AfricaPress-Tanzania: CHINA has drawn several strategies aimed at improving the balance of trade with Tanzania. These strategies hinge on increasing Tanzania’s exports to the world’s second economic giant.
According to latest figures from Comtrade, the database of the United Nations with exports and imports statistics by countries and tariff codes, the trade volume between the two countries stands at 4 billion US dollars.
The data indicate that China’s total investment in Tanzania exceeds 7 billion US dollars, making this great East Asian nation the largest foreign investor in the country.
China is taking a number of initiatives aimed at bridging the gap, a move that would also cement further the bilateral ties that the two friendly nations have been enjoying for a long time since the early 1960s.
Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Wang Ke said recently that some of the initiatives to be taken include the active use of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) and other platforms to introduce Tanzanian high-quality products and tourism resources to the Chinese consumers.
China would also encourage more Chinese enterprises to invest in Tanzanian agro and mineral processing industries, and develop Tanzania as a bridgehead for Chinese companies on their entrance to Eastern and Southern African markets.
“China has opened its market to Tanzanian tobacco, cassava flour and soybean, and will further grant market access for Tanzanian sunflower meal, honey, avocado and other agricultural products,” she said in an interview with three leading media outlets in the country.
Going forward, the envoy added that China will also encourage cooperation on e-commerce, mobile payment and other new areas, and pursue creative ways to boost bilateral trade.
“We will support the relevant authorities from both sides on accelerating negotiations, inspection and quarantine requirements regarding the access of Tanzanian high-quality agricultural products to the Chinese market,” she added.
The major exports of China to Tanzania include machinery, boilers, electronics, vehicles, iron, and steel, while imported electronics, tobacco, fish and aquatic products, animal products and feed.
On average, Dar es Salaam exports goods worth 145 million US dollars, while it imports 1.77 billion US dollars of goods a year, according to the World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS).
WITS data further shows that in 2018, China topped Tanzania importation list where Beijing accounted for 20.7 per cent of total Dar es Salaam imports.
Despite efforts by the Chinese government on booting Tanzania export volume to the Asian giant, the government has also been taking a number of initiatives to have the goals realised.
In doing so, the Tanzania Embassy in Beijing continued with an advertising campaign, using Chinese media outlets to market the country’s products.
On top of that, the Embassy continued attending a number of trade exhibitions in a bid to market and publicise Tanzania’s goods.
Again, Tanzania was given the opportunity to be among 30 countries with the National Pavilion at the Second China International Imports Expo held in Shanghai in November 2019.
In the exhibition, the Tanzanian pavilion was among six pavilions visited by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The event was aired on the Chinese media, thus making Tanzanian products, especially Tanzanite and cashew nuts more public in the Chinese market.
Similarly, in June 2019, Tanzania was among ten African countries that were given space to erect the National Pavilion at the First China Africa Trade and Economic Exhibition held in Changsha City in Hunan State.
The largest Chinese-supported projects in Tanzania include the Tanzania Zambia Railway (TAZARA), the Friendship Textile Mill, the Mbarali Rice Farm, the Kiwira Coal Mine, and the Mahonda Sugar Cane Factory in Zanzibar.
Reacting to the move by Tanzania to launch a direct flight to China, Ambassador Wang was of the view that the route will facilitate personal exchange and greatly advance communication and mutual understanding between the two countries.
“We hope this flight route will kick off as soon as possible, forging a strong bond of friendship among our peoples, and further promote bilateral cooperation in the aspect of economy, trade, culture and tourism,” she said.
