Some 48.1% of
Zimbabwean
imports come
from South Africa,
according to the CIA World
Factbook.
Zambia is the secondbiggest
African exporter
to Zimbabwe, with a 4.2%
market share.
In 2015 the African
share of exports to
Zimbabwe was worth
around US$3 billion.
Asian trade partners
accounted for 41.5% of
imports, with 5.8% of
goods in value originating
from European Union
countries.
China is the dominant
supplier, with a 12.1%
market share, followed by
India at 5.2%.
A smaller percentage
came from North American
exporters.
Zimbabwean imports
of US$6 billion in 2015
represent a drop of 30.2%
since 2011 and 5.9%
between 2014 and 2015.
The CIA World Factbook
estimates that imports
dropped from US$6.016bn
in 2015 to
US$5.738bn in 2016.
Zimbabwe’s top 10
imports accounted for
almost three-fifths (71.3%)
of the overall value of its
product purchases from
other countries.
Top imports 2015
Oil: US$1.6 billion (26.4%
of total Zimbabwean
imports).
Machines, engines, pumps:
$559.4 million (9.3%).
Vehicles: $459.7 million
(7.7%).
Cereals: $409.9 million
(6.8%).
Electronic equipment:
$403 million (6.7%).
Pharmaceuticals: $231.4
million (3.9%).
Plastics: $203.4 million
(3.4%).
Fertilisers: $169 million
(2.8%).
Animal/vegetable fats and
oils: $137 million (2.3%).
Iron and steel: $122.8
million (2%).
Zimbabwean exports
have also been declining,
although estimates again
differ.
Exports from Zimbabwe
amounted to US$2.7 billion
in 2015, down by 23% since
2011 and down by 11.7%
from 2014 (US$3 billion),
according to the Reserve
Bank of Zimbabwe.
The World Factbook
estimates that exports
dropped from
US$3.551 billion in 2015 to
US$3.357 billion in 2016.
Trading Economics
figures show that exports
from Zimbabwe averaged
US$561.33 million a
month from 1993 until
2016, reaching an all-time
high of US$2 496 million
in December 1996 and a
record low of US$137.5m in
May 2015.
In 2015 the country’s top
export destinations were
China 27.8%, Democratic
Republic of the Congo 14%,
Botswana 12.5%, and South
Africa 7.6%, according to
the CIA World Factbook.
The main exports were
platinum, cotton, tobacco,
gold, ferroalloys, and
textiles/clothing.
Reserve Bank figures
show that there was a 70%
growth in exports by the
clothing sector between
2014 and 2015.
Zimbabwe’s top 10
exports accounted for
90.5% of the overall value
of its global shipments.
