Trade and Investments

Business Information

Tanzania Exports
Tanzania’s traditional exports are agricultural products (coffee, cotton, tea, cashew nuts, tobacco, maize, rice and cloves) and non-traditional exports are minerals such as gold, gemstones, diamonds, coal as well as manufactured goods including food, beverages, clothing, cement, plastic items, processed coffee and tobacco and sisal products. 

Agricultural products

Coffee

• The value of coffee exports increased to USD 227.9 million in 2023 from USD 161.2 million in 2022, equivalent to an increase of 41.38 percent. 
• This was due to a significant increase in coffee export volume from 55,200 tons in 2022 to 84,390 tons in 2023, equivalent to an increase of 52.88 percent.

Tobacco

• In 2023, tobacco export value was USD 340.41 million compared to USD 178.52 million in 2022, equivalent to an increase of 90.68 percent.
• This was attributed to favorable production and price of tobacco in the World market. The average price of tobacco per ton increased from USD 3,624.11 in 2022 to USD 4,150.8 in 2023 and the product’s export volume also increased from   49,260 tons in 2022 to USD 82,010 in 2023.

Cotton

• In 2023, the value of cotton exports was USD 101.91 million compared to USD 103.38 million in 2022, equivalent to a decrease of 1.42 percent.
• This was attributed to unfavorable price of cotton in the World market. The average price of cotton per ton decreased from USD 2,113.2 in 2022 to USD 1,463.42 in 2023, equivalent to a decrease of 30.75 percent.

Tea

• In 2023, the value of tea exports was USD 31.13 million compared to USD 30.02 million in 2022, equivalent to an increase of 3.7 percent.
• This was due to an increase in the production of tea and the volume of tea exports. The volume of tea exports increased from 21,140 tons in 2022 to 22,180 tons in 2023, equivalent to a decrease of 4.92 percent.

Cashewnuts

• The value of cashewnuts export decreased from USD 226.9 million in 2022 to USD 206.41 million in 2023, equivalent to a decrease of 9.05 percent. 
• This was mainly due to decrease in the volume of cashewnuts exports from 233,960 tons in 2022 to 219,600 tons in 2023. 

Cloves

• The cloves export value decreased by 40.33 percent from USD 42.12 million in 2022 to USD 25.13 million in 2023. 
• This was due to a decrease in volume of cloves exports from 7,000 tons in 2021 to 5,900 tons in 2022.

Minerals

Tanzania has vast deposit of mineral resources and mineral exports contribute significantly to the country’s export earnings and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Minerals export value amounted to USD 3.55 billion in 2023, up by 4.72 percent from USD 3.40 billion in 2022, with gold being the primary contributors.  

Manufactured Goods

Tanzania’s main exports are foods, beverages, clothing, tobacco, chemicals, plastic and steel allied products. The country’s export of manufactured goods decreased to USD 1.36 billion in 2023 from USD 1.42 billion in 2022.  It is worth noting that textile and apparel account for almost 95 per cent of the country’s export to the United States under AGOA.

Import Products 
Major import commodities include agricultural machinery, implement and pesticides, industrial raw materials, machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum and petroleum products, construction materials, consumer goods. The list is not exhaustive

Trading Partners
Tanzania's major trading partners include China, India, United Arabs Emirates, Germany, Japan, South Africa and Kenya

Step-by-Step Guide to Investment Related Procedures in Tanzania

Tanzania eRegulations is brought to you by the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC). It is an online database designed to provide investors and entrepreneurs with full transparency on investment related procedures in Tanzania:  at each step, the system tells you where to go, who to see, what you must bring, what you have to pay, what you will get, what is the legal justification, who to complain to in case you have a problem. Click on the procedures listed below to get started! CLICK HERE