Tanzania’s exports rise 19.9% to $21.1 billion in year to September

Tuesday 10th November 2026

By inAfrika Newsroom

Tanzania’s exports of goods and services rose 19.9% to $21.1 billion in the 12 months to September 2026, driven by higher gold sales, manufactured exports and services receipts. Imports rose faster, widening the current-account deficit.

The Bank of Tanzania’s October economic review put goods exports at $12.44 billion, up 23.7% from the previous year. Gold accounted for $5.83 billion, up from $4.43 billion, as international prices and domestic production supported receipts.

Exports of manufactured goods increased to $2.20 billion from $1.55 billion. The central bank cited larger shipments of iron, steel and glassware. It said tobacco led the increase in traditional exports, while coffee and cashew receipts fell over the full 12-month comparison.

Services receipts rose 14.8% to $8.62 billion. Travel receipts reached $4.57 billion, while transport services brought in $3.48 billion, up from $2.67 billion. The bank linked the transport increase to freight earnings from cargo moving through Tanzania to and from other countries.

Imports of goods and services increased 24% to $22.13 billion. The current-account deficit, which also reflects income and transfers across borders, reached $2.40 billion from $1.88 billion a year earlier. The bank reported $6.03 billion in reserves at the end of September, equivalent to 4.3 months of projected goods and services imports.

The trade figures for the latest year are provisional. Separately, the bank’s quarterly series showed a rise in coffee earnings in the September quarter, which covers a shorter period than the annual series.

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