Tanzania has officially banned the importation of agricultural products from Malawi and South Africa, citing retaliatory action against similar trade restrictions imposed by the two countries.
Agriculture Minister Hussein Bashe made the announcement late Wednesday in a video shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account. He stated that the decision followed the expiration of a deadline Tanzania had given both nations to lift their bans on Tanzanian agricultural goods.
Bashe explained that Malawi had recently prohibited the import of several Tanzanian agricultural commodities, including maize flour, rice, ginger, and bananas. South Africa, on its part, had blocked banana shipments originating from Tanzania’s commercial hub, Dar es Salaam.
“I would like to officially announce that from this night… we won’t allow any agricultural products from South Africa in our country,” Bashe declared. “A similar ban is being imposed on Malawi.”
Although the minister confirmed that discussions with both countries would continue, he stressed that Tanzania needed to take firm steps to protect its economic interests.
Beyond the import ban, Tanzania will also restrict the transit of agricultural goods through its territory en route to landlocked Malawi. In addition, the country will halt the export of Tanzanian-made fertilizer to Malawi.
“We are taking this measure to protect our business. This is business, and we should all respect each other,” Bashe emphasized.
All three countries are members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a regional bloc aimed at promoting economic integration and cooperation.
