Exporting Cashews from Tanzania
Guide information
Export.tz is a commercial information service, not a government agency, regulator, or law firm. This guide explains published procedures for general orientation. Always confirm current requirements directly with the authorities linked below before you ship.
Zanzibar sourcing gap — this guide is marked “Applies to: Mainland Tanzania & Zanzibar”, but every authority cited below is Mainland-scoped and we have not independently confirmed a Zanzibar-specific process for this commodity. If you are exporting from Zanzibar, confirm requirements directly with the Zanzibar authorities before relying on this guide.
Overview
Tanzania is a major African raw cashew nut (RCN) producer. Since 2008, cashew has been sold through a Warehouse Receipt System (WRS): licensed buyers purchase through sealed-bid ("tender box") or online (Tanzania Mercantile Exchange, TMX) auctions, involving the Cashewnut Board of Tanzania (CBT (opens the official site in a new tab)), TMX, Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute and the Tanzania Cashew Processors Association.
Who Can Export
A Raw Cashewnut Buying Licence, applied for online via the Ministry of Agriculture's ATMIS portal, is required — with documentary requirements (TIN certificate, company registration, business licence, VAT certificate, tax clearance) and a tiered bid-security deposit. Foreign companies buy exclusively through TMX's online trading system, on a separate, higher bid-security scale. Unlicensed buyers are explicitly barred from purchasing or participating.
Quality & Standards
Two raw-nut grades apply under CBT (opens the official site in a new tab) rules: Standard (Shelling Outturn ≥48 lbs per 80kg bag; sharp, sound, grey shells) and Undergrade (44 to under 48 lbs per 80kg bag; spotted, wrinkled shells). Processed kernels are graded under internationally accepted grades — corresponding in practice to the AFI (Association of Food Industries) W-grade kernel system used worldwide.
Phytosanitary & Food-Safety Requirements
A TPHPA (opens the official site in a new tab) phytosanitary certificate applies to raw cashew as a plant-product export; cashew was specifically named among sectors affected by TPHPA's January 2025 fee increase.
Certificate of Origin & Rules of Origin
An ordinary or preferential TNCC Certificate of Origin may be required depending on the buyer and destination market.
Customs & Clearance
Standard TANCIS clearance via a licensed Clearing and Forwarding Agent, after CBT (opens the official site in a new tab)'s per-lot export permit and levy payment.
Buyer Document Pack
Commercial Invoice, Packing List, CBT (opens the official site in a new tab) export permit for the specific lot, phytosanitary certificate, and Bill of Lading.
Timing & Cost
CBT (opens the official site in a new tab) charges a gunny-bags fee (TZS 52.50/kg), a storage charge (TZS 38/kg) and an export levy of USD 160/MT or 15% of FOB value, whichever is higher, payable to TRA (opens the official site in a new tab) — figures observed in CBT's published Rules and Conditions of Sales for the 2020/21 season; confirm current rates directly with CBT before shipment, as these change season to season.
Step-by-Step Export Process
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Obtain a Raw Cashewnut Buying Licence
Apply online via the Ministry of Agriculture's ATMIS portal, with a tiered bid-security deposit set by committed purchase volume. Foreign buyers use TMX's online trading system with a separate bid-security scale.
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Buy through the Warehouse Receipt System
Purchase raw cashew through CBT (opens the official site in a new tab)'s licensed-warehouse auctions — either sealed-bid ("tender box") or the TMX online trading system.
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Obtain a per-lot export permit
Apply to CBT (opens the official site in a new tab) for an export permit for each shipment, declaring the geographical source of the nuts. CBT officers may inspect the warehouse or vessel before shipment.
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Pay the export levy and fees
Settle CBT (opens the official site in a new tab)'s gunny-bags and storage charges plus the export levy (USD 160/MT or 15% of FOB value, whichever is higher) before shipment.
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Obtain a phytosanitary certificate
Apply to TPHPA (opens the official site in a new tab) for the phytosanitary certificate required for raw cashew exports.
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Customs clearance and shipment
Appoint a licensed Clearing and Forwarding Agent to lodge the TANCIS declaration and complete port clearance and shipment.
Document Checklist
- Required
- Required
- Required
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Required
Export Permit
CBT per-lot export permit.
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Required
Quality / Grading Certificate
CBT Standard/Undergrade or AFI kernel grade.
- Required
- Required in some cases
- Required in some cases
Authorities Involved
CBT
Cashewnut Board of Tanzania
Licenses buyers, runs the Warehouse Receipt System auctions, and issues per-lot export permits.
TPHPA
Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticides Authority
Issues the phytosanitary certificate required for cashew exports.
TRA
Tanzania Revenue Authority — Customs & TANCIS
Customs clearance via TANCIS; collects the CBT export levy.
Official Sources
- Official source The Citizen (Tanzania) — Higher Phytosanitary Fees Hit Agro-Exports, Government Responds (retrieved 29 Sep 2026)
- Official source Cashewnut Board of Tanzania (CBT) — CBT Rules and Conditions of Sales (retrieved 29 Sep 2026)
Official sources above are published by the Government of Tanzania via the Tanzania Trade Portal (TanTrade), content licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Commodities.tz republishes only concise factual citations and links to the original — always confirm current requirements on the official site.
Ready to source from Tanzania?
Find exporters, explore available Cashew offers, or post your buying requirement through the Tanzania Commodities Marketplace (Markets.tz).