Skip to main content

Unlocking East Africa’s Trade Potential Through Better Data and Regional Cooperation

Kigali, Rwanda
13 th — 16th October 2026

A new regional trade intelligence platform is set to help East African policymakers and businesses identify their exports strengths and weaknesses, strengthen regional value chains and make more informed trade decisions. Following a technical workshop in Kigali, the EAC Trade Competitiveness Observatory is moving towards its official launch in early 2027.

East Africa holds significant potential to expand regional trade, diversify exports and strengthen its position in international markets. Yet identifying where these opportunities lie, which sectors offer the greatest potential and what limits competitiveness requires access to reliable, comparable and actionable trade data.

To help bridge this gap, the East African Community (EAC), in partnership with the International Trade Centre (ITC), is developing the EAC Trade Competitiveness Observatory, a regional digital platform designed to turn complex trade data into practical intelligence for policymakers, trade support institutions and businesses.

Developed with support from the European Union-funded Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP II), the Observatory will enable users to assess export competitiveness, analyse promising regional value chains and explore opportunities for expanding trade within East Africa and beyond.

From data to decisions: Building a tool for East Africa

At the heart of the Observatory are two complementary analytical tools that provide different perspectives on the region's trade performance and potential.

The Export Diagnostics Module helps users understand how EAC Partner States perform in international, continental and regional markets, as well as the factors driving their competitiveness. By examining indicators such as tariff advantage, maritime connectivity, 3G coverage and regulatory quality, the module can help identify structural challenges and areas where targeted interventions could improve trade performance.

The Regional Value Chain Module provides an analysis of promising value chains selected under the EAC MARKUP II project. Drawing on production and trade data, it enables users to understand where each country positions itself in the value chain, how to identify promising markets and which opportunities exist to increase trade and strengthen regional value chains.

Together, these tools provide a common evidence base for decisions on export development, industrial policy and regional economic integration.

Putting the Observatory to the test in Kigali

From 13 to 16 October 2026, representatives of EAC Partner States gathered in Kigali, Rwanda, for a regional technical workshop to review the Observatory's analytical framework, test its functionalities and shape its future development.

The meeting brought together officials from ministries responsible for trade, national statistics offices, the EAC Secretariat and ITC technical experts.

Over four days, participants deepened their understanding of the platform's methodologies, examined its underlying data and assessed how its analytical tools could be applied to real trade policy challenges.

Particular attention was given to ensuring that the Observatory provides reliable and comparable information across Partner States. Participants reviewed the indicators used to assess export competitiveness, examined the analytical framework underpinning the regional value chain analysis and identified opportunities to improve data coverage and the platform's usability.

The discussions also highlighted areas for further development, including greater integration of national data, improved analytical visualisations and additional features to help users identify potential markets and opportunities for export growth.

Beyond the technical review, the workshop provided an opportunity for national institutions to shape the Observatory's development, ensuring that the platform responds to the needs of the institutions and stakeholders who will use it.

Looking ahead: Official rollout in early 2027

With the technical review completed and regional ownership arrangements agreed, the Observatory is now progressing towards its official launch in early 2027.

In preparation, ITC and the EAC Secretariat will work to incorporate recommendations from the workshop, refine the platform's functionalities and strengthen the quality and coverage of its data.

Efforts will also focus on raising awareness of the Observatory and encouraging its adoption by policymakers, trade support institutions, businesses and other regional stakeholders.

Once launched, the platform will offer a new way to explore East Africa's trade landscape, helping users move beyond trade statistics to understand where opportunities exist, what is holding exports back and how regional cooperation can unlock new potential.

By making trade intelligence more accessible and actionable, the EAC Trade Competitiveness Observatory represents an important step towards a more competitive, connected and integrated East African Community.

The EAC Trade Competitiveness Observatory is being developed by the International Trade Centre (ITC) in collaboration with the East African Community Secretariat, with funding from the European Union through the Market Access Upgrade Programme Phase II (MARKUP II).