The East African Community’s Council of Ministers convenes this month to assess 27 outstanding trade barriers after the June 30, 2026 deadline set by Heads of State in March elapsed with no resolution, a scenario blamed on inconsistent national enforcement, protectionist domestic policies, and persistent bilateral disputes.
Council chairperson Rebecca Kadaga, who is Uganda’s EAC Affairs minister, this week acknowledged that non-tariff barriers continue to undermine regional trade, increase the cost of doing business, prohibit free movement of goods and services, “which is the crux of the EAC Common Market Protocol.”
