Zambia is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, and is currently the world’s biggest exporter of raw copper and postage stamps. Other exports include sugar, tobacco, gemstones, and electricity. Also, its main export partners are Switzerland, China, South Africa, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Before looking at the top 10 Zambia export products, consider the following statistics.
- In 2018, Zambia was ranked as the 105th economy in the world in terms of GDP.
- Zambia was also ranked 83rd in the world in terms of total exports.
- Zambia’s total export value in 2018 was US$ 9052 million, and in 2019 it was US$ 7.026 (a 22% decline).
Who are Zambia’s main export partners?
- Switzerland – 47% of total export value (US$ 2.9 billion).
- China – with a share of 21% of total exports, or US$ 14.45%.
- Congo DRC – this country receives 12.8% of the total exports from Zambia (US$ 901 million)
- Singapore – receives US$ 579 million worth of Zambian exports (8.24% of total exports).
- South Africa – one of Zambia’s leading export destinations in Africa, receiving US$ 296 million (4.22%) worth of exports
- Malawi – this country imports US$ 103 million worth of exports from Zambia (1.46%)
- Zimbabwe – imports 1.41% of Zambia’s total exports, valued at US$ 97 million.
- Hong Kong – one of Zambia’s export partners in the Far East, receiving US$ 75 million (1.07%) worth of exports.
Here is the list of the top 10 Zambia export products, the export values, and the percentage of total export value.
10. Master alloys of copper, valued at US$ 66million (0.952%)
9. Unmanufactured tobacco and tobacco refuse, valued at US$ 68 million (0.975%)
8. Electrical energy, valued at US$ 68 million (0.976%)
7. Gold (includes gold plated with platinum); in powder form, semi-manufactured form, or unwrought valued at US$ 72 million (1.03%)
6. Portland cement, slag cement, aluminous cement, supersulphate cement, and hydraulic cements, as clinkers, colored or uncolored, valued at US$ 111 million (1.58%)
5. Cane or beet sugar and chemically pure sucrose (solid form), valued at US$ 115 million (1.64%)
4. Precious and semi-precious stones (not including diamonds), worked, unworked, graded, ungraded, not strung, mounted or set; temporarily strung ungraded precious stones (not diamonds) and semi-precious stones, valued at US$ 132 million (1.89%)
3. Sulphuric acid and oleum valued at US$ 148 million (2.11%)
2. Refined copper and copper alloys, valued at US$ 1.14 billion (16.2%)
1. Unrefined copper, and copper anodes for electrolytic refining, valued at US$ 3.76 billion (53%)
This list of top 10 Zambia export products gives an excellent guide for anyone who wants to get into the export business!