Zimbabwe Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in zimbabwe, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
Select Country Guide
Trade Barriers
Last published date:

 The Government of Zimbabwe (GOZ) has used export bans to promote value addition to raw minerals, which sometimes results in sudden bans on the export of goods deemed to have sufficient domestic processing capacity. For example, in August 2021, the government unexpectedly announced an immediate ban on the export of raw chrome to support the domestic ferrochrome industry. Similarly, in December 2022, the GOZ imposed a ban on raw lithium exports, requiring firms to establish processing plants to convert ore into concentrates before exporting. These unpredictable policies complicate long-term business planning.

Zimbabwe also enforces partial import bans on various meat products, citing consumer protection or disease prevention concerns. However, these measures often serve to protect local producers from foreign competition. While the government permits the importation of most goods for personal use without a license, importers may be required to obtain product-specific import licenses.  

×

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.

Privacy Program | Information Quality Guidelines | Accessibility