Export Market Guide - East African Community
This content is restricted to wine exporters and levy-payers. Some reports are available for purchase to non-levy payers/exporters.
All regulatory information for exporting wine to the East African Community, including the regulatory environment, duties and taxes, and permitted additives.
Unless an exemption has been granted by Wine Australia, grape products exported from Australia must comply with the Food Standards Code. Accordingly, the labelling and wine standards information in Wine Australia’s Export Market Guides should be read in conjunction with Wine Australia’s Licensing and Compliance Guide which contains the requirements of the Food Standards Code and applicable exemptions.
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of the Republics of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the United Republic of Tanzania. The EAC’s headquarters are in Arusha, Tanzania.
The EAC was established in 2000. It became a Customs Union in 2005. The second integration milestone was reached in 2010 with the implementation of the Common Market with free movement of goods, people, labour, services and capital as well as rights of establishment and residence.
In 2006 the EAC enacted the East African Community Standardization, Quality Assurance, Metrology, and Testing Act (EAC SQMT Act 2006). The purpose of the Act is to make provision for ensuring standardisation, quality assurance, metrology and testing of products produced or traded in the Community in order to facilitate industrial development and trade. There are currently 80 technical committees. More than 1,200 standards have been harmonised to date, covering most sectors. Conformity assessment procedures have been harmonized with recognition of Partner State quality marks.
Member states:
Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Regulatory environment
The EAC operates as a Single Customs Territory meaning that only one Customs declaration is made in the country at which goods are first consigned. Once in the Customs Territory, the goods may move among Partner States without internal customs controls. Partner States’ individual revenue offices (Office Burundais des Recettes; Kenya Customs & Border Control Department; Rwanda Revenue Authority; South Sudan Revenue Authority; Tanzania Revenue Authority; and Uganda Civil Aviation Authority) administer the EAC Customs Management Act 2004. Other laws that impose state-based taxes and levies (including VAT and excise) are legislated at a Partner State level.
The EAC has adopted a number of technical standards that relate to wine including:
- EAS 138:2019 – Still Table Wine Specification
- EAS 140:2017 – Sparkling Wine Specification
- EAS 139:2017 – Fortified Wine Specification
- EAS 143:2017 – Brandy Specification
- EAS 104-2014 – Wine Testing Methodologies
Other applicable laws are legislated at a Partner State level including Kenya’s Alcoholic Drinks Control Act 2010 that only applies in Kenya. The various Partner State departments of public health administer the general food laws while the Partner States’ bureaus of standards administer the EAC technical standards.
For further information on the Kenyan market, refer to the separate Kenya Export Market Guide.