The EAC: A customs union that isn’t

Economic integration is important for development in Africa. However, when countries simply claim to have achieved certain levels of integration when they have not, they run into trouble.

Negotiations between the EU and EAC to establish an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) have revealed, very clearly, that the EAC is not a genuine customs union. Recently, the EU and Kenya alone concluded negotiations to establish an EPA. Kenya has also reached a bilateral EPA agreement with the UK. These bilateral arrangements would not be possible in a real customs union.