The East African Community (EAC) posted a robust recovery in trade during the second quarter of 2025 (April–June), with total trade rising 28.4% to US$38.2 billion from US$29.7 billion a year earlier, driven largely by a sharp increase in export earnings, the latest EAC Quarterly Statistics Bulletin shows.
Exports expanded 40.5% to US$18.6 billion while imports grew 18.8% to US$19.6 billion. The export surge was powered by a small group of high-value products — mineral fuels, coffee and tea, precious stones, base metals and cut flowers — which together accounted for nearly 80% of the region’s export earnings in the quarter.
Key external partners continued to shape the region’s trade profile. China, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa together made up 55% of EAC trade during the period. Imports from China rose from US$3.6 billion to US$4.7 billion, and the UAE, India, South Africa and Japan also increased their shares of the EAC’s import bill. Major import categories included petroleum products, machinery, vehicles, plastics and iron and steel inputs.
Trade within Africa gathered momentum, rising from US$6.5 billion to US$9.3 billion and representing 42.9% of total EAC trade. Intra-EAC flows strengthened as well, increasing to US$4.6 billion from US$3.7 billion, driven by higher cross-border trade in manufactured goods, food staples and consumer products. Regional trading blocs COMESA and SADC remained important partners, contributing 9.9% and 15.2% of total trade respectively.
The bulletin’s figures point to a region rebounding on the back of commodity-led export gains and deepening intra-African commercial ties, while also underscoring the continued importance of diversified external markets and resilient supply chains for sustaining growth.