Tanzania bans agriculture imports from South Africa and Malawi

Tanzania has banned the importation of agricultural products from South Africa and Malawi, saying it is retaliation for similar hostile trade measures from both countries.

The three countries all belong to a regional economic bloc, the Southern African Development Community (Sadc).

Tanzania had demanded that both countries rescind bans on imports of agricultural goods from Tanzania by Wednesday, but they had not done so, agriculture minister Hussein Bashe said in a video posted on his X account late on Wednesday.

Malawi had recently banned imports of Tanzanian commodities like maize flour, rice, ginger and bananas, among others, while South Africa has also proscribed the import of bananas shipped by Dar es Salaam.

"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 a similar ban was being imposed on Malawi.

Talks to resolve the trade impasse, however, would continue with both countries, he said.

He said Tanzania will start prohibiting the transit of agricultural goods from other countries through its territory to land-locked Malawi, and will also ban the export of Tanzanian fertiliser to Malawi.

"We are taking this measure to protect our business. This is business, and we should all respect each other," Bashe said.