Quality and Value of Traded Goods

Harmonising Standards, Sanitary and Phytosanitary frameworks significantly enhances efficiency in trade flows.

Frameworks Harmonisation

Export Gateways

Agricultural Sector

Social & Governance Standards

Standards are the lingua franca of world trade, conveying consistent and understandable information between trading partners. Increasing harmonisation between country frameworks significantly enhances the efficient flow of trade. At the same time, global off-takers, particularly in the agricultural sector, are applying increasing environmental, social and governance standards to production and trading, with access to destination markets depending on a company’s ability to raise their compliance levels. Supporting African businesses to consistently adhere to global standards and strengthening their voices, will be the gateway to increasing exports.

Programme Areas

Improve Standards

Improve national implementation of international standards, through National Standards Bureaux.

Government Support

Support Governments to implement standards and technical regulations consistent with world trade rules.

Regional Harmonisation

Facilitate harmonisation of technical regulations at continental, regional and national levels.

Develop Standards & Conformity

Help develop standards and conformity assessment services at national and regional level – including laboratory capacity, inspection and certification services, and product certification services in both the public and private sectors.

Mutual Agreements

Establish Mutual Recognition Agreements to build mutual confidence between countries on conformity of assessment procedures and facilitate the acceptance of goods and services everywhere on the basis of one assessment.

Case Studies

RBS institutional capacity strengthened

Kenya Bureau of Standards testing

TBS Testing

Development of the Regional Technical Regulations Framework for Facilitating Cross Border Trade in Food and Cosmetic Products

Standards Quality Infrastructure (SQI) and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS)

Applying the ‘Prioritizing SPS Investment for Market Access (P-IMA)’ Framework to Prioritize SPS Investments For Regional Trade

South Sudan Bureau of Standards established

UNBS and MIT improve testing

Emerging Results

2010-2024

Harmonisation

In 2024, 74 EAC standards were harmonised, including 41 that were gazetted for edible oils,
supporting a $2 billion trade sector. (Source: Annual Report 2024)

Reduced Testing Time

Harmonisation of 66 standards in the EAC contributed to a 74% reduction in testing time
and an average 59% reduction in testing cost. (Source: TMA Strategy 1 Evaluation Report
2017)

Reduced Certification Time

Tanzania showed a 58% reduction in certification time, from 50 to 21 days, while the time taken for a sample analysis has shrunk from an average of 5.5 hours to 10 minutes, with lab efficiency in turnaround time for sample analysis improving from 76% to 87%. The number of samples tested in a month increased from an average of 250 to over 400.  (Source: TMA Project Report)