METL imports a wide range of packaged goods and raw materials with current annual shipping equating to approximately 100,000 mtons of bulk commodities. These include: dry bulk items (eg rice, sugar, wheat, maize), liquid bulk items (eg palm fatty acids, palm stearin, oil, etc); and, containerized and loose cargo imports by sea and air freight such as industrial inputs (eg essential oils, flavours, emulsions, colours, etc; spares and small machinery). A very large proportion of raw materials required in manufacturing are not available in Tanzania, and thus as described earlier, the company’s import business is a crucial support to its manufacturing division. Competition is tight in the import trading sector. METL has stood up to this by offering consumers better value for money. This has been made possible by a slew of measures such as the rationalisation of technology, building a leaner and more fluid organisation, and having proactive marketing strategies. The company is aggressive in its marketing and promotion; its goal to have METL’s products on every shelf in the country. In sum, METL’s import portfolio includes inter alia commodities and foodstuffs, fertilizers, consumer goods and sundries, second-hand clothing, bicycles and bicycle parts, agricultural implements, household goods, as well as raw materials and chemicals for its various industries.