Uganda falters as more DRC goods pass through Dar port

Cargo bound for Uganda through the port of Dar es Salaam has declined in the past five years by 14 per cent.
From a high of 67,302 tonnes in 2008, it fell to 23,930 tonnes last year.

In 2005 traffic to the landlocked country stood at 38,059 tonnes rising to 53,455 tonnes in 2006 and down to 38,214 tonnes in 2007.

Tanzania Ports Authority public relations manager Franklyn Mzray said this happened even as that for Democratic Republic of Congo recorded a steady increase of about 30 per cent over the past years.

In 2005, traffic to the DRC was 113,660 tonnes rising to 206,884 tonnes the following year and to 277,891 tonnes in 2007. In 2008, traffic reached 316,079 tonnes but dropped to 291,190 tonnes last year representing an average of 30 per cent growth.

“The slight decline in traffic to DRC was as a result of the world economic crisis but business has started to pick up,” he said.

Traffic from copper-rich Zambia that has seen a resurgence of production in the mining sector increased from 684,277 tonnes in 2005 to 932,898 tonnes last year.

Zambia’s figures for the other years were 746,353 tonnes (2006), 956,826 tonnes (2007), 928,517 tonnes (2008).
Neighbouring Malawi, which operates dry cargo centres in Mbeya and Dar es Salaam, registered a growth rate of 20.7 per cent over the past five years.

Cargo to the landlocked Malawi peaked in 2006 when it reached 77,357 tonnes, up from 28,530 tonnes the previous year. In 2007, it stood at 51,255 tonnes falling to 32,182 tonnes in 2008 and 27,217 tonnes last year.
With a growth of 17.2 percent over the past five years Rwanda’s frequency of transiting its goods through Dar es Salaam was third after the DRC and Malawi.

Last year, it stood at 110,987 tonnes from the previous year’s 177,257 tonnes. In 2007 traffic stood at 88,586 tonnes a slight increase from that of the previous year (2006), which stood at 86,918 tonnes and 83,506 tonnes in 2005.

Tanzania’s ports especially Dar es Salaam have in recent years been made to contend with rising competition from Mombasa port, which acts as an option for importers.

The prevailing situations in Mozambique and Angola after prolonged wars has meant some of the business, which would have passed through Dar es Salaam now finds its way to ports in the two countries.

Tanzania’s ports have also had to compete with ports in South Africa, which take a great chunk of transit business from the landlocked countries of Zambia and Malawi.