Gold, manufacturing spur export earnings growth
DAR ES SALAAM: EXPORT earnings are gaining momentum, driven by strong performances in gold, manufactured goods and transportation, pointing to growing opportunities for foreign exchange generation through minerals, industry and services.
According to the latest Bank of Tanzania Monthly Economic Review, earnings from the exports increased significantly in the year ending July with most major categories recording higher receipts compared with last year.
Gold remained the largest contributor, with export earnings rising to 5,670.7 million US dollars from 4,127.1 million US dollars, an increase of about 37.4 per cent.
The BoT report says travel earnings also increased, although modestly, reaching 4,292.8 million US dollars from 4,226 million US dollars, maintaining tourism’s position as a major source of foreign exchange.
Transportation recorded stronger growth, with earnings rising to 3,221.5 million US dollars from 2,555.5 million US dollars, representing an increase of about 26.1 per cent.
The central bank report states that manufactured goods recorded the fastest growth among the major export categories, with earnings increasing by about 46 per cent to 2,215.5 million US dollars from 1,517.3 million US dollars.
The strong performance of manufactured exports is significant for Tanzania’s industrialisation agenda because value-added products can generate higher export receipts while supporting domestic production, employment and investment.
The BoT report says tobacco exports also increased, reaching 588.6 million US dollars from 443 million US dollars, while coffee earnings rose to 396 million US dollars from 337.5 million US dollars.
However, the export performance was not uniformly positive, with some agricultural commodities recording declines during the period.
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The central bank report states that cashew export earnings fell to 479.3 million US dollars from 527.6 million US dollars, while edible vegetables declined to 339.9 million US dollars from 369.3 million US dollars.
The contrasting performance highlights the need to improve productivity, quality, processing and market access, particularly for agricultural commodities whose export earnings remain vulnerable to changes in international prices and production conditions.
The BoT report says stronger performance in manufacturing, transportation and minerals provides an opportunity to broaden the country’s foreign exchange base beyond traditional agricultural exports.
Overall, the selected export categories generated 17.2 billion US dollars this year up from about 14.1 billion US dollars in 2025, representing growth of approximately 22 per cent.
The central bank report states that the trend underscores the importance of export diversification and value addition in strengthening Tanzania’s external position.
For policymakers and businesses, the growing contribution of manufactured goods is particularly encouraging, as sustained investment in processing and industrial capacity could allow the country to retain a larger share of value generated from its exports.
At the same time, the declines recorded in cashews and edible vegetables show that stronger overall export performance should be supported by measures that improve competitiveness across different sectors and reduce dependence on a few major sources of foreign exchange.
