GENEVA, 27 October 2026: Extending faster cargo clearance to more East African businesses will be the focus of a session organised by the Government of Rwanda in partnership with TradeMark Africa at the World Trade Organisation’s 10th Global Review of Aid for Trade. The discussion will examine how Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programmes can reduce delays and business costs while making participation more accessible to smaller firms.
World Customs Organization (WCO) SecretaryGeneral Ian Saunders will join the session connecting East Africa’s experience with the global development of AEO programmes under the WCO’s SAFE Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade. The framework provides the basis for Customs administrations to recognise businesses that meet compliance and supply-chain security requirements and offer them faster clearance procedures and a more predictable treatment. The session, “Enhanced EAC Trade Facilitation through Authorised Economic Operator Scheme” that will take place on 29 October, from 5:00PM (CET) at the WTO’s headquarters, will be moderated by TradeMark Africa’s Chief Executive Officer, David Beer, and will include the Customs Commissioner for Rwanda Mr Sam Kabera and his Ugandan Counterpart Mr Henry Kwaligonza Byenkya; Rwanda’s multi-million-dollar company, Yyusa will be represented by its CEO Mr Tresor Kamana who will share its experience with the AEO. The session will explore Rwanda’s investments, Uganda’s work to broaden participation and strengthen cooperation between agencies, and the WCO’s perspective on the value of AEO programmes.
Businesses accredited under AEO programmes benefit from priority clearance, fewer physical inspections and simplified procedures, while remaining subject to risk-based controls. For a manufacturer awaiting inputs or an exporter meeting a delivery deadline, these arrangements can reduce the time and expense associated with moving goods across borders.
A TMA and the East Africa Community (EAC) assessment reports that the regional EAC programme had 275 active accredited operators in 2025 across Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. It identifies that accredited businesses cleared cargo in approximately six hours, compared with 47 hours for non accredited firms. The assessment also noted an urgency for extending these gains, including making accreditation more accessible to smaller firms, ensuring benefits are delivered consistently at borders, and bringing the agencies responsible for standards, health and agriculture into closer cooperation with Customs.
TMA is supporting policy discussions to extend AEO benefits beyond Customs to standards, agriculture and health agencies, so businesses receive more consistent treatment throughout clearance while meeting each agency’s requirements. Regional reforms provide a basis for this work. The upgraded EAC Single Customs Territory Centralised Platform, unveiled in January 2025, includes tools for managing regional AEOs and supporting mutual recognition. In Kenya, the Anti-Counterfeit Authority signed a joint AEO recognition framework in April 2026, so to extend coordinated treatment of compliant businesses beyond Customs. Through a programme funded by the EU, TMA is supporting the EAC to develop a multi-agency AEO framework and MSME inclusion criteria.
The Rwanda-led discussion will consider where further Aid for Trade support can make the greatest difference, including digital systems, accreditation processes and assistance for smaller businesses.
The session contributes to a wider international effort to make AEO programmes more inclusive. In November 2025, the WCO, WTO and International Chamber of Commerce launched a joint study on integrating MSMEs into AEO programmes. East Africa’s experience offers lessons for that work and for efforts to make trade more predictable under the African Continental Free Trade Area.