Rationalization of international trade and investment agreements: case of East African community

Global and regional trends in economic, political, and social cooperation through international trade and investments agreements have continued to create closer integration between countries and regions. For many years, international trade has been set in bilateral and multilateral treaties between nations. For the last few decades, this regulatory framework has evolved to facilitate international business through international trade and investment agreements between countries and between regional intergovernmental organizations to cover a large number of markets, thus promoting economic globalization as well. This research conducts an investigative and comparative analysis on international trade and investment agreements - the case of the East African Community (EAC). It examines their implications on cross-border and regional trade and investment patterns within the EAC region and with the rest of the world. The findings bespeak that the organisation has made significant achievements and has increased its trade by breaking down within barriers, mostly unilaterally. The EAC regional integration process agenda has been instigated and backed up by economic, political, and social development frameworks through partnership. The EAC trading in goods and services, as well as the movement of people and capital resources, continue to grow dramatically, thanks to the accelerated sharing of technology that escalate economic development and modernisation across national and regional borders. Investment and trade both within the organisation and with the rest of the world remain the fundamental pillar to promote its economies of scale and sophisticated production and increase its presence at the international level. The final conclusion reflects the initial contribution this study yields to the base of knowledge on the topic in question. It adds new evidence and documentation in the existing literature on international trade and investment by examining the performance of inter-regional and international trade and investment activities based on the treaties that encompass the EAC countries.