DHL FACT SHEET
TANZANIA
OVERVIEW
UGANDA
Bukoba
KENYA
Musoma
RWANDA
Mwanza
BURUNDI
Arusha
TANZANIA
Kigoma
Tabora
Tanga
Pangani
PEMBA
Dodoma
ZANZIBAR
Dar es Salaam
DRC
Iringa
Sumbawanga
Mbeya
ZAMBIA
KEY
Capital City
Major City
DHL Gateway
Kilwa Masoko
Lindi
Mtwara
Songea
MALAWI
MOZAMBIQUE
Tanzania, currently the ninth-largest economy in
sub-Saharan Africa, has experienced 6 to 7.8 per cent GDP
growth every year since 2001. Fuelled by the country’s
plentiful natural resources – including extensive arable
land and natural gas – this growth is projected to be
sustainable: from 2015 to 2019, the Economist Intelligence
Unit anticipates Tanzania’s GDP to continue to grow by
7.1 per cent on average per year. Historically, Tanzania has
relied heavily on agriculture; 80 per cent of the country’s
population is employed in this sector. More recently, the
economy has started to diversify with a greater focus on
retail, communications, financial services and construction.
As a politically stable free market economy, Tanzania is in
a strong position to trade with Britain. The UK is already
the largest foreign investor in Tanzania (followed by China),
and as a Commonwealth nation, Tanzania has strong
historic ties to Britain. Geostrategically, Tanzania is in an
ideal position to serve as a regional gateway: Dar es Salaam
is one of Africa’s busiest ports and the country is an access
point to fast-growing – albeit landlocked – eastern and
central African economies including Uganda, Rwanda
and Burundi.
Britain’s main goods exports to Tanzania include vehicles,
machinery and manufactured products. Several British
companies – operating in sectors from oil and chemicals
to financial and business services – are already doing
business with Tanzania. With plans underway to improve
the country’s transportation network, communications
infrastructure and education system, Tanzania is set to
continue to be a promising emerging market with
extensive opportunities for trade.
COUNTRY PROFILE
DHL FACTS
CAPITAL
Dodoma
LOCATIONS
POPULATION
49.6 million
GATEWAYS INTO THE COUNTRY
1
AREA
947,300 sq km
NUMBER OF SERVICE CENTRES
6
CURRENCY
1 Tanzanian shilling (TZS) = 100 senti
DHL DELIVERY ZONE
10
GDP
US$ 92.53 billion (2014 est.)
VEHICLE FLEET
41
LANGUAGES
Kiswahili / Swahili (official), English (official, primary language
of commerce, administration, and higher education), Arabic
(widely spoken in Zanzibar), many local languages.
70
Tanzania DHL Fact Sheet
TRADE INFORMATION
PROHIBITED ITEMS
EXPORTS FROM TANZANIA
IMPORTS INTO TANZANIA
US$ 6.084 billion (2014 est.)
US$ 11.95 billion (2014 est.)
Export commodities
Import commodities
Gold, coffee, cashew nuts,
Consumer goods,
manufactures, cotton.
machinery and
Top Export Destinations
India, China, Japan,
Germany, UAE.
•Asbestos
• Furs and Ivory
• Blank invoices
•Industrial
(manufactured)
diamonds
transportation equipment,
• Dangerous goods,
hazardous or
combustible materials
industrial raw materials,
• Firearms, or parts of
crude oil.
Top Import Origins
China, India, South Africa,
Kenya, UAE.
DUTY FREE
ALLOWANCE
In addition to DHL’s standard list of prohibited items,
you may not import into Tanzania:
RESTRICTED ITEMS
Advertising/non-advertising
booklets, brochures and
pamphlets, diaries
Max quantity: 100 pieces.
Blank forms
Max quantity: 5 pieces.
US$ 3.00
Books (hardback
or paperback for noncommercial use), business
cards, newspapers
Max quantity: 500 pieces.
UK TO TANZANIA TRANSIT TIMES
Please note the below transit times assume prompt clearance
from the Customs authority in Tanzania.
DAR ES SALAAM
3 days
MBEYA
5 days
TANGA
3 days
MTWARA
5 days
DODOMA
5 days
SHINYANGA
6 days
ESSENTIAL CUSTOMS INFORMATION
For an estimate of landed costs (duties, taxes and
other import fees) for shipments going to Tanzania,
use the free DHL Express Trade Automation Services
(TAS) tool. tas.dhl.com TAS also provides information
on regulation compliance and trade documentation.
All goods shipments to Tanzania must be
accompanied by the original Commercial Invoice
– Pro Forma Invoices are not accepted. All importers
(companies and individuals) must be registered with
the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA - tra.go.tz),
where they will be issued a Taxpayer Identification
number (TIN). The TIN will be quoted on all Formal
Import Entry Documents. Foreigners (non-Tanzanian
citizens) may use their passports (originals – not copies)
to clear imports.
For selected items (see restricted items section), the
importer must provide approval from government
bodies including Tanzania’s Food and Drugs Authority
(TFDA – tfda.or.tz), Tanzania’s Communications
Regulatory Authority (TCRA – tcra.go.tz) and
Tanzania’s Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
(MOH – moh.go.tz).
• Items which could be
considered offensive
to Muslim culture
Calendars, catalogues,
and labels
Only samples may be sent.
Chemicals (non-hazardous),
liquids (non-hazardous),
measuring apparatus
Provide approval from
Tanzania’s Private Health
Laboratories Board (part of
MOH) – Tanzania’s Private
Health Laboratories Board
also levies a US$ 100 fixed
fee on each chemical import.
Computer components
& parts, computer software
No taxes or duties apply
to imported computer
equipment.
Drugs (prescription
& non-prescription),
medical samples, foodstuffs
Importer to provide TFDA
approval. A fee of 1.2%
of the total value must be
paid for each shipment.
Private individuals importing
drugs: provide a hospital
prescription. Quantities
must be reasonable.
Medical/dental supplies
& equipment
Importer may be exempt
from certain taxes & duties if
TFDA approval is provided.
Mobile phones, accessories
& components, radios, radio
equipment or parts
Provide TCRA approval.
Personal effects
Foreign citizens: apply
directly to Tanzania Customs
for tax & duty exemptions.
Senders and receivers
must provide their original
passport and residence/work
permit when applying for
exemptions.
For x-ray machines please
contact DHL Customer
Service before shipping.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
If you need support or advice on trading with Tanzania,
help is available.
Contact the DHL Express team on 0844 248 0675
DHL Customer Service is also available on 0844 248 0844
Contact your local Chambers of Commerce
www.britishchambers.org.uk
Contact your local UKTI www.ukti.gov.uk
View GOV.UK’s information on Tanzania
www.gov.uk/government/world/tanzania
Visit www.dhlguide.co.uk for international trade information
including weekly Trade Updates and blogs.
Follow us on Twitter @dhlexpressuk to keep up to date
with all the latest developments in international trade.
Sources: DHL, CIA World Factbook, Economist Intelligence Unit, GOV.UK, World Bank
Valid from: 04/2015