The agreement entered into force on 1 January 1971, concomitant with the second Yaoundé Convention, with the aim of establishing better economic relations between the EC and the African states.
At the end of their validity time, the Lomé Convention was signed which substituted the previous agreements and enlarged them to 46 ACP countries.
On 26 July 1968 the EEC signed an initial Association Agreement with the EAC.
That Agreement was signed at the same time as the Convention of Association between the EEC and the AAMS (Yaoundé II); both the Arusha Agreement and the Yaoundé II Convention entered into force on 1 January 1971 for a period of five years.
The Arusha Agreement established a trade association (partial free-trade areas and joint institutions) but, unlike the Yaoundé II Convention, without financial and technical cooperation.