The establishment of a single customs union is seen as an important component that would help some countries in the region that belong to more than one regional blocs to conduct their trade smoothly.

The experts from the East African Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have been meeting in the Zambian capital of Lusaka since Monday with the aim of coming up with solutions on how to harmonize the trading arrangement in the region when all the regional blocs start implementing customs unions.

The World Trade Organization trade rules stipulate that a country should not belong to two customs unions. However, a number of countries in the region have multiple membership, a situation that has put them in a quandary on which customs union to choose to stay within.

Already, the EAC has implemented its customs union since 2005 while the COMESA would establish its customs union next year and the SADC in 2010.

Some countries such as Zambia have already begun consultations with different stakeholders to choose a regional bloc that best suits them.

COMESA Director of Trade, Customs and Monetary Affairs Charles Chantunya told Xinhua here on Thursday that the experts have recommended the establishment of a customs union as a viable solution to enhance trade in the region and solve the problem of multiple membership.