Logistics services in Tanzania.

Tanzania logistics overview: modes, trade and gateways

Tanzania uses sea, air, rail and road to handle freight. Containerized cargo moves mainly through the seaport of Dar es Salaam, with other commercial ports at Tanga, Zanzibar, Mtwara, Kilwa Kivinje and Chake Chake along about 1,424 km of coastline. Air freight moves through at least 9 airports with scheduled services, including Julius Nyerere, Kilimanjaro, Mwanza, Arusha and Abeid Amani Karume international airports.

Rail operators can use about 4,097 km of rail to move cargo to and from ports or inland hubs, with historic rail freight of about 1.2 billion tonne-km. Road freight connects Tanzania with Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia. Container traffic of about 985,000 TEU and an LPI score of 2.99 indicate established logistics services for both imports and exports.

Look for freight forwarders in Tanzania with strong operations at Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Zanzibar, as these are major ports used for container and general cargo. Dar es Salaam has rail access, which can matter for inland moves and transit traffic to neighbors such as Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia. Tanzania trades heavily with China, India, UAE, Uganda and South Africa, so experience on these lanes is useful.

Tanzania’s overall logistics performance index score and customs score are close to the world median, so process knowledge and document accuracy are important. Check that your partner understands EAC and SADC regional trade arrangements and has a record of managing transit and border crossings to countries such as Kenya, Malawi and Mozambique. For customs brokers, focus on clearance times, handling of refined petroleum, minerals and agricultural cargoes, and how they coordinate with shipping lines like Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, APL and others present in Dar es Salaam and secondary ports.

FCL and LCL shipping from and to Tanzania runs mainly through Dar es Salaam, supported by Tanga, Zanzibar, Mtwara and Kilwa Kivinje on the coast. Dar es Salaam is a medium sized port with cargo pier depth of about 7.9 m and rail access, while Tanga and Zanzibar are smaller with about 4.9 m depths. Tanzania handled around 985,000 TEU in 2024, ranking 72 of 168 globally and 8 of 33 in Sub Saharan Africa.

Liner connectivity (LSCI) was 15.81 in 2021, ranking 79 of 169 worldwide. Several global shipping lines have offices in Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Zanzibar, including APL, CMA CGM, Maersk, MSC, COSCO, Evergreen, HMM, Hapag Lloyd, KMTC, ONE, OOCL and Emirates Shipping Line. Observed FCL rates to Dar es Salaam include Cat Lai (Ho Chi Minh City) at a median of 6,644 USD per 40ST and 5,885 USD per 20ST on 31 October 2026, and Port Klang at 6,425 USD per 20ST on 30 October 2026. LCL shipments of 500 kg / 1 m³ from Ho Chi Minh City and Cat Lai showed median prices of 614 USD on 30 October 2026.

Air freight in Tanzania is handled through at least 9 airports with scheduled services. Main gateways include Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro International Airport, Mwanza International Airport, Arusha Airport and Abeid Amani Karume International Airport in Zanzibar. Total air cargo traffic reached about 20 million tonne-km in 2023, placing the country 83 of 184 worldwide and 8 of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Air freight in Tanzania makes sense for higher-value or time-sensitive shipments within the country’s export and import mix, such as refined petroleum products, manufactured goods or urgent agricultural consignments. The presence of several international airports with scheduled services supports combining air legs with road or rail distribution to reach inland destinations.

Rail and road freight in Tanzania are central to domestic and regional logistics. The rail network extends about 4,097 km, with rail freight historically around 1.2 billion tonne-km in 2004 and a world rank of 64 of 113, and 4 of 24 in Sub-Saharan Africa. Rail connects to the main seaport of Dar es Salaam, allowing inland cargo movements to link with maritime services.

Tanzania shares land borders with Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia, giving road hauliers access to multiple neighbouring markets and transit routes. These borders support overland flows of export goods like gold, refined petroleum, dried legumes, refined copper and coal, and inflows of refined petroleum, plastics, garments, fertilizers and wheat. Road networks complement rail for reaching areas not served by rail lines and for cross-border trucking.

Tanzania is a member of the World Trade Organization and has been part of the World Customs Organization since 1964-11-07. It also participates in regional blocs including the EAC, SADC and AU, which shape regional trade conditions for shippers. The average applied tariff was 8.64 percent in 2022. For documentation, shippers should always plan on providing at least a commercial invoice, packing list and appropriate transport document for customs clearance.

The customs component of the Logistics Performance Index was 2.78 in 2016, above the world median of 2.6, while the overall LPI was 2.99 compared with a median of 2.7. Import and export procedures were relatively fast, with median border and documentary compliance times of 4 days for both imports and exports in 2018. Other LPI components in 2016, such as infrastructure at 2.81 and logistics quality at 2.92, show moderate performance. When choosing brokers or forwarders, ask how they handle these areas to keep clearance and transit times predictable.