Opportunities of Digital Transformation in International Trade: A Study of Import and Export Activities at Dar es Salaam Port in Tanzania

The digital economy is reshaping global trade, positioning digital transformation (DT) as a strategic driver of international trade opportunities (ITO), global competitiveness (GLC), and efficiency in import/export activities (EIM). However, a persistent digital divide continues to limit the full participation of developing and least-developed countries in digitally enabled trade. In Tanzania, shortcomings in digital infrastructure, regulatory support, digital knowledge and skills, readiness, leadership, innovation, and institutional capacity constrain the effective diffusion of DT within international trade systems. This study examines the influence of DT, shaped by digital infrastructure (DI) and regulatory frameworks (RF), on ITO, GLC, and EIM, while assessing the moderating roles of competition and efficiency. A mixed-methods approach was employed, integrating quantitative data from a cross-sectional survey of 409 international trade stakeholders at the DSM Port with qualitative insights from 11 key informant interviews. SEM using SPSS AMOS tested the hypothesized relationships, and NVivo-supported thematic analysis provided contextual depth. The findings reveal that DT significantly enhances ITO (β = 1.296, p < 0.001). Digital infrastructure plays a significant enabling role in supporting DT-driven trade opportunities (β =0.452, p < 0.05), whereas RF does not demonstrate a statistically significant effect. Efficiency positively moderates the DT–ITO relationship, while competition does not significantly influence this link. Moreover, DT and ITO jointly and significantly improve GLC (β = 0.851, p < 0.001) and EIM (β = 0.354, p < 0.001). Competition, however, strengthens the relationship between ITO and EIM (β = 0.075, p < 0.001). Qualitative evidence supports these results, with 82% of respondents emphasizing the importance of DT despite infrastructure and regulatory setbacks. The study concludes that DT is a strategic enabler of trade expansion, global competitiveness, and efficiency in developing economies. It highlights the pivotal role of robust DI and strengthened RF in converting digital initiatives into measurable trade outcomes. The study recommends targeted investment in DI, regulatory reform, to foster inclusive and effective DT while addressing demographic disparities in international trade. The findings provide important theoretical and policy contributions by emphasizing the need to bridge the digital divide and advance an inclusive, digitally enabled trade ecosystem.