This article published by the World Bank offers a thoughtful and timely examination of how policy design can reshape regional commerce in East Africa. Co-authored by Danilo Desiderio and Ankur Huria, it goes beyond traditional trade policy discourse to highlight how practical rule design can fundamentally impact the lives of small‑scale traders and the economies they support. The article grounds its analysis in the real experiences of traders who must navigate bureaucratic hurdles every day as they cross the Moyale border, between Kenya and Ethiopia. This human focus immediately distinguishes the piece from more abstract policy discussions and reminds readers that trade facilitation is not an exercise in economics alone, but one with direct implications for livelihoods.

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Our article challenges conventional thinking in Customs by reframing the concept of control. Its core message is straightforward yet impactful: the problem is not insufficient control, but poorly designed control. It advocates for a transition from blanket verification to risk-based, intelligence-led approaches, where instruments such as self-certification are complemented by targeted ex-post checks and robust penalty structures for non-compliance. This perspective is consistent with growing evidence that overly complex origin requirements undermine both the ability and the willingness of firms to utilize trade preferences. The article goes beyond critique. It sets out a practical pathway toward reducing trader costs, improving compliance, and strengthening enforcement. In doing so, it calls for a broader shift in modern Customs systems (from more control to smarter control), a transition that is particularly critical in developing and least developed countries, where high control levels are often driven by their higher reliance on revenue collection at borders. Read it on the World Customs Journal.