The Minister for Finance, Ambassador Khamis Mussa Omar (MP), has praised Tanzania’s Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Elsie Sia Kanza, for strengthening economic diplomacy between Tanzania and the United States, noting steady growth in trade, investment, and tourism between the two countries.
Ambassador Omar made the remarks after receiving a progress report on the implementation of the Tanzania Embassy’s activities in the United States.
The report was presented by Ambassador Kanza to the Tanzanian delegation attending the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C.
He said the strengthening of Tanzania–US relations reflects deliberate diplomatic efforts to attract investment and expand economic opportunities for Tanzanians, especially in key sectors such as mining, tourism, and trade.
“We are seeing strong investment flows from the United States, and we expect even more in the coming years. Several projects are in the pipeline, including in the niobium mining sector.
The planned expansion of Marriott hotels from 11 to 20 within the next three years shows growing confidence in Tanzania’s tourism industry,” said Ambassador Omar.
He added that the government will continue working closely with its diplomatic missions to ensure Tanzania fully benefits from international partnerships that support economic growth and job creation.
Presenting the embassy’s report, Ambassador Kanza said trade between Tanzania and the United States has continued to grow steadily, rising from 1.15 billion US dollars in 2023 to 1.4 billion US dollars in 2024, representing an increase of 22.1 percent.
She added that Tanzanian exports to the United States also increased by 18 percent in 2025, despite global economic challenges.
Ambassador Kanza further noted that the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which was initially set to expire in September 2025, has now been extended to December 31, 2026, following diplomatic engagement.
She said the extension provides Tanzania with additional opportunity to expand its exports to the US market.
She said that under AGOA, Tanzania has significantly benefited, with about 42.85 percent of exports entering the US market through the programme, and nearly 95 percent of those exports consisting of textiles and garments.
On investment, Ambassador Kanza said US companies continue to expand operations in Tanzania. Marriott International plans to increase its hotel portfolio in the country from 11 to 20 by 2027, reflecting rising investor confidence in the tourism sector.
Visa has also established a business office in Tanzania, strengthening financial and digital services.
In the mining sector, she highlighted a 300 million US dollar investment in Panda Hill Tanzania Limited, financed by Denham, focusing on niobium production in Songwe Region. The project is expected to create around 600 jobs.
She also noted that the United States remains a key source of tourists to Tanzania, with arrivals increasing from 118,108 in 2023 to about 145,000 in 2024. More than 60 percent of hunting tourists in Tanzania are from the United States.
Ambassador Kanza attributed part of this growth to the “The Royal Tour” documentary featuring President Samia Suluhu Hassan, which has boosted Tanzania’s global tourism profile.
The meeting was also attended by the Minister for Finance and Planning from the Office of the President of Zanzibar, Dr. Juma Malik Akil, senior government officials, the Bank of Tanzania Governor, and representatives from key state institutions.
