The EAC and COMESA: 600 million potential customers. How to enter

Here are 3 concrete steps to access these markets:

📜 1. The Certificate of Origin: your tariff passport

To benefit from preferential tariffs (often 0% duty), you must prove your products are "Kenyan". The Certificate of Origin (CoO) is the key. For the EAC, rules of origin are often specific; for COMESA, the main criterion is 35% value addition in Africa .

Concrete example: Your shoes, coffee, or cosmetics can enter Tanzania or Egypt duty-free with the right CoO. Since 2025, issuance is paperless via the eCOO system (online), cutting processing time from days to hours .

🛡️ 2. Non-tariff barriers: navigate them to succeed

Tariffs are falling, but administrative hurdles remain. A TradeMark East Africa report estimates that nearly 30% of regional trade is hampered by these cumbersome processes, especially manual certificates of origin .

Practical tip: For EAC exports, look into the Simplified Trade Regime for small-scale traders, which eases border crossings. Use digital single windows (KenTrade) and work with a licensed clearing agent who understands SPS (sanitary safety) and labelling requirements .

🗺️ 3. A massive market: 600 million consumers

Beyond the EAC, COMESA spans 21 countries, from Egypt to South Africa . The COMESA footwear market is estimated at 450 million pairs per year, with an unmet demand of 366 million pairs ! The Tripartite (COMESA-EAC-SADC) could expand this market even further .

Concrete example: Instead of limiting yourself to neighbours, export your products to more distant markets like Ethiopia, Zambia, or Zimbabwe, where demand exists and tariffs are low.

Tip: To boost competitiveness, adopt new digital solutions. COMESA's Electronic Certificate of Origin (eCOO) is operational in Kenya. Register, master the tool, and you'll save days of transit time .

Do it now: Go to the KenTrade or KRA portal. Check your eligibility for a product you already export. Obtain your electronic Certificate of Origin online, then contact a licensed clearing agent to test a shipment to an EAC or COMESA country. One successful first shipment is worth all the advice in the world.

Sources: Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) – Export Study 2025 ; KRA & COMESA – eCOO System Launch 2025 ; TradeMark East Africa – Border Efficiency Report 2025 ; State Department for Trade – Trade Agreements Overview 2025 ; UNCTAD – EAC Simplified Trade Regime Guide 2023 .

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