A trade dispute has emerged involving Tanzania, Malawi, and South Africa due to bans on Tanzanian agricultural imports. Products affected include flour, rice, ginger, bananas, and maize, with Malawi and South Africa as the primary markets.
Tanzania's Agriculture Minister, Hussein Bashe, highlighted the impact on Tanzanian traders, emphasizing efforts over five years to secure banana market access in South Africa, which have not succeeded. Bashe stated, "It is important to note that for the past five years, the Government of Tanzania has made continuous efforts to secure market access for our bananas in South Africa, efforts which, unfortunately, have yet to yield results."
Diplomatic efforts have been extensive but unsuccessful, leading to potential retaliatory measures from Tanzania. Bashe warned, "If Malawi and South Africa do not reverse their decisions by Wednesday next week, the Government of Tanzania will impose a ban on the importation of all agricultural produce and agro-based products from these two countries." This includes suspending the transit of agricultural goods through Tanzanian territory.
The export of fertilizer from Tanzania to Malawi is also at risk, with Tanzanian transporters advised to pause shipments. Traders are urged to halt orders for South African imports, pending market access for Tanzanian bananas.
Bashe further noted, "As the Minister responsible, I wish to affirm that all efforts to engage Malawi's Minister of Agriculture have been made, but unfortunately, no official response has been received." These developments challenge the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement's goals of reducing trade barriers and enhancing intra-African trade.
Source: Kilimo News