Proliferation of Non-Tariff Barriers Reporting and Resolution Systems in Africa: Opportunity or Curse?

By Danilo Desiderio

While tariffs have gained renewed attention under recent administrations, they are far from the only tools countries use to restrict imports. Beyond tariffs, governments employ a wide array of measures – such as import quotas, licensing requirements, discriminatory taxes, excessive documentation demands, complex rules of origin, and anti-dumping actions – to achieve protectionist goals.

These measures, collectively known as Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) , impose significant challenges on international trade by making imports and exports more difficult, costly, or even impossible.

Unlike Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs) – which are legitimate policy instruments designed to safeguard public interests like environmental protection, consumer safety, and public health – NTBs are explicitly adopted to restrict trade for protectionist purposes. However, the line between NTMs and NTBs can blur.

A measure intended to protect public interests may morph into an NTB if it is disproportionate (more restrictive than necessary), discriminatory (unfairly targeting foreign goods over domestic ones), or opaque (lacking transparency in its application).

With tariff liberalization largely achieved across Africa, the elimination of NTBs remains one of the continent’s most pressing challenges. These barriers significantly inflate the cost of doing business in African nations, stifling regional and continental trade.

To address this issue, several African countries and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) have developed NTB monitoring mechanisms that allow economic operators to report barriers for swift resolution.

East Africa’s Efforts to Combat NTBs

In the East African Community (EAC), National Monitoring Committees on Non-Tariff Barriers to Trade (NMCs) have been established in nearly all member states to facilitate the smooth movement of goods and services while reducing import and export times. Somalia, which has yet to establish such a body, plans to do so by the end of 2025.

These committees identify, monitor, and work to eliminate NTBs using web-based and SMS platforms where businesses can report issues.

Meanwhile, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the EAC, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have adopted a joint approach with the creation of TradeBarriers.org, a unified online platform for reporting, monitoring, and resolving NTBs. In December 2023, the EAC Secretariat launched a mobile app offering traders a one-stop solution for reporting NTBs across the EAC, COMESA, and SADC regions.

At the continental level, the African Union (AU) has also introduced a similar mechanism within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) , operational since January 13, 2020.

West Africa’s Mixed Results

In West Africa , the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) – known by its French acronym, UEMOA – launched the Observatory of Abnormal Practices in 2006 with support from USAID. This initiative monitored harassment practices along key corridors, publishing periodic reports on checkpoints, illicit payments, and delays caused by these practices.

However, it was not a comprehensive NTB-monitoring system. Recognizing this gap, UEMOA adopted the Trade Obstacles Alert Mechanism (TOAM) in 2018, a web-based platform enabling businesses to report NTBs, trade obstacles, and other operational challenges.

By 2022, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had also embraced TOAM.

At the national level, several WAEMU and ECOWAS member states have implemented their own TOAM platforms. Unfortunately, adoption has been uneven.

For example, Mauritius’ platform received 65 complaints – a modest but respectable number – while Seychelles saw only one case reported, and Zambia recorded no complaints at all since its platform’s inception.

Other initiatives include the Borderless Alliance, which operates in Ghana and Burkina Faso, and the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS). Since 2013, CILSS has monitored trade flows of agro-pastoral products (such as cereals, peas, and livestock) along key corridors in the Sahel and West Africa.

Periodic reports document road harassment practices and summarize trade barriers affecting intra-regional commerce in agricultural and livestock products.

A Double-Edged Sword: Opportunity or Curse?

The proliferation of NTB reporting and resolution systems across Africa signals a clear trend toward addressing trade barriers. From REC-led platforms to national and continental mechanisms like those under the AfCFTA, there is undeniable momentum.

Yet, the effectiveness of these systems has yielded mixed results. A major obstacle is low awareness among traders about the existence and utility of these platforms.

Many businesses remain unaware of how to report NTBs or which platform to use, leading to confusion and under-utilization.

While the establishment of these systems demonstrates a growing commitment to tackling NTBs – one of the primary impediments to intra-African trade – their sheer number risks creating redundancy and inefficiency. Instead of proliferating new platforms, African governments should focus on promoting and consolidating existing mechanisms at the regional and continental levels.

Educating traders on how to leverage these tools is crucial to ensuring their success.

This effort aligns with Africa’s long-standing aspiration for regional and continental integration – an idea rooted in the Pan-African ideals of the 19th century. The vision of a united, self-determined continent emerged as a response to the legacies of slavery and colonialism.

Today, overcoming NTBs through effective reporting and resolution systems could be a decisive step toward realizing that vision.

In conclusion, the proliferation of NTB reporting systems presents both an opportunity and a challenge. If managed effectively – with streamlined platforms, increased awareness, and robust enforcement – these systems could unlock the full potential of Africa’s regional and continental trade networks.

However, without careful coordination and education, the risk of fragmentation and inefficiency looms large. The path forward requires strategic alignment and sustained commitment to ensure that these tools serve as catalysts for growth rather than sources of frustration.

Danilo Desiderio serves as the CEO of Desiderio Consultants Ltd in Nairobi, Kenya, specializing in African customs, trade, and transport policies. He is a customs and trade expert at the World Bank and a senior associate to the Horn Economic and Social Policy Institute (HESPI).