Higher freight costs test importer margins

DAR ES SALAAM: RISING shipping costs and stronger merchandise imports pushed service payments higher in the year ending June, adding to the cost of moving goods into the country amid continued disruptions to global maritime transport.

Service payments rose 6.7 per cent to 3,375.3 million US dollars in the year ending June 2026, from 3,163.9 million US dollars in the corresponding period of 2025, according to the latest Bank of Tanzania Monthly Economic Review.

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The increase was largely driven by higher freight payments, reflecting elevated global shipping costs and continued disruptions to maritime transport, the central bank said.

The rise also coincided with an increase in merchandise imports, which increased demand for shipping and related transport services.

The increase in service payments therefore adds another layer to Tanzania’s external trade costs, even as the country continues to expand imports to meet domestic demand and support economic activity.

On a monthly basis, service payments rose to 255.1 million US dollars in June 2026, from 249.8 million US dollars in June 2025.