Zambia Trade

Import and Export Consultants

Top 10 Imports for Zambia

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Zambia is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa, with a population of 17.09 million people. Its main imports are copper ore, nitrogenous fertilizers, and petroleum. Recently, though, this county has also started importing cobalt oxides and hydroxides. Coming up below are a few statistics relating to the top 10 imports for Zambia.

Import Statistics for Zambia

  • Zambia is the world’s 99th largest importer.
  • In 2017, Zambia imported goods worth US$ 8.5 billion.
  • Zambia’s imports decreased at an annual rate of -0.4% between 2012 and 2017. Import volumes decreased from US$ 8.68 billion in 2012 to US$ 8.5 billion in 2017.
  • Zambia’s main import partners are South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo and China.

Import origins

Where do the top 10 imports for Zambia come from?

1. South Africa – US$ 2.61 billion (31%) worth of imports comes from South Africa. Items imported from this country include non-fillet frozen fish, refined petroleum, and delivery trucks

2. The Democratic Republic of Congo – Copper ore, cobalt oxides and hydroxides, and cobalt ore are the maim items imported from the DRC. Imports from this country totaled US$ 1.78 billion, or 21% of total imports in 2017.

3. China – China exported goods worth US$ 1.18 billion to Zambia, or 14% of the total import value. The items from this country include broadcasting equipment, iron structures, stone crushing equipment, planes, and helicopters.

4. Kuwait – Kuwait supplied Zambia with goods worth US$ 424 million in 2017. These imports made up 5.0% of total imports, and include crude petroleum, refined petroleum, and chemical products.

5. United Arab Emirates – Zambia received goods valued at US$ 314 million (3.7% of Zambia’s total imports). These items included refined petroleum, organo-sulfur compounds and nitrogenous fertilizer.

Top 10 imports for Zambia

10. Planes, Helicopters and/or spacecraft

  • These items were imported at a total cost of US$ 131 million in 2017, making up 1.5% of Zambia’s total imports.

9. Excavation Machinery

  • Excavation machinery, a major need for the construction industry, made up 1.6% of the total imports in 2017. The total value of these imports was US$ 139 million.

8. Delivery Trucks

  • As the manufacturing and services industries continue to grow, so does the demand for delivery trucks. As a result, imports of these trucks were valued at US$ 148 million (1.7% of total imports).

7. Broadcasting Equipment

  • Broadcasting equipment worth US$ 2.1% million was brought into Zambia in 2017, constituting 2.1% of the total imports.

6. Cobalt Ore

  • Cobalt ore from the DRC made up 2.1% of Zambia’s total imports in 2017, valued at US$ 181 million.

5. Nitrogenous Fertilizers

  • Nitrogenous fertilizers from the UAE worth US$ 228 million were imported in 2017, constituting 2.7% of the total imports.

4. Crude Petroleum

  • In 2017, Zambia imported crude petroleum worth US$ 389 million, 4.6% of the year’s total imports.

3. Refined Petroleum

  • Refined petroleum valued at US$ 650 million was imported into Zambia in 2017, making up 7.6% of total imports for the year.

2. Cobalt Oxides and Hydroxides

  • Imports of cobalt oxides and hydroxides were valued at US$ 713 million, making up 8.4% of the total imports.

1. Copper Ore

  • Copper ore is the highest-grossing imports in Zambia. In 2017, imports of this commodity were valued at US$ 821 million, 9.7% of Zambia’s total imports.

The top 10 imports for Zambia listed above give a great guide on what items or commodities to invest in for those who are interested in importing into the country. If you are one of those people who would like to invest in the import business in Zambia, you now have all the information you need!