- SADC, COMESA trade boosts Zambia’s export performance
NKOMBO KACHEMBA
Lusaka
ZAMBIA has maintained its position as a net exporter within the regional trade blocs of SADC and COMESA, recording trade surpluses of K2.9 billion in the dual SADC-COMESA market and K0.03 billion in COMESA exclusive markets in April 2026, according to Zambia Statistics Agency (ZAMSTATS).
The country, however, posted an overall merchandise trade surplus of K3.5 billion.
This underscores Zambia’s continued competitiveness in regional trade, largely driven by exports of both traditional and non-traditional commodities.
However, Zambia’s trade performance remains mixed across other global markets.
The country recorded trade deficits with Asia (K2.7 billion), SADC-exclusive markets (K4.8 billion), and the European Union (K1.1 billion), indicating a higher dependence on imports from these regions.
Overall, Zambia’s international merchandise trade recorded a surplus of K3.5 billion in April 2026.
Export earnings rose by 1.5 percent to K25.4 billion, driven by a significant increase in raw materials (17.8 percent), capital goods (187.8 percent), and marginal growth in consumer goods exports.
On the import side, the country recorded a 9.3 percent decline, largely due to a sharp contraction in consumer goods imports, which fell by 43.5 percent.
Imports of raw materials also declined by 1.7 percent.
Despite the positive monthly performance, cumulative total trade for the period January to April 2026 stood at K195.7 billion, representing a 9.5 percent decrease compared to K216.1 billion recorded during the same period in 2025.
Traditional exports, mainly copper, continued to dominate Zambia’s export basket, accounting for 64.4 percent in April 2026, although this represented a decline from 70.1 percent in March Copper export earnings fell by 7.2 percent from K17.3 billion in March to K16.1 billion in April.
In contrast, non-traditional exports (NTEs) showed strong growth, increasing by 20.9 percent from K7.5 billion to K9.0 billion.
Agricultural exports such as maize and tobacco contributed significantly, with agricultural Export composition data further shows that intermediate goods accounted for the largest share of exports at 80.6 percent, followed by raw materials at 12.1 percent.
On the import side, intermediate goods also dominated at 45.6 percent, followed by capital goods at 25.7 percent.
Regionally, export market shares were highest in Canada (36.1 percent) and Asia (30.2 percent), while imports were largely sourced from Asia (47.2 percent) and SADCexclusive countries (29.1 percent).
Zambia’s continued trade surplus within the SADCCOMESA region highlights the importance of regional integration in supporting export growth, particularly as the country seeks to diversify away from copper dependency and strengthen non-traditional export sectors.
