The EAC Common Market Protocol

A step beyond the customs union

The EAC Common Market Protocol, signed in 2009 and in force since 2010, extends regional integration beyond trade in goods: it provides for the free movement of goods, services, capital and labour, as well as the right of establishment and residence between partner states.

Relevance for traders

For a trade operator, the common market is relevant in particular to the possibility of supplying cross-border services (for example logistics or consulting) and of establishing a business in another partner state. Practical implementation details (recognition of professional qualifications, work permit regimes) vary by sector and by state.

Check before relying on it

The actual degree of common market implementation differs according to the commitments made by each partner state in its national schedule: verify with the EAC Secretariat and the relevant ministries of trade and labour.