Tanzania Reopens Border with Zambia, Restores Key Copper Trade Corridor
Tanzania Reopens Zambia Border After Post-Election Unrest, Boosting Copper and Cobalt Exports
Tanzania has reopened its border with Zambia, restoring the flow of cargo along a critical trade corridor for Africa’s two largest copper exporters. The border had been closed last week due to post-election unrest, which brought shipments to a standstill.
The situation normalized on Monday, according to Oliver Nzala, corporate communications manager at the Zambia Revenue Authority. Border authorities are now working to reduce the backlog, clearing approximately 250 trucks daily in each direction.
Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam port plays a vital role as a hub for copper and cobalt shipments from mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia to China, and also serves as a key fuel-import terminal for the region.
The unrest eased after President Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in, following a disputed election marked by violence.
Neighboring Malawi, a uranium exporter, reported that regional fuel shortages were exacerbated by the disruptions in Tanzania. The landlocked country has faced ongoing fuel supply challenges due to foreign-exchange constraints and a government struggling to cover import costs.
