15th April 2026, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: The East African Business Council (EABC) participated in the MARKUP II (Market Access Upgrade Programme – Phase II) Capacity Building Programme on strengthening trade promotion cooperation between the European Union (EU) and the East African Community (EAC), organized in collaboration with Trade Promotion Europe (TPE) in Dar es Salaam on 15th –16th April 2026.
The workshop aimed to strengthen EU–EAC trade cooperation, enhance institutional capacity, and promote best practices in trade and investment promotion.
In his remarks, Mr. Ahmed Farah, Executive Director of the East African Business Council, elaborated on the importance of strengthening collaboration between the public and private sectors to collaborate in removing barriers and marketing trade and investment opportunities of the EAC bloc.
The capacity building provided a platform for dialogue, peer learning, and collaboration on trade promotion strategies, opportunities for joint initiatives, and discussed ways to improve service delivery to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The EABC presentation, delivered by Mr. Adrian Njau, Trade and Policy Advisor, put forward the following recommendations:
• Harmonize trade-related policies and export strategies among EAC Partner States
• Align approaches and priorities for access to foreign markets (e.g., EPA, AGOA) across EAC Partner States
• Strengthen capacity in export-related skills, competitiveness, and access to export information
• Enhance export readiness of EAC businesses, particularly SMEs
• Promote diversification into trade in services, especially tourism, alongside trade in goods
The workshop also emphasized the importance of digitalization, service design, and stronger partnerships to support SMEs in accessing international markets.
About EU–EAC MARKUP II: The European Union (EU)–East African Community (EAC) MARKUP II programme, funded by the EU, aims to enhance economic development in the EAC through sustainable intra-African and EU–Africa trade. It is implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC) in collaboration with the EAC Secretariat and national partners in the beneficiary countries.
