Tanzania imposes ban on agricultural imports from South Africa and Malawi

Confirming the move on April 23, Tanzania’s Agriculture Minister, Hussein Bashe, framed the decision as a necessary step to safeguard national business interests. “This is business — in business, we must all respect each other,” Bashe asserted during his announcement.

Tensions between Tanzania and its trade partners have simmered for years. South Africa has long prohibited Tanzanian banana imports, while Malawi, which shares a border with Tanzania, announced a ban in March 2025 on the import of several Tanzanian products, including flour, rice, ginger, bananas, and maize.

Malawi’s authorities described their restrictions as a temporary measure to shield local producers from external competition.

“It is a strategic move to create an environment where local businesses can thrive without the immediate pressure of foreign competition,” Malawi’s Trade Minister Vitumbiko Mumba explained at the time.

However, Minister Bashe argued that Malawi’s restrictions have “directly affected” Tanzanian traders, calling them “unfair and harmful.” Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve these issues, no breakthrough has been achieved.

The ban will have immediate repercussions on agricultural trade across the region. South African exports of various fruits, including apples and grapes, to Tanzania will be halted. For Malawi, the consequences may be more severe. The landlocked nation has relied heavily on Tanzanian ports, especially Dar es Salaam, for the export of key commodities such as tobacco, sugar, and soybeans, as well as for essential imports like fuel and machinery.

The closure of Tanzanian markets and ports could force Malawi to reroute trade through the Mozambican ports of Beira and Nacala, a move expected to increase costs and logistical challenges.

Tanzanian exports to Malawi had trebled between 2018 and 2023, according to official data, highlighting the growing importance of Malawi as a market for Tanzanian goods.

While South Africa and Malawi have yet to issue formal responses to Tanzania’s latest measures, the effects of the dispute are already being felt. Minister Bashe, in a social media post on Saturday, shared footage of a truckload of bananas rotting at the Malawi-Tanzania border, symbolising the strain on regional trade flows.

Despite the growing row, Bashe insisted that Tanzania's ban is defensive, not provocative. “Tanzania will not continue to allow unequal market access to persist at the expense of its people,” he stated. He also reassured citizens that the ban would not compromise national food security. “No Tanzanian will die from a lack of South African grapes or apples,” Bashe said.

Source: globalsouthworld.com