Partners and Member States of the COMESA-EAC-SADC have reaffirmed the Tripartite Simplified Trade Regime (TSTR) as a strategic instrument for advancing regional integration and transforming cross-border trade.
This was underscored during a Policy Dialogue Forum held on 18-19 February 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya which engaged umbrella civil society organisations and business apex bodies.
The TSTR aims to simplify, speed up and reduce the cost of cross-border trade particularly for small-scale traders, women and youth while supporting broader continental frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area(AfCFTA) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
The TSTR is supported through the technical and financial assistance of AGRA, which aims to strengthen agricultural markets, support smallholder farmers and enable policy reforms aligned with the objectives of the Tripartite arrangement.
Once fully implemented, the TSTR is expected to ease cross-border trading, lower costs and barriers, create greater opportunities for small businesses, strengthen regional cooperation and promote inclusive participation in regional trade.
The Forum was attended by representatives of civil society, youth networks, women’s organisations, labour movements, business councils, farmers’ associations and the Tripartite Task Force (COMESA, EAC and SADC).
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