DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 15 -- FOR decades, the economic relationship between Tanzania and Malawi has been driven largely by the movement of agricultural produce, manufactured goods and consumer products across their borders, with bilateral commerce providing an important foundation for businesses and consumers in both markets.

But the growing scale of trade is creating an opportunity to reshape that relationship from one centred on finished goods into a more integrated model in which investment, production capacity, technology and raw materials move across borders to build regional value chains and enable both countries to capture greater economic value from their respective resources.

Such a shift could allow businesses in both countries ...