Zambia, Tanzania Trade Hits $11.85 Billion as Both Countries Push New Reforms
Zambia and Tanzania have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral trade and improving regional integration following the 5th Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meeting held in Tunduma.
Officials from the two countries revealed that bilateral trade between 2023 and 2025 reached approximately US$11.85 billion, highlighting the growing importance of the Zambia–Tanzania trade corridor to regional commerce.
Opening the meeting, Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary in charge of Commerce and Trade, Lillian Bwalya, said trade volumes stood at US$10.36 billion in 2023 before easing to US$677.2 million in 2024 and later recovering to US$815.4 million in 2025.
Despite the fluctuations, Mrs Bwalya said the trade relationship between the two countries remains strong and full of potential, particularly through export diversification, improved logistics, and the removal of non-tariff barriers.
She announced key reforms aimed at boosting trade flows, including the lifting of Zambia’s ban on night driving for trucks and public service vehicles through Statutory Instrument No. 27 of 2026, which took effect on 20 April 2026. The move is expected to reduce transit times and improve the movement of goods along the corridor.
Mrs Bwalya also disclosed that Lot One of the Nakonde Border Expansion Project was completed and commissioned by President Hakainde Hichilema in March this year. The project is expected to ease congestion and strengthen trade facilitation at one of the busiest border posts between the two countries.
She described the Joint Trade Committee as an important platform for resolving trade challenges and enhancing economic cooperation, noting that Zambia and Tanzania share long-standing ties built on partnership and mutual development.
Mrs Bwalya further commended technical experts for resolving six out of the nineteen outstanding non-tariff barriers affecting trade between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Tanzania’s Deputy Permanent Secretary for Industry and Trade, Aristides Mbwasi, described Zambia as one of Tanzania’s most important trading partners within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Mr Mbwasi said the Joint Trade Committee remains a key mechanism for translating commitments made during reciprocal state visits by President Hichilema and Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan into practical outcomes that benefit citizens and businesses.
He added that Tanzania remains committed to industrialisation, infrastructure development, and the removal of trade barriers, while supporting the vision of a more connected and “borderless” Africa.
The 5th Joint Trade Committee meeting, which began at technical level on 4 May, is expected to conclude with a ministerial session on 7 May 2026, where officials will discuss further measures to strengthen trade cooperation and regional economic integration.
