Tanzania lifts trade ban on agricultural produce from Malawi and South Africa
Dodoma. Tanzania has officially lifted the temporary ban on agricultural imports and transit trade involving Malawi and South Africa, two days after imposing the restriction, citing ongoing diplomatic engagements and hopes for a long-term resolution.
In a public notice issued on April 25, 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that the suspension, which had taken effect on April 23, was being reversed effectiveApril 26, following overtures by both Malawi and South Africa seeking dialogue and cooperation.
“The Ministry of Agriculture hereby lifts all bans previously imposed on Malawi and South Africa effective 26 April 2025, in the belief that the ongoing dialogue will lead to a lasting resolution,” the statement signed by Agriculture MinisterHussein Bashe reads.
The initial suspension had been triggered by what Tanzanian authorities viewed as unjustified restrictions by both countries on the entry of Tanzanian agricultural produce into their markets. Tanzania responded by halting imports and transit of agricultural goods from both nations, pending reciprocal measures.
Following the diplomatic standoff, the Governments of Malawi and South Africa initiated contact with Tanzania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation and Ministry of Agriculture, expressing readiness to resolve the issue through mutual dialogue.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the Government of Malawi will dispatch a high-level delegation to Dodoma on May 2, led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, alongside the Ministers of Trade and Agriculture, for bilateral discussions coordinated by Tanzania’s Foreign Affairs Minister.
In the case of South Africa, discussions are being held at the technical level involving Tanzania’s Plant Health and Pesticides Authority (TPHPA), foreign affairs officials, and South African plant health and trade authorities.
The Ministry assured Tanzanian farmers and the public that agricultural trade will continue to be governed by principles of plant health, national interests, and diplomatic cooperation.
“The Government assures Tanzanian farmers and citizens at large that the freedom to trade agricultural produce will be upheld in accordance with plant health requirements, national resource interests, and broader diplomatic relations for the benefit of all,” the notice stated.
On Thursday Tanzania announced that it had suspended all imports and transit of agricultural produce from Malawi and South Africa, citing urgent phytosanitary concerns and what it describes as unfair and non-compliant trade practices that threaten the country's agricultural sector.
The ban took effect on April 24, 2025, it said came in the wake of rising tensions over repeated export restrictions imposed by both countries on Tanzanian produce, as well as growing concerns about the spread of high-risk pests identified in South African agricultural exports.
In two separate public notices issued by the Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticides Authority (TPHPA) under the Ministry of Agriculture, Tanzania said the decision was made to protect its food systems and uphold national and international plant health obligations.
