The construction site of the Belt and Road Initiative project to upgrade the Dar es Salaam Port in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on April 9. In July 2017, Tanzanian President John Magufuli officially launched the project to upgrade the east African nation's largest port, which mainly involves the upgrade of seven existing berths and the building of a new berth. Photo: Xinhua

Tanzania's 46th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF) officially opened Sunday, with 22 foreign countries participating.

Ashatu Kijaji, minister of Investment, Industry and Trade, said the 46th DITF, which runs from June 28 through July 13, has attracted 180 foreign companies and 3,200 local firms displaying products, services and technologies used in the production of goods.

Kijaji said the theme of the 2022 trade fair - Tanzania - Your Best Destination for Business and Investment - was intended to attract businesses and investments from across the globe, pledging that Tanzania was ready to work with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) looking for markets for its products.

Liberata Mulamula, minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, said Tanzania is well prepared for the AfCFTA market of 1.3 billion people and a combined gross domestic product of about $3.4 trillion.

Opening the trade fair in Dar es Salaam, commercial capital of Tanzania, Wamkele Mene, AfCFTA secretary-general, said Tanzania has the potential to exploit the AfCFTA market with its investment reforms and infrastructure development.

Mene inspected some of the pavilions and was impressed by the products on display. He said the AfCFTA's main objective was to reduce and eliminate barriers to investment and trade.

Africa still faced underdevelopment in terms of industrial capacity and output, said Mene, declaring that Africa's second liberation was economic integration.

Xinhua