Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan (C, front) poses for a group photo with other guests at the opening ceremony of the East Africa Commercial and Logistics Center (EACLC) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Aug. 1, 2025. Hassan on Friday officially launched the EACLC, a transformative trade and logistics complex developed by Chinese enterprise EACLC LIMITED.(Xinhua/Emmanuel Herman)

DAR ES SALAAM, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Friday officially launched the East Africa Commercial and Logistics Center (EACLC), a transformative trade and logistics complex developed by Chinese enterprise EACLC LIMITED.

Speaking at the launch ceremony in the port city of Dar es Salaam, Hassan described the 170-million-U.S.-dollars facility as a flagship investment aimed at enhancing regional trade connectivity and deepening economic cooperation between Tanzania and China.

Hassan said the EACLC will strengthen Tanzania's commercial ties with markets across the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.

Wang Xiangyun, chairperson of the EACLC, said the facility, spanning more than 75,000 square meters and housing 2,060 shops, is the largest trade and logistics complex in Tanzania to date.

She said by integrating bonded storage, customs clearance, e-commerce, supply chain finance, and re-export trade into one seamless platform, the center is projected to reduce regional trade costs by 30 percent, create over 50,000 local jobs, and generate significant tax revenue to support national development.

"Since the commencement, the EACLC has contributed 22 billion Tanzanian shillings (about 8.75 million dollars) to Tanzania's treasury, and we are committed to substantially increasing this contribution in the years ahead," said Wang.

"This project stands proudly as a flagship outcome of China-Africa cooperation under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. It is a living testament that when mutual respect, long-term commitment, and shared prosperity guide us, dreams develop, and ideas become infrastructure," she added.

Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian said that the country continues to attract an increasing number of Chinese enterprises, and this project is a prime example of that positive momentum. ■

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan (3rd R) and other guests attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the EACLC in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Aug. 1, 2025. Hassan on Friday officially launched the EACLC, a transformative trade and logistics complex developed by Chinese enterprise EACLC LIMITED.(Xinhua/Emmanuel Herman)

Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the East Africa Commercial and Logistics Center (EACLC) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Aug. 1, 2025. Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Friday officially launched the EACLC, a transformative trade and logistics complex developed by Chinese enterprise EACLC LIMITED.(Xinhua/Emmanuel Herman)

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan visits an exhibition booth during the opening ceremony of the East Africa Commercial and Logistics Center (EACLC) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Aug. 1, 2025. Hassan on Friday officially launched the EACLC, a transformative trade and logistics complex developed by Chinese enterprise EACLC LIMITED.(Xinhua/Emmanuel Herman)

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the East Africa Commercial and Logistics Center (EACLC) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Aug. 1, 2025. Hassan on Friday officially launched the EACLC, a transformative trade and logistics complex developed by Chinese enterprise EACLC LIMITED.(Xinhua/Emmanuel Herman)

People participate in the opening ceremony of the East Africa Commercial and Logistics Center (EACLC) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Aug. 1, 2025. Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Friday officially launched the EACLC, a transformative trade and logistics complex developed by Chinese enterprise EACLC LIMITED.(Xinhua/Emmanuel Herman)