In a testament to the burgeoning economic partnership between China and Tanzania, the China International Import Expo (CIIE) has emerged as a pivotal platform for showcasing Tanzania's unique products to a global audience.

The Tanzania's pavilion at the 6th CIIE. [Photo/CIIE Bureau]

Over the past six years, Tanzania has consistently showcased its agricultural products at CIIE, with its renowned coffee taking center stage. Coffee, a staple among Tanzania's traditional export crops, thrives in the country's southern highlands, particularly around Mount Kilimanjaro. The volcanic soil of the Kilimanjaro region imbues the coffee with a luxurious texture and a delicate acidity, rendering it truly distinctive.

While exporting agricultural products to China typically entails more intricate procedures than regular goods, the CIIE has streamlined the process through a range of favorable policies, facilitating Tanzanian coffee companies like Afri Tea & Coffee Blenders (1963) Ltd in exporting their coffee products to the Chinese market.

At the 6th CIIE, Afri Tea & Coffee Blenders found a coffee distributor for its products. Beyond mere transactions, the company aimed to use CIIE as a gateway to the Chinese market, seeking to establish enduring partnerships and construct a robust and dependable supply chain.

At a send-off meeting hosted by the Chinese embassy in Tanzania for CIIE, Abdulhakim Mulla (left), head of Afri Tea & Coffee Blenders, introduces the company's coffee offerings to Chen Mingjian, Chinese ambassador to Tanzania (middle). [Photo/Jiefang Daily]

Cashews, another jewel in Tanzania's agricultural crown, also made a significant impact at the expo. In 2023, the 6th CIIE yielded promising results for Tanzania, with cashews being the top-selling Tanzanian product at the event. Tanzanian cashews have become one of the most popular Tanzanian specialties at the expo.

Moreover, seaweed sourced from Zanzibar, Tanzania, a distinctive product with versatile applications as a food ingredient or industrial resource, seized the opportunity to showcase itself to the Chinese audience at the CIIE.

With the backing of the economic and commercial office of the Chinese embassy in Tanzania, Tanzanian entrepreneurs showcased seaweed-based products like soaps, teas, and essential oils for the first time at the CIIE.

Seaweed-based products like soaps, teas, and essential oils are on display at the CIIE. [Photo/Xinhua]

A Tanzanian businessman expressed optimism that if Zanzibar seaweed gains a foothold in the Chinese market through the CIIE, it could significantly contribute to local female employment, improving their economic status and living standards.

The CIIE has become an excellent platform for promoting trade between China and Tanzania, serving as an important window for enhancing economic and trade exchanges.

In 2023, the bilateral trade volume between China and Tanzania reached $8.78 billion, an 8.9 percent increase year-on-year. China has remained Tanzania's largest trading partner for eight consecutive years. To promote bilateral trade, China has granted zero-tariff treatment for 98 percent of Tanzanian products, including avocados, seafood, and cashews.

As China and Tanzania gear up to celebrate the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year, the enduring partnership stands as a beacon of China-Africa cooperation, setting an example of South-South Cooperation.

Looking forward, the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to be held in Beijing in September and the 7th CIIE set for November in Shanghai will continue to provide further avenues for dialogue and cooperation between the two nations. The 7th CIIE, in particular, will highlight the tangible outcomes of cooperation between China and Tanzania, advance the Belt and Road Initiative, taking Sino-Tanzanian trade to new heights of mutual benefit.

Sources: Xinhua News Agency, Jiefang Daily, Xiaoxiangyan, the economic and commercial office of the Chinese embassy in Tanzania

By Zhao Guangmei