The East African Community (EAC) yesterday launched the EAC Customs Bond (EACBond), a region‑wide guarantee system that simplifies the movement of goods across the eight EAC Partner States, a major step in the bloc’s drive to deepen regional integration and facilitate seamless trade.

Officially unveiled during the Ordinary EAC Heads of State Summit at the EAC Secretariat in Arusha on 7 March 2026, the Heads of State, in their communiqué, directed all the “Partner States to roll out the EAC Customs Bond to facilitate trade,” an instrument allowing transporters moving transit cargo within the bloc to operate under a single customs bond recognised across all EAC countries. This eliminates the need for multiple national transit bonds, reducing administrative procedures, transit costs and delays for businesses.

The EACBond was developed by the EAC Secretariat in partnership with TradeMark Africa (TMA), with funding provided primarily by the United Kingdom and additional support from Denmark and the Netherlands. Its rollout across all Partner States follows a pilot phase launched in Uganda in August 2025, which tested the system at selected trade corridors linking Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

EAC Secretary General, Hon. Veronica Nduva, earlier described the bond as a timely step in strengthening the region’s Customs Union and advancing the Community’s long-term integration agenda. She noted that the EACBond reflected the commitment of Partner States to make trade simpler, faster and more predictable for businesses across the region, saying the launch “marks the culmination of over a decade of vision, collaboration and technical innovation. It is a turning point in how we facilitate trade across our borders and a strong signal that East Africa is ready to compete globally as a connected, efficient and business-friendly region.”

The EACBond builds on the progress achieved under the EAC Single Customs Territory (SCT), an initiative launched in 2014 to streamline customs procedures across the region. Under the SCT, customs documentation is processed in the country of origin and transmitted electronically to destination countries, enabling goods to move across borders under harmonised procedures. The EACBond integrates with existing SCT tools such as the Regional Electronic Cargo Tracking System (RECTS) and national customs platforms, and will expand to cover warehousing, temporary imports and transfers for cargo. The EAC estimates that more than $35 billion worth of goods move along regional corridors each year, and replacing multiple cash deposits with the EACBond could free up nearly $2 billion in previously tied-up capital. For governments, the customs bond strengthens revenue protection by enabling real-time risk management while reducing opportunities for Non-Tariff Barriers.

TMA Chief Executive Officer, David Beer, said the EACBond represents a major step forward in the evolution of the Single Customs Territory reforms. “The EACBond addresses a longstanding challenge transporters and traders face when moving goods across multiple borders. With a single guarantee recognised across all Partner States, it lowers costs, shortens transit times and strengthens the efficiency of regional supply chains This milestone also strengthens East Africa’s position as a more competitive and integrated trading bloc, and TradeMark Africa is pleased to be a trusted partner in advancing trade and regional integration across the region,” he said.