Tanzania prohibits imports of South Africa and Malawi as the commercial order escalates

Usually, a lively border crossing between Tanzania and Malawi was absent in its regular activity on Thursday morning as the retail line in the region deepens.

From midnight, Tanzania has banned the entry of all agricultural imports from Malawi and South Africa in response to what he sees as restrictions on some of his exports.

South Africa has been banning bananas from Tanzania for years. Malawi, last month, blocked the import of flour, rice, ginger, bananas and corn from his northern neighbor.

“We are taking this step to protect our business interests … in business, we all have to respect each other,” Tanzani Hussein Bashe Minister of Agriculture said on Wednesday, confirming the ban on imports.

Diplomatic efforts to resolve commercial issues have failed so far, but Bash said fresh negotiations are ongoing.

The order comes at a time when Africa is to focus on a greater free trade through the creation of a free trade area across the continent, which began to operate four years ago.

South African exports of various fruits, including apples and grapes, will be hit. In the meantime, Malawi, who relied on the ports of Tanzania to carry his exports like tobacco, sugar and soybeans to the rest of the world, will have to redirect his goods.

Malawi’s ban on the import of a particular production, declared in March, was designed as a temporary measure, covering goods from all countries to protect local producers, according to Lilongve authorities.

“This is a strategic move to create an environment where local business can thrive without the immediate pressure of foreign competition,” Malawi’s sales minister, Vitumbiko Mumba, said at that time.

The Minister of Agriculture of Tanzania said Malawi’s move “directly influenced” his country’s traders and described the restrictions as “unjust and harmful”.

While confirming the ban on imports, Bashe assured the Tanzanians that this would not threaten their food security.

“No Tanzan will die of a lack of South African grapes or apples,” he said, adding that “we are taking these actions to protect the Tanzan interests.”

Neither South Africa nor Malawi commented on Tanzania’s course.

On the passage of Casumulu, through which most commercial commercial programs passes, only a handful of trucks transporting goods such as fuel were spotted by Tanzania.

On a normal day, more than 15 trucks loaded with agricultural products will cross the border, drivers told the BBC.

On the part of Malawi, many trucks that have to transport bananas and tomatoes through Tanzania were parked and empty.

“(Drivers) are now trying to find alternative products to transport. It was very difficult for them because they are accustomed to carrying farm goods, and now they cannot carry not only bananas and tomatoes, but even on corn and potatoes,” Happy Zulu, a business man, in front of the BBC.

Commercial flows between Tanzania, Malawi and South Africa – all members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), regional political, security and economic body – have already been affected last week.

On Saturday Bashe Posted video on social media showing a pile of rotten bananas In a truck stuck on the border with Malawi, saying it is difficult for Tanzania to tolerate the trend.

Tons of tomatoes also broke at the border recently, after Tanzania trucks were refused to enter Malawi.

Malawi has become an increasingly important market for Tanzanian goods in recent years, with exports revolving between 2018 and 2023, according to the official figures of Tanzania.

But while Tanzania can look for alternative markets like in Kenya, Namibia and South Sudan, Malawi may be more difficult to remove its goods from the country.

Much of his exports pass through the Tanzanian port of Dar Es Salam, as well as a major import as fuel and machines.

The loss of access to Dar Es Salam will probably force Malawi to move shipments through the ports of Mozambique from Bira and Nazhala – options that can be more expensive.

Bashe claims that the ban is not intended to provoke a trade war, but to defend Tanzania’s interests.

“Tanzania will not continue to allow unequal access to the market to continue at the expense of its people,” he said.

Additional reporting from Wycliffe Muia, Alfred Lasteck and Wedaeli Chibelushi