East Africa lost $1.8 billion in trade revenue, see why

<span>East African Community</span>, <p>The sluggish implementation of agreed taxation regulations and strict trading practices are once again forcing a decline in intra-regional trade in East Africa, costing the sub-continent’s economy millions of dollars.</p>, <p>According to a recent regional trade analysis, authorities have agreed on important policies but postponed their implementation. As a result, member states of the East African Community regularly violate the Common Market Protocol and work against regional integration goals by imposing non-tariff trade barriers (NTBs) and making recurrent requests for special tax treatment and exemptions.</p>, <p>Based on the East African Business Council's (EABC) Intra-EAC Trade Brief Analysis report, trade between EAC member states decreased by more than 33 percent ($1.8 billion), to $3.6 billion in 2022 from $5.4 billion in 2021.</p>, <p>As seen by the study obtained by The EastAfrican, a news publication focused on news articles for East Africa, trade in grains, plummeted to $285.5 million from $607.2 million at the same time, and trade in mineral fuels, fell to $175.1 million from $618.2 million, had the biggest impacts on intra-EAC commerce. Sorghum and rice commerce fell, however maize exports surged by 63%, from $114.6 million to $187.1 million.</p>, <p>According to EABC, additional significant barriers to thriving regional commerce include restrictive trade practices, inability to fully apply the new Common External Tariff (CET), high costs of doing business, excessive reliance on foreign currencies, and rain-fed agriculture.</p>, <p>Others include the knock-on consequences of global shocks that have increased food insecurity by stymieing the supply of essential goods like wheat, gasoline, and fertilizer.</p>, <p>The Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) criticized Kenya's 2022 decision to remove the import charge on edible oil, which was made in violation of the EAC's common external tariff guidelines.</p>, <p>To end partner states' frequent use of stays o