Tanzania has announced a ban on agricultural imports from South Africa and Malawi in a retaliatory move, following similar trade restrictions imposed by the two southern African nations.
Agriculture Minister Hussein Bashe declared the ban in a video posted late Wednesday on his official X account, stating that Tanzania had set a Wednesday deadline for the lifting of import restrictions by both countries—a deadline that was not met.
Malawi recently prohibited the import of several Tanzanian agricultural products, including maize flour, rice, ginger, and bananas. South Africa, for its part, barred banana shipments originating from Dar es Salaam. In response, Tanzania is now blocking all agricultural imports from both nations.
“I would like to officially announce that from this night we won’t allow any agricultural products from South Africa in our country,” Bashe said, adding that the same restrictions would apply to Malawi.
All three countries are members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a regional bloc meant to facilitate economic cooperation and trade. The escalating tit-for-tat measures have raised concerns about tensions undermining the goals of regional integration.
Bashe also announced that Tanzania would stop allowing the transit of agricultural goods through its territory to landlocked Malawi and will suspend the export of Tanzanian fertilizer to its neighbor.
“These actions are meant to defend our national business interests,” he said. “This is about trade, and there must be mutual respect.”
Despite the trade escalation, the Tanzanian government said negotiations with both countries will continue in an effort to resolve the dispute.