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EAC

East African Community

East African nations approve individual trade pacts with EU if joint deal not reached
4-Feb-2019 The East African
East African countries can individually sign separate trade agreements with the European Union if a joint deal is not reached within the next four months.
EPA: Test of unity as Kenya breaks away
28-Jan-2019 The East African
Kenya is asking that EAC partner states adopt the variable geometry, a move that would be viewed as counter to regional integration.
Nations agree to spur trade in East Africa
19-Dec-2018 Vanguard
Members of the East African Community to implement trade facilitation reforms including reducing “non-tariff barriers”.
South Africa deposits the instrument of ratification of the agreement establishing the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA)
13-Dec-2018 Africa News
The deposit of the instrument means that South Africa has formally and legally committed to the TFTA.
COMESA welcomes SA’s ratification of the Tripartite FTA
11-Oct-2018 Tralac
South Africa has ratified the Tripartite Free Trade Agreement, becoming the fourth country to do so after Egypt, Uganda and Kenya. 10 more ratifications are now needed for the Agreement to enter into force.
Slow progress on Tripartite Free Trade Area hurting trade
28-Jun-2018 Daily Monitor
The slow pace at which member states of the Tripartite Free Trade Area Agreement (TFTA) are committing to the bloc, has derailed the enforcement of the treaty and trade in one of Africa’s largest economic zones.
Kenya rejects China-EAC trade pact
15-May-2018 Business Daily
Kenya will not sign a free trade agreement that China has been negotiating with the East African Community (EAC) partner States since 2016.
S/African gov’t approves African tripartite FTA pact, industrial action plan
11-May-2018 Journal du Cameroun
The TFTA seeks to establish an enlarged market involving 27 member countries from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the East African Community and Southern African Development Community.
Free trade and its pitfalls: Lessons for Africa
10-Apr-2018 Daily Monitor
Despite having several trade and investment agreements from 1975, the inability for Africa to build substantial productive capacity has in effect rendered the continent a net importer, unable to meet even its own food requirements.
Setback for Kenya as regional heads dig in on EPA deal
1-Mar-2018 Standard Media
East African leaders call for further negotiations on EPA with their European counterparts.
"Trade agreements do not build us" an interview with Justus Lavi
26-Feb-2018 GRAIN
Under EPAs, small-scale farmers are disadvantaged.
Botswana signs tripartite free trade area agreement
1-Feb-2018 Xinhua
Botswana signed a tripartite free trade area agreement which marked a milestone in the trade agenda of the African Union.
Standoff between Burundi, EU delays signing of EPA
1-Dec-2017 KBC
A standoff between Burundi and the European Union over political sanctions is set to further delay the signing and ratification of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and the East African Community.
Burundi Government urges EU to remove sanctions
11-Oct-2017 All Africa
First-vice speaker of Burundi Senate said Burundi will not have the courage to ratify the Economic Partnership Agreement in the context of economic sanctions imposed against it.
East Africa: Fate of trade deal expected in Nov
2-Oct-2017 All Africa
A decision on whether all the East African Community partner states will sign the European Union-EAC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) will be known in November during the Heads of State Summit.
EU-EAC Economic partnership negotiation underway in Brussels
29-Sep-2017 Journal du Cameroun
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni who is also the current chairman of the East African Community (EAC) arrives in Brussels, Belgium with a delegation from the EAC member states to discuss the issue of the Economic Partnership Agreements.
Kenya in last-ditch effort to persuade Tanzania to sign EPA
28-Sep-2017 Standard
Kenya will take its case to the European Union in Brussels in a last-ditch effort to garner support for the Economic Partnership Agreement deal.
Colonialism’s new clothes: The EU’s Economic Partnership Agreements with Africa
22-Aug-2017 GRAIN
Though not highly publicised, the EPA has faced continued opposition from across the ACP countries, not least because of its devastating effect on small scale farmers. A new report from GRAIN goes into the details in Africa.
East Africa: Cabinet approves the ratification of the Tripartite Free Trade Area
11-Aug-2017 All Africa
The Ugandan Cabinet has approved the ratification of the EAC-COMESA-SADC Tripartite Free Area Agreement (FTA), paving way for the implementation of the Agreement.
Official: African states to meet deadline to establish trading bloc
7-Aug-2017 Xinhua
The Tripartite Free Trade Area will comprise 28 countries, cover approximately 18.3 million square kilometers and hold about 61 percent of the continent’s population.