By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Tanzania has lifted its retaliatory ban on imports of agricultural produce from Malawi and South Africa, the East African country announced late on Friday, days after it was imposed in response to similar measures by the two southern African nations.
Tanzania lifted the ban with immediate effect to allow for “a diplomatic ministerial discussion”, the Director General of the Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticides Authority (TPHPA), Joseph Ndunguru, said.
According to the TPHPA Director General, the two countries had each reached out separately seeking to resolve the trade dispute through dialogue.
On Wednesday, Tanzania’s Ministry of Agriculture had banned imports of all agricultural produce from Malawi and South Africa.
It had also banned exports of Tanzanian fertiliser, which Malawi heavily relies on. The export ban was also lifted on Friday.
The three countries all belong to a regional economic bloc, the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
South Africa’s Minister for International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, welcomed Tanzania’s move to lift the ban, saying it underscored the strong relations between both nations.
“This outcome demonstrates that the diplomatic route remains the most effective path to resolving challenges… cooperation and mutual understanding can unlock shared opportunities,” he was quoted as saying in a statement.
Malawi had recently banned imports of Tanzanian agricultural commodities such as maize flour, rice, ginger, and bananas, among other products, while South Africa had also stopped imports of bananas shipped from Tanzania.
