The East African Community recorded robust growth in international merchandise trade in the second quarter of 2025, highlighting the region's economic resilience and growing competitiveness, according to the latest EAC Quarterly Statistics Bulletin released on Monday.Total trade for the eight-member bloc rose by 28.4 percent to $38.2 billion, up from $29.7 billion in the same quarter last year. The growth was mainly driven by exports, which surged by 40.5 percent to $18.6 billion amid rising international demand for East African products. Imports grew by 18.8 percent to $19.6 billion, sharply narrowing the trade deficit from $3.2 billion to just $0.9 billion.Trade with other African countries expanded by 42.9 percent to $9.3 billion, accounting for nearly a quarter of the region's total trade, while intra-EAC commerce rose 24.5 percent to $4.6 billion, representing 12.1 percent of the bloc's total.Deepened ties with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa and the Southern African Development Community contributed 9.9 percent and 15.2 percent, respectively, to the region's trade, the report says. China, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Singapore remained the top destinations for EAC exports, while China retained its position as the leading source. Copper, precious stones and metals, coffee and tea, mineral fuels and ores accounted for nearly 80 percent of total exports, whereas petroleum products, machines, vehicles, precious metals, plastics, and iron and steel dominated imports.Despite the positive trade performance, inflation remained high, with the annual headline rate in the bloc standing at 22.7 percent in June 2025, down slightly from 24 percent in May but well above 13.7 percent a year earlier, largely due to price increases in South Sudan and Burundi. (ICE NAIROBI)

Fonte notizia: The EastAfrican