Zambia Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in zambia, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Import Tariffs
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Customs valuation is tallied on a Cost Insurance and Freight (CIF) basis.  Most goods fall into one of three tariff bands:  0-5 percent (Capital Equipment and Raw Materials); 15 percent (Intermediate Goods); or 25 percent (Finished Goods).  The duty on productive machinery for agriculture, aquaculture, solar energy, and mining is zero percent.  Other duty-free items include medicines, pharmaceuticals, veterinary supplies, medical equipment, computer parts, chemicals in bulk, fertilizers, and seeds. 

Import Value Added Tax (VAT) is collected on behalf of the VAT Division and is charged on the Taxable Value, i.e., Customs Value + Customs Duty (+ Excise Duty, where applicable) at the rate of 16 percent, leading to sharp price increases on finished goods.  A Carbon Emission Surtax of ZMW200 (~$8) is charged on all motor vehicles being imported as well as those visiting and transiting.  The Carbon Emission Surtax is an annual charge for vehicles in Zambia and the cost is based on the vehicle’s engine capacity.  Attempting to simultaneously incentivize investment and increase revenue, the Zambian government revises its tax code annually, to differing degrees of significance.  Consult the U.S. Department of Commerce Customs Info Database tariff look-up tool, available on trade.gov (free registration required), to estimate duties and taxes; and the Zambia Revenue Authority’s website for the most current information.

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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