Arusha, Tanzania – 22 October 2025
Day 3 of the Regional Training Workshop on Navigating Cross-Border Trade of Agroecological Products provided participants with a deeper understanding of how regional and continental trade frameworks operate in practice. The sessions focused on Rules of Origin (RoO), Simplified Trade Regimes (STR), Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs), and Trade Facilitation, drawing connections between policy, documentation, and the day-to-day realities faced by agroecological farmers, traders and policy makers across East Africa.
Rules of Origin — The Passport to Preferential Market Access
Participants began the day by unpacking the concept of Rules of Origin (RoO) — the criteria determining whether goods qualify as originating within a free trade area such as the EAC Customs Union or AfCFTA. RoO are essential for accessing preferential tariffs and ensuring that only genuinely regional products benefit from duty-free entry.
Through interactive exercises, traders explored key RoO principles, including:
- Wholly Obtained (WO): Products entirely produced domestically, such as honey, fruits, and herbs.
- Substantial Transformation (ST): Products significantly processed or manufactured within the region (e.g., maize milled into flour, sunflower pressed into oil).
- Value Addition: Requiring a minimum of 30–40% regional content in the final product.
- Cumulation: Allowing use of raw materials from multiple Partner States while retaining origin status—for example, Rwandan herbs packaged in Tanzania qualify under EAC or AfCFTA cumulation.
Participants practiced completing EAC Certificates of Origin (Forms 1 & 2) and AfCFTA Certificates of Origin, learning how accurate documentation supports traceability, transparency, and eligibility verification at One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs).
By linking RoO to agroecological production, the session illustrated how origin certification stimulates regional value addition, job creation, and inclusive participation in continental markets
Simplified Trade Regime (STR) — Empowering Small and Informal Traders
The next session turned to the Simplified Trade Regime (STR), a vital tool that simplifies customs procedures for low-value consignments (≤ USD 2,000) traded within the EAC. Participants filled out STR forms and learned how simplified documentation reduces clearance costs and processing time for small-scale traders—many of whom are women and youth operating in border communities.
Discussions highlighted how STR:
- Enhances formalisation of informal trade through accessible compliance mechanisms.
- Enables smallholders to expand cross-border markets for products like maize flour, honey, and organic vegetables.
- Provides flexibility for women and youth to participate safely and efficiently in regional value chains.
Practical case studies from Namanga, Busia, and Rusumo OSBPs demonstrated that effective STR implementation can cut clearance time from over 12 hours to under four, fostering a predictable and cooperative border environment
Identifying and Eliminating Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs)
Participants then focused on Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) — the often invisible but costly restrictions that obstruct trade. Drawing on the EAC NTB Act (2017), Tripartite NTB Online Mechanism, and AfCFTA Annex 5, they identified common NTB categories including:
- Duplicate SPS/TBT testing and certification.
- Informal fees and harassment at border points.
- Excessive transit charges and documentation requirements.
- Inconsistent licensing and inspection procedures.
Trade Facilitation — Building Efficient and Transparent Border Systems
The final session focused on the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), which underpins the global effort to streamline trade procedures. Participants explored how the TFA’s Articles 1–12 translate into tangible efficiency gains for agroecological trade.
Key highlights included:
- Article 1: Ensuring access to customs procedures through publication and enquiry points.
- Article 7: Pre-arrival processing, electronic payment, and authorised trader programs to accelerate clearance.
- Articles 8–10: Coordinated border management and single-window systems to harmonise agency operations.
- Article 11: Freedom of transit and prohibition of unnecessary restrictions on goods movement.
These provisions align closely with the EAC Customs Union Protocol and AfCFTA Annexe 4 on Trade Facilitation, both of which promote Transparency, cooperation, and predictable clearance procedures across Partner States