Tanzania Trade and Transport Improvement Programme
The Port of Dar es Salaam, which serves as Tanzania’s main maritime gateway, handles over 18 million tonnes of cargo annually. It also serves six landlocked nations: Malawi, Zambia, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and the eastern.
- Period
- 2025 – 2029
- Countries
- Tanzania
- Implementing partners
- Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA), Ministry of Transport, Enabel, Port of Antwerp International, and UN-Habitat
- Participants
- Traders, exporters, importers, and logistics service providers using the Dar and Central Corridors; government border agencies; cold-chain operators
Project rationale
The Port of Dar es Salaam, which serves as Tanzania’s main maritime gateway, handles over 18 million tonnes of cargo annually. It also serves six landlocked nations: Malawi, Zambia, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (TPA, 2024). Despite its strategic importance, the port faces significant operational challenges. The average cargo dwell time is between 9 and 12 days, more than double the global benchmark of under 4 days (World Bank, 2023). This inefficiency is compounded by fragmented customs systems and limited cold-chain facilities. As a result, trade costs are inflated by 20–40% (OECD, 2023), and horticultural exports lose a substantial 30–50% of their value due to delays (FAO, 2022). The economic benefits of improving port efficiency are considerable. According to the World Bank (2022), enhancing port and corridor efficiency could reduce trade costs in low-income countries by 10% and boost global trade volumes by 14.5%. With the AfCFTA projected to increase intra-African trade by 52.3% by 2030 (UNECA, 2020), there is a significant opportunity to capitalise on this growth. To address these issues and seize future opportunities, the TMA trade facilitation component of the programme will be is needed to reduce the time and cost of goods movement. This will be achieved by digitising clearance processes, integrating border agency systems, and expanding cold-chain capacity. These measures will cut clearance times from days to hours, lower transaction costs, and establish the Dar and Central Corridors as competitive and resilient trade arteries within Africa.
Implementation strategy
Under the trade facilitation pillar, TMA will lead the €4.2 million component focusing on:
- Digitising customs and port clearance to streamline processes and cut clearance times.
- Integrating electronic systems across border agencies to remove duplicative checks;
- Expanding cold-chain infrastructure to safeguard perishable goods and reduce losses; and
- Upgrading infrastructure to improve the handling of high-value and time-sensitive cargo.
TMA will work closely with TPA, government agencies, and private-sector stakeholders to ensure the reforms deliver measurable reductions in time, cost, and risk along the Dar and Central Corridors.
Target Results
- Reduce average cargo dwell time from 9–12 days to under 4 days.
- Cut clearance times for priority goods from days to hours.
- Reduce trade costs along the Dar and Central Corridors by up to 10%.
- Expand cold-chain capacity to reduce perishable goods losses by 30–50%. Contribute to capturing a share of the projected 52.3% growth in intra-African trade by 2030.
Elibariki Shammy, Country Director, Tanzania
Expected outcomes
- Faster and more efficient trade logistics Reduce average cargo dwell time from 9–12 days to under 4 days and cut clearance times for priority goods from days to hours, significantly improving cargo flow and supply chain efficiency.
- Lower trade costs and reduced post-harvest losses Reduce trade costs along the Dar and Central Corridors by up to 10% while expanding cold-chain capacity to cut perishable goods losses by 30–50%, improving the competitiveness of regional trade.
- Increased regional trade and economic growth Position the country to capture a significant share of the projected 52.3% growth in intra-African trade by 2030 through more efficient logistics, lower costs, and stronger cold-chain infrastructure.
- Funding agreement signed between the EU, TPA, and implementing partners (TMA, Port of Antwerp-Bruges International, UN-Habitat), with Enabel managing.
- Programme official launch planned for 21 August 2025 with representation from EU, the Government of Tanzania, and implementing agencies.
- Initiation of baseline assessments and stakeholder mapping for customs digitisation, infrastructure upgrades, and cold-chain capacity planning (planned in the inception phase).
