To protect Malawian dairy farmers against cheap imports of milk powder, tariffs on dairy imports were increased in 2010. The purpose of this work is to analyse the effects of this policy measure on the dairy trade between Malawi and the European Union (EU). The results show that the increase in tariffs and fluctuations in the international dairy price have not had a significant impact on imports from partners outside trade agreements (e.g., EU) and imports of dairy products, and especially milk powder, are still strong. Since the increase in imports was from products with high value added, these were not destined to increase the availability of affordable products for the vast poor population and to reinforce food security.