Import Licences - Zimbabwe

Information for importers operating in Zimbabwe

For a businessperson who intends to engage in import activities in Zimbabwe, an import license can be obtained from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in Harare. The application letter should be addressed to the Secretary for Industry and Commerce. 

The government charges higher import duties on finished goods than on raw materials and intermediate goods, as a means of promoting the country’s productive sector. There are three different types of payments upon importation of goods into Zimbabwe: import duty, surtax, and value added tax (VAT) as described in the Harmonized System Tariffs Handbook and other relevant subsequent legislation. Most imported goods are subject to surtax and VAT. The government uses the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT) method of customs valuation.

Prohibited and restricted imports

Zimbabwe maintains a list of prohibited items that require special permission from the government to import. The list includes nuclear reactors, radioactive materials, arms and ammunition, precious and semi-precious gems, jewellery, carbonated beverages for resale, and textiles and clothing and second-hand clothes for resale. In 2011 the government imposed an indefinite ban on chicken and meat product imports from South Africa. Although the ban has since been relaxed somewhat, meat imports are controlled by a quota system administered by the Ministry of Agriculture. Additional information can be found here.