Tanzanian exports to the US are lower by more than twice what the US exports to the country. With a trade balance of $203 million in 2019, Tanzania earned only $130 million from exporting goods to the US. “With a total goods trade volume of $462 million, Tanzania was the United States’ 118th largest goods export market - and the 119th largest supplier of goods imports in 2019,” according to the Economics Officer of the US Embassy in Tanzania, Ms Ann Marie Warmenhoven. However, data from the Office of US Trade Representative show that Tanzanian exports to the US increased by 34.2 percent in 2019, from $33 million earned in 2018. “The top US goods imports from Tanzania in 2019 were precious metal and other stones ($41 million); knit apparel ($29 million); woven’s apparel ($23 million); coffee, tea & spices ($10 million), and vegetable saps and extracts (spectates) ($6 million),” the data-desk reads in part.
Total US imports of agricultural products from Tanzania totalled $24 million in 2019. Leading categories include: unroasted coffee ($9 million), cocoa beans ($2 million), planting seeds ($2 million), tree nuts ($1 million), and spices ($321,000). Contrary, US top export categories to Tanzania were aircraft ($175 million), machinery ($27 million), cereals (wheat) ($23 million), plastics ($19 million), and milling products ($9 million). US total exports of agricultural products to Tanzania totaled $47 million in 2019; they wheat ($23 million), prepared food ($3 million), pulses ($3 million), and vegetable oils excluding soybean ($3 million), and poultry meat and products excluding eggs ($2 million). The US embassy in Tanzania says it is in talks with the business community in the country with a view to boost trade relations between the two nations. A senior commerce officer of the embassy Mr Ken Walsh is currently visiting public and private institutions related to business and investment for creating a single body that will be responsible for coordinating the companies and investors. Yesterday, Mr Walsh visited the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce of Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA) in Dar es Salaam, searching for areas of collaboration between local and US business operators. “I have been in Tanzania for two months now. “My job is to create a conducive environment for both Tanzanian and US traders to cooperate and share their experiences, skills, technologies and market opportunities,” he noted.
According to him, his tour meant to understand the whereabouts of business institutions and their duties so that he (the embassy) comes up with a tangible plan that will see the two countries boost their trade relations and volumes. TCCIA President Paul Koyi said his institutions will set a strategic plan and submit it to the US Embassy in the near future. “This is his (Mr Ken) first visit here and he has known our mission and vision. We (TCCIA) will arrange another meeting and submit the strategic plan that will show areas and people to cooperate,” he said. The top export categories in 2019 were aircraft ($175 million), machinery ($27 million), cereals (wheat) ($23 million), plastics ($19 million), and milling products ($9 million). US total exports of agricultural products to Tanzania totaled $47 million in 2019. Leading domestic export categories include wheat ($23 million), prepared food ($3 million), pulses ($3 million), and vegetable oils excluding soybean ($3 million), and poultry meat and products excluding eggs ($2 million). US foreign direct investment (FDI) in Tanzania (stock) was $1.5 billion in 2019, a 5.2 percent increase from 2018.