Tanzanians import motor cars worth Sh1 trillion in one year

Dar es Salaam. Tanzanians imported household motor cars valued at Sh1 trillion ($417.7 million) in the year ending July 2025, underlining a growing appetite for private cars amidst road infrastructure modernisation.

The Bank of Tanzania (BoT), in its Monthly Economic Review for August 2025 released on September 19, shows that the car imports exceeded what the country spent on fertilisers in the same period.

Fertiliser imports stood at Sh909.3 billion ($378.9 million), highlighting a shift in consumption priorities.

Household motor car imports were also significantly higher than the Sh798.9 billion ($332.9 million) recorded in the year ending July 2024.

Most of the imported vehicles were second-hand, a development that has sparked discussions on the country’s preparedness to adopt electric mobility solutions as part of the global drive to cut emissions and reduce the effects of climate change.

Vehicle imports may have been bolstered by improved handling at the Dar es Salaam Port, following the commissioning of the dedicated roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) berth for motor vehicles.

Newly released performance reports indicate that the port is now accommodating over 130 vessels each month, up from around 90 previously.

Overall, Tanzania’s imports of goods and services rose to Sh42.35 trillion ($17,645.4 million) in the year ending July 2025, up from Sh39.03 trillion ($16,260 million) in the corresponding period in 2024.

The increase was mainly driven by higher imports of industrial transport equipment, industrial supplies, iron and steel, and parts and accessories.

Industrial supplies topped the list, with imports worth Sh12.18 trillion ($5,075.2 million) compared to Sh10.74 trillion ($4,476.0 million) a year earlier.

Refined white petroleum products followed, valued at Sh6.45 trillion ($2,689.1 million) in 2025, down from Sh6.83 trillion ($2,846.1 million) in 2024.

The decline was linked to global commodity price movements, with oil prices easing by 14.2 percent to an average of $71.6 per barrel compared to the same period in 2024.

Freight payments reached Sh3.18 trillion ($1,323.6 million) in the year ending July 2025, up from Sh2.86 trillion ($1,192.8 million) a year earlier, reflecting the high costs of transporting goods.

Imports of machinery and mechanical appliances stood at Sh2.55 trillion ($1,063.3 million) compared to Sh2.6 trillion ($1,083.7 million) in 2024, showing a marginal decline.

However, industrial transport equipment surged to Sh2.87 trillion ($1,196.7 million) from Sh2.21 trillion ($922.5 million), while parts and accessories grew to Sh2.73 trillion ($1,139.7 million) from Sh2.31 trillion ($964.3 million).

Electrical machinery and equipment imports were valued at Sh1.1 trillion ($457.3 million), up from Sh1.01 trillion ($420.9 million) a year earlier.

On the agriculture side, fertiliser imports increased to Sh909.3 billion ($378.9 million) from Sh815.3 billion ($339.7 million) a year earlier, underscoring continuing demand in the sector, though the bill remained below that of car imports.

Meanwhile, Tanzanians’ spending abroad rose sharply.

Expenditure on foreign travel was Sh1.5 trillion ($626.7 million) in the 12 months ending July 2025 compared to Sh975 billion ($406.3 million) in the preceding year.