Tanzania lifts ban on agriculture imports from South Africa, Malawi. - Reuters

Tanzania lifts ban on agriculture imports from South Africa, Malawi. - Reuters

Tanzania has lifted a ban on imports of agricultural produce from Malawi and South Africa, effective immediately. The decision comes after Tanzania initially imposed the ban in retaliation for similar measures taken by the two southern African nations. The ban was announced by Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticides Authority (TPHPA) director general Joseph Ndunguru, who stated that the ban was lifted to facilitate diplomatic discussions [1].

The trade dispute began when Malawi and South Africa banned imports of Tanzanian agricultural commodities such as maize flour, rice, ginger, and bananas. Tanzania responded by banning imports of agricultural produce from both countries and prohibiting the export of Tanzanian fertilizer to Malawi. However, the fertilizer export ban has also been lifted [1].

The three countries are members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a regional economic bloc. Tanzania's agriculture minister Hussein Bashe had demanded that Malawi and South Africa rescind their bans on imports of Tanzanian agricultural goods by Wednesday, but this demand was not met, leading to the initial ban [2].

The lifting of the ban indicates a willingness by Tanzania to engage in diplomatic dialogue to resolve the trade dispute. The move is significant for regional trade and could have implications for agricultural supply chains within the SADC region.

References:
[1] https://www.tradingview.com/news/reuters.com,2025:newsml_L1N3R4024:0-tanzania-lifts-ban-on-agriculture-imports-from-south-africa-malawi/
[2] https://iol.co.za/business-report/2025-04-24-tanzania-bans-agriculture-imports-from-south-africa-malawi/