Report by the WTO Secretariat

Agriculture is at the core of economic developments in the East African Community (EAC). Its good performance, underpinned by favourable weather conditions and rising global demand for its exports in recent years, helped EAC countries to register positive economic developments from 2006 to 2007 and to recover relatively well from the global economic and financial crisis. However, low resilience, together with traditional farming practices and a narrow export base, have led to a significant economic slowdown in the region, in the wake of the global economic and financial crisis in 2008. Low tourist arrivals have also played a part, as the industry is crucial for Kenya (the only non-LDC in the region) and Tanzania, the two largest economies in the EAC.