The Non-Tariff Barrier Monitoring Mechanism – PERISA Case Study 1 on Private Sector

The persistence of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) has been the subject of much of the recent discourse on regional integration in Southern and East Africa. There has been a surfeit of recommended approaches to dealing with the regional NTB challenge, which is still unmatched by outcomes. One recent intervention, and the subject of this case study, is the NTB Monitoring Mechanism (NTB Mechanism) of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC). The mechanism, whose features include an online reporting function, is a regional instrument for the monitoring, reporting, and elimination of NTBs within and across the three regional economic communities (RECs).