The
Tanzania Trade Development Authority (TanTrade), has facilitated export market
access for more than 1,000 local companies and supported the signing of
commercial contracts worth trillions of shillings over the past five years,
underscoring its growing role in the country’s trade and industrial agenda.
Data
presented by TanTrade Director General Ms Latifa Mohamed Hamis on December 20,
2025, show that the authority linked 1,065 Tanzanian companies to foreign
markets between 2020 and 2025 and provided business and export-readiness
training to 14,045 youths and women.
Over the
same period, the authority supported trade deals valued at more than TZS 17.5
trillion through international expos and domestic trade fairs.
The
figures were released in Dar es Salaam during an official visit by the Deputy
Minister for Industry and Trade, Mr Patrobas Katambi, who called on the agency
to intensify market research, expand support for industrial growth and ensure
that small businesses evolve into large, tax-paying enterprises.
According
to TanTrade, the bulk of the contract value was generated at Expo 2020 Dubai,
where 36 deals worth approximately TZS 17.35 trillion were facilitated across
sectors including ports, infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing, energy,
mining, health and information technology.
Additional
agreements included eight contracts valued at TZS 38 billion secured at Expo
2020 Osaka in Japan and 10 deals worth TZS 176 billion concluded during the Dar
es Salaam International Trade Fair.
“These
outcomes reflect the impact of structured trade promotion and economic
diplomacy in opening markets for Tanzanian products and services,” said Ms. Hamis.
She added
that the authority’s interventions are aligned with national development
priorities, including export diversification and value addition.
Beyond
export deals, TanTrade reported broader economic effects from its activities.
Over the
past five years, its programmes contributed to the creation of 86,547
short-term jobs, mainly linked to exhibitions, trade missions and related
commercial activities.
In
addition, 7,602 traders received direct support through Business Clinics
conducted in regions such as Dar es Salaam, Dodoma and Geita, where regulatory
and market-access challenges were addressed.
The
authority also carried out a business environment survey involving 334
enterprises from seven regions in Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, generating
evidence used to refine service delivery and inform policy advice to
government.
While acknowledging progress, Mr Katambi said stronger and faster results are required to support Tanzania’s industrialisation drive.
“The
government expects TanTrade to help small and medium enterprises grow into
large businesses and industrial investors, because that is how we expand the
tax base and sustain development,” he said.
He
directed the agency to make research and market intelligence central to its
operations and to strengthen data collection from both domestic and
international markets.
Mr Katambi
also urged greater use of digital platforms and artificial intelligence in
analysing market trends and advising traders and policymakers. “Research must
be the roadmap for promoting trade inside and outside the country,” he said.
As part of
efforts to strengthen product competitiveness, TanTrade highlighted the rollout
of the national “Made in Tanzania” brand, under which 30 products and services
have already been certified.
The
authority said it plans to scale up outreach to encourage wider adoption among
producers.
However,
TanTrade acknowledged persistent challenges, including limited internal revenue
sources that constrain operational flexibility and weak interoperability of
information and communication technology systems across public institutions,
which slows access to timely trade data.
Ms Hamis
said the authority is reviewing its legal and regulatory framework to introduce
new revenue streams and is working with relevant agencies to improve data
integration.
TanTrade
operates as a Union institution with a mandate covering both Mainland Tanzania
and Zanzibar.
It currently runs offices in Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Mwanza and Arusha, and plans to open additional offices in Kigoma and Songwe to strengthen cross-border trade, particularly with neighbouring markets such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi.
As
Tanzania seeks to accelerate export growth and industrial development, the data
presented place TanTrade at the centre of efforts to translate policy ambitions
into measurable trade outcomes.