COMESA, EAC and SADC Member States Review Tripartite Simplified Trade Regime Ahead of 2026 Adoption
Partner and Member States from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have concluded a two-day technical meeting to review the Tripartite Simplified Trade Regime (TSTR) Framework, paving the way for its validation and eventual adoption in 2026.
The meeting, held from 27 to 28 November 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa, built on earlier consultations with Informal Cross-Border Traders (ICBTs) from 24 to 25 November. Women, young people and cross-border associations shared first-hand experiences and challenges, ensuring that their voices directly shaped improvements to the TSTR Framework.
The session was chaired by Ms Mai Mohamed Ezzat Ali Ramadan, Trade Policy Analyst at Egypt’s Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade, representing the current Chair of the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite.
Facilitator of the meeting and Coordinator of the Tripartite STR Project at the SADC Secretariat, Mr Rangarirai Machemedze, welcomed the progress made, emphasising that the consultations had brought vital issues to the forefront, including difficulties faced by small-scale traders.
He noted that many Partner and Member States were aligned with the concerns raised, particularly those affecting women and youth.
“We look forward to the validation of the framework so that it becomes a living document that can be used across the Tripartite region,” Mr Machemedze said.
East African Community Director of Customs and Trade and Chairperson of the Tripartite Task Force, Ms Flavia Busingye, commended participants for their substantive contributions. She stressed that the strengthened TSTR Framework will address key challenges such as gender-based violence at borders, costly and cumbersome customs procedures, and barriers that hinder the free movement of goods.
She called on stakeholders to maintain momentum as preparations advance towards the framework’s validation in early 2026. Ms Busingye also expressed gratitude to the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) for its continued support to the Tripartite STR Project.
AGRA’s Senior Specialist for Food Trade Policy, Mr Protase Echessah, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting regional integration and inclusive economic development, both central themes of the TSTR Framework.
During the meeting, Member States examined the objectives, legal underpinnings and key features of the TSTR Framework. They reviewed essential documents such as the Simplified Certificate of Origin, the Simplified Customs Declaration and other supporting tools.
Discussions also focused on the Common List of Eligible Products, institutional arrangements required for implementation, and national-level obligations.
For more than two decades, COMESA, EAC and SADC have implemented their own Simplified Trade Regimes, designed to support small-scale cross-border traders. The proposed Tripartite Framework builds on these experiences, harmonising best practices into a single model to reduce trade costs and improve efficiency.
Once adopted, the TSTR Framework is expected to streamline customs procedures, enhance transparency and significantly boost the participation of small-scale traders especially women and young entrepreneurs within the Tripartite region.
