Tanzania bans South Africa and Malawi imports as trade row escalates

Tanzania has banned all agricultural imports from South Africa and Malawi. This decision is part of a growing trade dispute.

Tanzania's Agriculture Minister, Hussein Bashe, announced the ban on Wednesday. He stated, "We are taking this step to protect our business interests." He emphasized the need for mutual respect in business.

For years, South Africa has blocked bananas from Tanzania. Malawi has also restricted imports of flour, rice, ginger, bananas, and maize from Tanzania.

Diplomatic efforts to resolve these trade issues have failed. However, Bashe mentioned that new talks are ongoing.

South African exports to Tanzania will be affected. This includes various fruits like apples and grapes. Malawi relies on Tanzanian ports for its exports such as tobacco and sugar.

Malawi's import ban was announced in March as a temporary measure. The goal was to protect local producers from foreign competition. Trade Minister Vitumbiko Mumba called it a strategic move for local businesses.

Bashe criticized Malawi's restrictions as "unfair and harmful" to Tanzanian traders. He assured Tanzanians that food security would not be threatened by the ban.

"No Tanzanian will die from a lack of South African grapes or apples," he said. He added that these actions aim to protect Tanzanian interests.

The governments of South Africa and Malawi have not yet commented on the ban. The disagreement is already affecting trade among the three countries.

All three nations are members of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc). On Saturday, Bashe shared a video showing rotten bananas at the border with Malawi.

He expressed frustration over this situation. In recent years, Malawi has become an important market for Tanzanian goods. Exports to Malawi have tripled between 2018 and 2023.

While Tanzania can find alternative markets in Kenya or Namibia, Malawi faces challenges exporting goods. Much of its exports pass through Dar es Salaam port in Tanzania.

Losing access to this port could force Malawi to use more expensive Mozambican ports like Beira or Nacala.

Bashe clarified that the ban is not intended to start a trade war but to protect Tanzania’s interests. "Tanzania will not allow unequal market access at the expense of its people," he stated.