Rwanda and Tanzania have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish and operate a Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) office in Kigali, in a bid to promote trade between the two countries. The office is expected to help Rwandan traders clear their cargo from Tanzanian ports, particularly Dar es Salaam, without having to go to Tanzania.
The two countries also signed other agreements on cooperation in agriculture. The two agreements were signed during the 16th Meeting of the Rwanda-Tanzania Joint Permanent Commission, held in Kigali on Saturday, July 26, 2025. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Amb Olivier Nduhungirehe, who represented Rwanda, said that trade and investment between Rwanda and Tanzania is at a satisfactory level, and both sides are ready to strengthen it.
We believe that there is still a lot of untapped potential on both sides,” he said.
“We consider our partnership with Tanzania to be very important, as it enables us to deliver over 70% of the cargo entering the country through the port of Dar es Salaam by sea,” he added. He added that the agreement to establish an office of the Tanzania Ports Authority in Kigali “will help improve transport efficiency, remove barriers and increase the speed of trade between the two countries.”
He thanked the Tanzanian government for its continued support to Rwanda, noting that this agreement is another step forward in strengthening trade cooperation. Minister Nduhungirehe said that Tanzania is Rwanda’s second largest exporter, with imports from the country accounting for an average of 15% of imports in the past three years.
Rice is one of Rwanda’s major imports from Tanzania, according to the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Figures from the Ministry of Trade and Industry for 2024 show that Rwanda imported goods worth US$727 million (over Rwf1 trillion), a decrease of 13.9% compared to the US$844 million imported in 2023.
The Tanzanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, said that the two countries agreed to promote investment, as Rwanda is a key trade and transit partner for Tanzania. He said: “With 70% of Rwanda’s imports passing through Tanzania, Rwanda is a very important partner for Tanzania.
