Burundi is advancing steadily toward its Vision 2040 goal of becoming a competitive and integrated economy, with trade development at the core of its strategy.  

Achieving these ambitions requires strong partnerships to unlock new opportunities, enhance competitiveness, and drive sustainable growth.  

The International Trade Centre (ITC), a longstanding partner of Burundi, continues to support the country’s trade agenda through export development, policy development, institutional strengthening, and regional integration. 

Dorothy Tembo, Deputy Executive Director of ITC, was in Bujumbura this week to take part in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) summit, one of Africa's largest and most influential regional economic communities. 

There she joined heads of State at the encounter, and also met with business leaders at the COMESA Business Council Forum, which had a particular focus on finding strategies to create value chains based on the potential offered by intra-African tourism.  

“Tourism, as we’ve seen at ITC through our work with small businesses, is trade. It’s an export sector and needs to be treated as such—which is too often not the case. That’s something we, and many of our partners, are seeking to change,” said Tembo. 

But the visit was also crucial to reinforce ITC’s relationship with key government officials, business support institutions, sector associations, and development partners to align efforts with Burundi’s national trade priorities.  

A high-level meeting with the Minister of Trade, Industry, and Tourism, Ms. Marie Chantal Njimbere cemented agreements to foster collaboration in continuous quality standards improvement—a critical step towards increasing Burundi’s export potential. The discussion also focused on developing trade in services and reinforcing regional economic integration, including under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). 

A central focus of the mission was ITC’s collaboration with national institutions, including BBN (Burundi Bureau of Standards), ODECA (Coffee Regulatory Authority), and ISABU (Agricultural Research Institute) who continue to benefit from ITC MARKUP I&II technical assistance, cutting-edge equipment and capacity building. DED  

In January, in a historic achievement for Burundi’s Quality Infrastructure System, the Laboratory for Soil Analysis and Food Products (LASPA) of the Institute of Agriculture Science of Burundi (ISABU) and the Chemistry Laboratory of Burundi Bureau of Standards and Quality Control (BBN) were accredited to comply with international standards. 

This allowed entrepreneurs in Burundi to access export markets, improving chances of development and economic growth. 

Tembo emphasized the importance of institutional capacity building to help exporters meet international standards and improve their competitiveness.  

These efforts align closely with Burundi’s ambition to develop key sectors like coffee, tea, and avocado and strengthen the role of SMEs in regional trade.