By The Respondents reporter
Tanzanian manufacturers have been urged to adopt the national “Made in Tanzania” label on locally produced goods and services in a bid to enhance product value and strengthen the country’s trade identity in regional and global markets.
The call was made on Tuesday by Lulu Mkude, Director of Trade Development at the (TanTrade), during a stakeholder meeting focused on promoting registration and uptake of the national brand.
Mkude said the “Made in Tanzania” mark serves as an official identity for goods and services produced within the country. The logo was officially launched during the 49th — widely known as Sabasaba — in 2025 by Zanzibar President .
To qualify for registration, businesses must ensure their products are manufactured domestically, with at least 30% of raw materials sourced locally, she said.
“Using the national brand is a matter of pride. We must promote our own products as part of building an industrial economy,” Mkude said, noting that TanTrade has conducted awareness campaigns in several regions, including Pwani, to encourage manufacturers to register.
Boniface Mrema, Manager for Capacity Building and Advisory Services at TanTrade, said the label would help local producers access export markets, particularly under the (AfCFTA) and the (EAC).
He said the absence of a unified national brand in the past had contributed to missed opportunities, with some Tanzanian-made products reportedly rebranded and marketed under foreign labels, undermining national visibility and revenue potential.
Mrema urged manufacturers to improve product standards to meet eligibility requirements and compete effectively in domestic and international markets.
Damiano Semafali, representing Bagamoyo Sea Salt, said Tanzanian producers must strengthen international recognition of their goods, particularly amid rising imports.
“It is our responsibility as local producers to use the ‘Made in Tanzania’ brand as part of a broader strategy to promote and grow products manufactured in our country,” he said.
Officials said the initiative aligns with Tanzania’s wider industrialisation agenda, aimed at boosting local production, expanding exports and positioning Tanzanian goods more competitively in regional and global trade.