With the support of European Union, the East African Community (EAC) and ITC, East African companies can now access consolidated information tailored to their products and target markets without navigating multiple sources.
Certifications, sanitary rules, packaging standards, and labelling requirements can make it difficult for small businesses in East Africa to compete in export markets.
Together, these are known as non-tariff measures. Knowing how to navigate them can turn regulatory hurdles into opportunities.
The new Non-Tariff Measures Self-Assessment Tool (NTM SAT) is the first free global information hub dedicated to helping businesses understand and comply with non-tariff measures.
The International Trade Centre (ITC) created the tool with support from the European Union (EU). The tool focuses especially on health and safety requirements for food, and on technical requirements for things like packaging and labelling.
The tool was launched during a breakout panel discussion at the East African Business and Investment Summit & Expo 2026, held in Nairobi on 25 February 2026.
Sagoh Djete, Project Manager for Regional Cooperation – Infrastructure at the EU Delegation to Tanzania and the EAC, underscored the importance of working together closely to advance regional integration, strengthen intra-African trade, and improve access to global markets.
A new approach to regulatory transparency
Built on the data of ITC’s Market Access Map, the tool translates complex legal texts into clear, structured, and actionable guidance. Companies can now access consolidated information tailored to their products and target markets without navigating multiple sources.
Core Features
The platform combines three integrated functions:
- Search: Identify import requirements applied to a specific product in a chosen export market.
- Compare: Analyse and compare regulatory requirements particularly health and technical measures across markets or against international standards.
- Self-assess: Conduct a step-by-step diagnostic to evaluate product compliance with detailed regulatory requirements and identify gaps before shipment.
By integrating regulatory data with a practical self-diagnostic feature, the tool enables firms to move from information to implementation.
How does it improve competitiveness and regional integration?
For small businesses, the NTM SAT reduces the time and cost required to interpret trade regulations, minimizes the risk of border rejections, and supports informed decisions about export destinations.
For policymakers, it provides structured and reliable NTM data to support regulatory reform, improve transparency, and promote regional convergence.
The launch of the NTM SAT represents a tangible step toward equipping enterprises to navigate international trade regulations with confidence and turn compliance into a competitive advantage.
The tool was developed under the EU–EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP II). The programme is funded by the EU through the Global Gateway, implemented by ITC in partnership with the East African Secretariat and national partners. It aims to enhance economic development in the EAC through sustainable intra-African and EU-Africa trade.
25 February 2026, Nairobi, Kenya – The NTMSAT was launched during a breakout panel discussion at the East African Business and Investment Summit & Expo 2026. Photo by ITC