LSP Alert: East Africa Trade Faces Disruption as Dar es Salaam Port Shuts Amid Unrest

Widespread political unrest in Tanzania has led to the temporary shutdown of operations at the Port of Dar es Salaam, one of East Africa’s key maritime gateways. In response, multiple shipping lines are diverting vessels to Mombasa, Kenya — triggering significant knock-on effects for regional logistics.

What Happened

Following Tanzania’s contested general elections on October 29, mass protests have erupted across major cities including Dar es Salaam and Arusha. Security concerns, curfews, and internet blackouts have halted port operations in Dar as of October 30, per industry advisories.

Inchcape Shipping Services confirmed vessel calls have been suspended due to deteriorating safety conditions and access restrictions around the port.

Immediate Impacts Across the Region

This disruption is more than a localized port closure — it affects regional trade flows across Eastern and Central Africa. Key implications include:

Vessel Diversions: Major carriers are rerouting vessels previously scheduled for Dar es Salaam to Mombasa.
Port Congestion in Mombasa: With volume redirected, Mombasa is experiencing vessel bunching, extended waiting times, and increased ground handling pressure.
Inland Supply Chain Disruption: Landlocked countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, and the DRC — which rely heavily on the Central Corridor through Dar — now face uncertainty in routing, timing, and costs.
Border Crossings Affected: Protests near the Namanga border have reportedly slowed or blocked truck flows between Tanzania and Kenya, adding further complexity.

Operational Risks & Decisions Now Facing LSPs

For freight forwarders, shippers, and 3PLs managing trade in and around East Africa, several immediate risks require attention:

Transit Delays
With rerouted vessels and inland detours, standard lead times are no longer reliable. ETAs may shift without notice.
Demurrage and Detention Exposure
Bunching at Mombasa and holding patterns inland may raise the risk of accruing fees — especially where storage is limited or customs is delayed.
Routing and Rebooking Decisions
Shippers may need to adjust bookings or redirect cargo already in motion. Inland haulage partners may also require renegotiation.
Communication Bottlenecks
Internet outages and curfews in Tanzania are limiting contact with on-ground partners, increasing dependency on independent tracking and event verification.
Force Majeure & Contract Review
Some logistics contracts may need to be reviewed for applicability of force majeure or added flexibility under current conditions.

What to Watch in the Days Ahead

Restoration of Port Operations in Dar es Salaam — No official reopening timeline is available as of now.
Carrier Advisories on rerouted or blank sailings for Tanzanian ports.
Congestion Metrics at Mombasa — dwell times and berth availability are tightening.
Regional Spillovers into Burundi, DRC, and Zambia as inland bottlenecks grow.

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Sources

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