthly transactions.
Digital systems (East African Community Single Customs Territory Platform) enabled over 6.6 million real-time customs and port data exchanges, strengthening cross-border coordination.
Platforms such as iSOKO are expanding access to market information and trade services, helping traders identify opportunities beyond immediate local markets.
Quality and Value of Traded Goods
Goods reach wider markets because they are trusted. TMA-supported standards and SPS reforms helped firms meet quality, safety and certification requirements needed to access regional and international buyers. The results included:
Over 80% of surveyed firms reported that compliance improved their potential to sell in new markets
The number of exporting companies in the surveyed sample increased by 14%, from 56 in 2017 to 64 in 2023.
TMA-supported harmonisation covered standards-sensitive sectors such as cereals, dairy, cement, fortified foods and fish products, helping firms meet requirements for wider regional trade.
Trade and Investment Environment
TMA-supported policy work helped align national trade systems with regional economic communities, World Trade Organisation, Tripartite Free Trade Area and the African Continental Free Trade Area commitments. This strengthened frameworks through which goods, services and firms can operate across wider regional markets. The results delivered included:
Harmonised frameworks under the African Continental Free Trade Area and regional economic communities are enabling businesses to access regional markets.
Support to national trade and export strategies in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda contributed to export diversification, regional integration and wider market access.
Support to national trade and export strategies in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda contributed to export diversification, regional integration and wider market access.