Leaders in the East African Community have once again committed to ending barriers that hinder trade. This is despite an overall improvement of business between member states in the last one year.
This commitment was made in Nairobi during the 25th EAC Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Trade Fair. Speaking during the opening ceremony of the fair, William Ruto, Kenya’s president and chair of the EAC underscored the need to break the barriers.
Over the last year, the community recorded a 27% growth in intra trade posting $18B compared to $14.2B recorded at the end of July 2024. Trade between the community and the world also soared to $140.8B, a 22% increase from the same period in 2024.
During the fair, small and medium enterprises in the region were also challenged to be innovative while producing high quality products.
The exhibition attracted over 3000 traders from across the eight EAC partner states.