Regional trade milestones

1. 2 March 2004Historical

   EAC Customs Union Protocol signed

   The Protocol for the Establishment of the EAC Customs Union was signed in Arusha by the three Heads of State of the time ¹.

2. 31 December 2004Historical

   EAC Customs Management Act assented

   The East African Community Customs Management Act, 2004 was assented to and numbered No. 1 of 2005 ².

3. 1 January 2005Historical

   Customs Management Act start date in Nairobi print

   The 2009 Nairobi revised edition gives 1 January 2005 in its header. Section 1(3) says the Act starts on a date the Council appoints ².

4. 2 September 2006Historical

   Central Corridor agreement signed

   Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda signed the Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agreement ³.

5. July 2007Historical

   Burundi joins the EAC

   The EAC gives July 2007 as the date Burundi joined ⁴.

6. July 2007Historical

   Rwanda joins the EAC

   The EAC gives July 2007 as the date Rwanda joined ³⁷.

7. 6 October 2007Historical

   Northern Corridor agreement revised

   The Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Agreement of 1985 was revised and signed in Nairobi ⁵.

8. July 2009Historical

   Rwanda and Burundi apply Customs Union instruments

   The EAC says Rwanda and Burundi joined the Customs Union in 2008 and began applying its instruments in July 2009 ¹.

9. February 2011Historical

   Rwanda single window work begins, per UNCTAD

   An undated UNCTAD ASYCUDA case study says implementation of the Rwanda Electronic Single Window officially began in February 2011 ³⁹. TradeMark Africa dates the pilot launch to 7 February 2012 ²².

10. 2012In force

    RCTG Carnet regional transit bond starts

    COMESA says implementation of the RCTG-CARNET regional customs transit guarantee started in 2012 ⁶.

11. 7 February 2012Historical

    Rwanda single window pilot launched

    The pilot of the Rwanda electronic single window, built on ASYCUDA World, was launched at the Ministry of Trade and Industry in Kigali with five pilot users ²². An undated UNCTAD case study gives February 2011 for the start of implementation ³⁹.

12. December 2012Historical

    South Sudan joins the Northern Corridor

    South Sudan became the sixth member state of the Northern Corridor agreement ⁵.

13. 2013Historical

    Kenya single window rollout, per KenTrade notice

    A KenTrade public notice says KenTrade rolled out the National Electronic Single Window System in 2013 ⁴⁰. The KenTrade system page gives May 2014 for the launch ²³.

14. 2013Historical

    Uganda starts electronic cargo monitoring

    Uganda customs introduced real-time electronic cargo monitoring, according to a URA official writing in WCO News ²⁵.

15. 11 May 2013In force

    Burundi moves to SYDONIA World

    After a parallel run from 6 to 10 May 2013, Burundi's revenue office went live on SYDONIA World in all automated offices and border posts, per UNCTAD ⁷.

16. October 2013Historical

    Single Customs Territory pilot on the Northern Corridor

    EALA said piloting of the Single Customs Territory began in October 2013 on the Northern Corridor ¹⁰.

17. May 2014In force

    Kenya TradeNet single window launched

    KenTrade says the Kenya TradeNet System was launched in Nairobi in May 2014 ²³. A KenTrade public notice says the single window was rolled out in 2013 ⁴⁰.

18. June 2014Historical

    Single Customs Territory pilot on the Central Corridor

    EALA said Central Corridor piloting began in June 2014 ¹⁰. The EAC says SCT implementation began in July 2014 ¹¹.

19. 2015In force

    Irembo launched in Rwanda

    The World Bank said Rwanda's Irembo e-government platform launched in 2015 under a 25-year concession to RwandaOnline ²⁶.

20. 27 March 2015Official finding

    Kenya audit report on KenTrade

    The Auditor-General's report on KenTrade for the year to 30 June 2014 found negative working capital of Kshs.170,639,021 and said the agency was technically insolvent ³⁶.

21. 1 December 2015Historical

    One Stop Border Posts Act assented

    The EAC One Stop Border Posts Act, 2016 was assented to. It was published in the EAC Gazette of 15 April 2016 and names 15 border pairs ⁸.

22. 1 March 2016In force

    Rusumo one stop border post opens

    The Rusumo OSBP between Rwanda and Tanzania opened, with JPY 3.72 billion in Japanese grant aid, per the Government of Japan ⁹.

23. 5 September 2016Historical

    South Sudan becomes a full EAC member

    The EAC page gives April 2016 as the date South Sudan joined and 5 September 2016 as the date it became a full member ¹².

24. 4 November 2016In force

    Uganda Electronic Single Window launched

    The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives and URA launched the Uganda Electronic Single Window in Kampala ²⁴.

25. 2017In force

    Regional Electronic Cargo Tracking System launched

    RECTS launched on one shared platform for Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, according to WCO News ²⁵.

26. 4 September 2017In force

    Tanzania routes revenue through GePG

    Treasury Circular No. 3 told permanent secretaries to collect all government revenue through the Government e-Payment Gateway ²⁷.

27. 15 November 2019Historical

    2019 customs law amendment in force

    The EAC Customs Management (Amendment) Act, 2019, assented on 22 April 2017, came into force ¹³.

28. 2020In force

    Nimule one stop border post completed

    TradeMark Africa says the Nimule OSBP in South Sudan was completed in 2020 ¹⁴.

29. 16 April 2020Announced

    Mahagi border post contract signed

    The DRC government and TradeMark Africa signed a contract for a one stop border post at Mahagi in Ituri, on the Uganda border, per TradeMark Africa ³³.

30. July 2021In force

    Burundi single window module for medicines

    An ASYCUDA-based single window module for medicine import approvals went live in Burundi ¹⁵.

31. 7 July 2021In force

    South Sudan e-Tax launch

    Eye Radio reported that South Sudan's National Revenue Authority launched its e-TAX registration and payment system in Juba ¹⁶.

32. 22 October 2021Announced

    Kenya iCMS full rollout date for containers

    The EastAfrican reported that KRA planned to clear containerised cargo through iCMS from this date ²⁸.

33. 29 March 2022Historical

    DRC admitted to the EAC

    The EAC gives 29 March 2022 as the date the DRC was admitted ³⁰.

34. 8 April 2022Historical

    DRC signs the Treaty of Accession

    The EAC gives 8 April 2022 as the date the DRC Treaty of Accession was signed ³⁰.

35. 6 May 2022Historical

    35% fourth CET band adopted

    EAC ministers for trade and finance adopted 35% as the fourth band of the Common External Tariff ¹⁸.

36. 1 July 2022In force

    Reviewed CET in force

    The four-band CET of 0%, 10%, 25% and 35% took effect ^18,19.

37. 11 July 2022Historical

    DRC becomes the seventh Partner State

    The DRC deposited its instrument of ratification in Arusha and became the seventh EAC Partner State ³¹.

38. 1 December 2023In force

    Central Corridor admits Malawi and Zambia

    The Central Corridor agreement was amended to admit Malawi and Zambia ³.

39. 18 March 2024Historical

    EAC workshop on DRC Customs Union integration

    The EAC Secretariat held a five-day workshop for DRC officials from 18 to 22 March 2024 on joining the Customs Union, per TradeMark Africa ³².

40. 20 January 2025In force

    Enhanced TANCIS launched

    TRA launched an enhanced TANCIS in Dar es Salaam and said 36 other institutional systems are integrated with it ²⁹.

41. 13 February 2025Historical

    Rubavu and Goma border hours extended

    The EastAfrican reported that the North Kivu governor appointed by M23/AFC leader Corneille Nangaa set opening hours of 6am to 10pm after the capture of Goma ³⁸.

42. 30 June 2025Historical

    EAC Gazette sets stays and remissions

    EAC Gazette No. 19 published Legal Notices 171 to 190 on stays of application of the CET and duty remission ²⁰.

43. 26 September 2025In force

    2025 customs law amendment in force

    The EAC Customs Management (Amendment) Act, 2025, assented on 30 November 2024, came into force. It sets no duty on goods valued at fifty dollars or less ²¹.

44. 1 October 2025Announced

    Tanzania asks for more time on TeSWS

    Tanzania asked the WTO to extend the single window definitive date from 30 December 2025. 30 December 2028 was agreed ³⁴.

45. 18 March 2026In force

    South Sudan bars cash for government payments

    Radio Yei reported that all taxes, fees, levies and duties in South Sudan must be paid through the official e-tax platform ¹⁷.

46. 30 March 2026Official finding

    Tanzania audit on system integration

    The Controller and Auditor General found that Tanzania Bureau of Standards and Cashewnut Board systems are not integrated with TANCIS ³⁵.

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