Tanzania Customs & Import Duty Calculator

Tanzania import duty — what you actually pay

Importing into Tanzania involves more than just one tax. On top of the EAC Common External Tariff (CET) duty, you pay VAT, Railway Development Levy, Customs Processing Fee, and (for selected items) excise duty. Understanding the layered structure is the difference between a profitable import and an under-quoted one.

The EAC CET bands

• 0% — raw materials, capital goods, agricultural inputs.
• 10% — intermediate goods used in manufacturing.
• 25% — finished consumer goods.
• 35%+ — "sensitive items" list (rice, sugar, milk, textiles, etc.) — protective rates, often 35–100%.

The other layers on top

• VAT — 18% on (CIF + duty + excise).
• Railway Development Levy — 1.5% on CIF (zero on selected exemptions).
• Customs Processing Fee — 0.6% on CIF.
• Excise duty — variable; vehicles, alcohol, tobacco, soft drinks, plastics.
• Pre-shipment inspection / verification fee for selected goods.

Get your HS code right

The HS (Harmonised System) code determines the duty rate. A wrong code is the #1 cause of customs disputes — and a 25% rate instead of 10% can wreck a margin. Use TRA's online HS lookup or engage a licensed clearing agent (CFA).

Plan with the TZS Converter to lock in your CIF in TZS, the VAT Calculator to confirm pass-through, and the Markup vs Margin tool to set retail prices that protect your margin.

Take this further

Landed cost — CIF, duty, 18% VAT, the 1.5% RDL, clearing and inland transport — is the only cost worth pricing against. Tawala Inventory holds the landed figure as the item cost so your margin reports are true, and Tawala Accounting keeps the import entries reconciled.

Not sure which module fits? Compare every option under Tawala solutions, or find the setup for your sector under Tawala by industry.