Zimbabwe Main Imports: An In-Depth Analysis

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Zimbabwe, as an underdeveloped country, relies on imports to support its economy. The government prioritizes the safe transportation and supply chain management to handle large-scale cargo volumes. Zimbabwe's internal transportation and electrical power networks are adequate; nevertheless, maintenance has been ignored for several years.

In April 2024, the government launched a new currency, Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG), to replace the Zimbabwean dollar. Taxes and tariffs are high, and state regulation is costly to companies. Starting or closing a business is slow and costly. Due to the regulations of the labour market, hiring and terminating workers is a lengthy process.

Zimbabwe came 140 out of 190 ease of doing business report released by the World Bank Group.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, located in Harare, is the country’s central bank. It is the sole bank of issue of the national currency, the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG), and administers all monetary and exchange controls.

Zimbabwe belongs to regional economic trade-and-development organizations, including the Southern African Development Community and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.

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Zimbabwe's Import Landscape

Zimbabwe Import Data of 2021 suggests that Zimbabwe’s imports were around 5.24 Billion US Dollars. Zimbabwe was ranked 131st on the list of world’s top importers. Discover authentic importers and buyers through our Zimbabwe Importers Database. Get quarterly, monthly and year-wise data reports and plan a better marketing strategy.

Based on Zimbabwe Traders Data, the top 10 product imports by Zimbabwe shared an import value of 3.48 Billion US Dollars along with a 61% share of total imports.

Merchandise imports to Zimbabwe totalled $ 9.2 billion in 2023. Goods imports grew up by $ 601 million in 2023 (the value of merchandise imports to Zimbabwe was equal to $8.59 billion in 2022). Merchandise imports to Zimbabwe increased by 6.99% compared to 2022.

Top Import Partners

Zimbabwe Import Shipment Data suggests that Zimbabwe mostly imports from South Africa and Singapore. In terms of total Import share, Zimbabwe Top Import Trading Partners in 2021 were:

  • South Africa (46%)
  • Singapore (10.4%)
  • China (9.14%)
  • India (3%)
  • Mauritius (3%)
  • Mozambique (2.4%)
  • Zambia (2%)
  • United Kingdom (1.6%)
  • United Arab Emirates (1.2%)
  • United States (1.05%).

The total import value for Zimbabwe Largest Trading Partners was around 4.2 Billion US Dollars with a total import share of 79.79%.

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Top trading partners (import sources) of Zimbabwe in 2023:

  • South Africa with a share of 38% (3.49 billion US$)
  • China with a share of 14.9% (1.37 billion US$)
  • The Bahamas with a share of 5.1% (469 million US$)
  • Singapore with a share of 5% (460 million US$)
  • Bahrain with a share of 3.54% (326 million US$)
  • Mozambique with a share of 3.1% (285 million US$)
  • Mauritius with a share of 2.92% (268 million US$)
  • India with a share of 2.8% (258 million US$)
  • Zambia with a share of 2.67% (245 million US$)
  • United Arab Emirates with a share of 2.47% (227 million US$)

The United Kingdom (1.62%), Argentina (0.8%) and Russia (0.72%) also contribute to Zimbabwe's imports.

According to Zimbabwe Buyers Data, Chinika Patterns and Summeryards Enterprises were the top importers companies of Zimbabwe in 2021.

Chalala Harbour is the major seaport of Zimbabwe responsible for large scale imports. There are numerous sea ports in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe's Top 10 Imports

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  1. Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes
  2. Machinery including computers: $944.9 million (12.5%)
  3. Vehicles: $577.6 million (7.6%)
  4. Fertilizers: $441.3 million (5.8%)
  5. Pharmaceuticals: $416.5 million (5.5%)
  6. Electrical machinery and equipment: $336 million (4.4%)
  7. Grains: $335.3 million (4.4%)
  8. Plastics, plastic products: $298.6 million (3.9%)
  9. Animal and vegetable fats, oils, waxes: $280.3 million (3.7%)
  10. from other countries.

The main product imports of Zimbabwe are Mineral Fuels, Oils, Medicines, Vehicles, and Machinery.

Imports structure to Zimbabwe in 2023 represented by the following main commodity groups:

  • 20% (1.85 billion US$): 27 - Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes
  • 13.2% (1.21 billion US$): 84 - Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof
  • 8.34% (767 million US$): 87 - Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories thereof
  • 6.38% (587 million US$): 85 - Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles
  • 4.96% (456 million US$): 10 - Cereals
  • 4.21% (388 million US$): 31 - Fertilizers
  • 3.5% (322 million US$): 39 - Plastics and articles thereof
  • 3.12% (287 million US$): 72 - Iron and steel
  • 3.11% (286 million US$): 73 - Articles of iron or steel
  • 3% (276 million US$): 15 - Animal, vegetable or microbial fats and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes

Zimbabwe's Top Imports in 2023:

  • 16.8% ($1.55 billion): 2710 - Petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals, not crude; preparations n.e.c. containing by weight 70% or more of petroleum oils or oils from bituminous minerals; these being the basic constituents of the preparations; waste oils
  • 3% ($276 million): 8704 - Motor vehicles for the transport of goods
  • 2.6% ($239 million): 3102 - Mineral or chemical fertilisers, nitrogenous
  • 2.3% ($212 million): 1507 - Soya-bean oil and its fractions, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified
  • 2.18% ($200 million): 8703 - Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons (other than those of heading 87.02), including station wagons and racing cars
  • 1.95% ($180 million): 2716 - Electrical energy. (optional heading)
  • 1.95% ($179 million): 8474 - Machinery for sorting, screening, separating, washing, crushing, grinding, mixing or kneading earth, stone, ores or other mineral substances, in solid (including powder or paste) form; machinery for agglomerating, shaping or moulding solid mineral fuels, ceramic paste, unhardened cements, plastering materials or other mineral products in powder or paste form; machines for forming foundry moulds of sand
  • 1.91% ($176 million): 3004 - Medicaments (excluding goods of heading 30.02, 30.05 or 30.06) consisting of mixed or unmixed products for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, put up in measured doses (including those in the form of transdermal administration systems) or in forms or packings for retail sale
  • 1.88% ($173 million): 1006 - Rice
  • 1.65% ($152 million): 1005 - Maize (corn)

cereals, by -36.2%. sorghum imported by Zimbabwe.

The Zimbabwe market is a very profitable market for worldwide exporters, suppliers and Distributors. The government depends on quality goods to support its economy.

Here we have presented the Top Buyers List of Zimbabwe based on our latest Zimbabwe Import Customs Data.

Table: Zimbabwe's Main Economic Indicators (1990-2023)

The graph compares Zimbabwe (blue ) and all of Sub-Saharan Africa's (yellow ) GDP per capita. Different periods in Zimbabwe's recent economic history such as the land reform period (pink ), hyperinflation (grey ), and the dollarization/government of national unity period (light blue ) are also highlighted.

Zimbabwe's Export Overview

Zimbabwe exported $2.8 billion worth of exports to the world in 2022. Export sales improved. international sales of Zimbabwean coal and lignite or peat coke and semi-coke.

The value of merchandise exports from Zimbabwe totalled $ 7.22 billion in 2023. Merchandise exports from Zimbabwe increased by 9.7% compared to 2022. Goods exports grew up by $ 639 million in 2023 (the value of merchandise exports from Zimbabwe amounted to $6.58 billion in 2022)

Zimbabwe's Top 10 Exports

  1. Tobacco, artificial substitutes: $1 billion (36.1% of total exports)
  2. Iron and steel: $556.4 million (19.8%)
  3. Salt, sulfur, stone, cement: $251.7 million (8.9%)
  4. Fossil fuels including oil: $212.3 million (7.5%)
  5. Ore, slag, ash: $158.9 million (5.6%)
  6. Cotton: $120.2 million (4.3%)
  7. Gems, precious metals: $96.8 million (3.4%)
  8. Fruits, nuts: $80.3 million (2.9%)
  9. Sugar, confectionery: $30.7 million (1.1%)
  10. categories, growing by 316.2% from 2021 to 2022.

Zimbabwe's exports 2023 by country

Top export destinations of commodities from Zimbabwe in 2023:

  • South Africa with a share of 30% (2.23 billion US$)
  • United Arab Emirates with a share of 26% (1.91 billion US$)
  • China with a share of 17.7% (1.28 billion US$)
  • Mozambique with a share of 5.5% (397 million US$)
  • Areas, nes with a share of 3.87% (280 million US$)
  • Belgium with a share of 2.91% (210 million US$)
  • Hong Kong with a share of 2.36% (171 million US$)
  • Zambia with a share of 1.97% (142 million US$)
  • Netherlands - 69 million US$
  • Vietnam - 52 million US$

Indonesia ( 0.17%) and the United States of America (0.15%).

ungummed and un-combed cotton (4.1%), and coal (including solids).

Exports structure from Zimbabwe in 2023 represented by the following main commodity groups:

  • 31% (2.25 billion US$): 71 - Natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones, precious metals, metals clad with precious metal and articles thereof; imitation jewelry; coin
  • 17.9% (1.29 billion US$): 24 - Tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes
  • 13.6% (989 million US$): 75 - Nickel and articles thereof
  • 12.7% (922 million US$): 25 - Salt; sulfur; earths and stone; plastering materials, lime and cement
  • 10.1% (735 million US$): 26 - Ores, slag and ash
  • 5.4% (390 million US$): 72 - Iron and steel
  • 2.82% (204 million US$): 27 - Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes
  • 0.803% (58 million US$): 17 - Sugars and sugar confectionery
  • 0.506% (36 million US$): 41 - Raw hides and skins (other than fur skins) and leather
  • 0.481% (34 million US$): 52 - Cotton

What did Zimbabwe export in 2023?

Zimbabwe's Top Exports in 2023:

  • 24% ($1.8 billion): 7108 - Gold (including gold plated with platinum) unwrought or in semi-manufactured forms, or in powder form
  • 16.4% ($1.19 billion): 2401 - Unmanufactured tobacco; tobacco refuse
  • 13.6% ($989 million): 7501 - Nickel mattes, nickel oxide sinters and other intermediate products of nickel metallurgy
  • 12.2% ($881 million): 2530 - Mineral substances not elsewhere specified or included.
  • 8.95% ($647 million): 2604 - Nickel ores and concentrates
  • 5.32% ($384 million): 7202 - Ferro-alloys.
  • 4.49% ($324 million): 7102 - Diamonds, whether or not worked, but not mounted or set
  • 2.17% ($156 million): 2704 - Coke and semi-coke of coal, of lignite or of peat, whether or not agglomerated; retort carbon
  • 1.67% ($121 million): 7110 - Platinum, unwrought or in semi-manufactured forms, or in powder form
  • 1.2% ($87 million): 2610 - Chromium ores and concentrates

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