Afreximbank issues $29m guarantee for EAC digital customs bond

Afreximbank has issued a USD 29 million guarantee to BSMART Technology Ltd to support the expansion of the East African Community (EAC) Customs Bond. This digital system is designed to facilitate the movement of goods across East African borders by allowing a single customs guarantee to cover shipments as they transit through multiple member states.

The digital platform aims to reduce administrative burdens, eliminate the need for physical paperwork at successive border crossings, and decrease the reliance on repeated national guarantees. By providing a common digital interface for clearing agents, guarantors, and customs authorities, the system seeks to streamline regional logistics.

The initiative follows a pilot phase in Uganda in August 2025, with Rwanda and Burundi joining the process in early 2026. The rollout coincides with a period of rising intra-EAC trade, which reached $3.2 billion in the second quarter of 2026.