With 21 member countries, trade within the COMESA region can be challenging, as traders are confronted with extensive and duplicated documentation transmissions, to both the export and the import country, in different data formats and data types. To overcome this challenge, COMESA is working with its member States to launch a Regional Electronic Single Window (called "COMSW") that will enable trade and customs documents transmitted by exporters to the country of exit of goods to be used as entry documentation in other COMESA countries where they are imported, so to avoid duplications in the transmission of such information. This is the first experience of such type in Africa. Electronic documents that will be exchanged through the COMSW will include import and export licenses, permits and various types of certificates required for completing cross-border trade transactions.

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A study made by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the UNCTAD Secretariat sheds light on one important aspect of regional integration, namely, the effective use of the trade preferences provided by Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) such as the COMESA and SADC FTAs, or the EAC Customs Union, compared to other preferential concessions granted by developed countries, namely: Canada, the European Union, Japan and the United States of America, collectively indicated as “QUAD” countries. The study notes that utilization rates of the preferences established by such RECs are lower than the average registered under preferential concessions granted by QUAD.

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