Tanzania is sending more than 30 enterprises and government institutions to the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE), scheduled for Nov. 5 to 10 in Shanghai, as the country seeks to boost exports and expand access to the Chinese market.
The delegation was introduced at a farewell ceremony organized by the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania in Dar es Salaam on Saturday, with over a hundred people from various sectors in Tanzania attended the gathering. Some participating exhibitors displayed their products, including coffee, tea and honey.
Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian said that since May 1 this year, China has implemented zero-tariff treatment for 53 African countries, the first full-coverage zero-tariff arrangement for Africa among major global economies, with no quota limits and no political conditions attached. The arrangement is expected to give a strong boost to cooperation among Global South countries.
Jonathan Nkwabi, the Director of Trade Promotion at the Tanzania Trade Development Authority (TanTrade), also spoke at the event and expressed confidence in the CIIE as a crucial platform for Tanzanian exporters.
"We believe this initiative, coupled with platforms such as the CIIE, provides an important opportunity to expand Tanzania's export and strengthen commercial cooperation between our two countries," said Nkwabi.
The exhibitors matched that excitement, saying they see the CIIE as a vital gateway to the global market. Many are bringing specialty agricultural products in a bid to connect with international buyers and broaden their commercial reach.
"This time we're going with avocados and we're also going with the coffee, green coffee and cocoa beans. And we know the CIIE is a global thing and it's very big, so we know for sure that's the place we can go and get connected to a lot of business people," said an exhibitor.
"It's a good opportunity because it's a big event. It comprises different people from different countries. They come to China and it's a chance for us to showcase what we produce as a country from Tanzania to China and to the rest of the world," said another exhibitor.
A total of 162 countries, regions and international organizations will take part in this year's CIIE, with 4,142 overseas companies exhibiting. The overall exhibition area for companies will exceed 370,000 square meters.
Launched in 2018 as the world's first national-level expo dedicated to imports, the CIIE was designed to expand China's opening-up and turn its vast market into a shared opportunity for the world.
Over 30 Tanzanian enterprises to set off for China International Import Expo
