Summary
- Exports
- $14.6billion
- Imports
- $11.8billion
- Trade balance
- +$2.7billion
Products
What it exports
Unrefined copper (51.1%) and refined copper (17.2%) together make up 68.3% of its exports.
What it imports
Refined petroleum (18.1%) and trucks (4.1%) together make up 22.2% of its imports.
Its products
Destinations and sources of its products that have their own page.
By Harmonized System chapter (96)
| Chapter | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|
| 74 · Copper | $10 billion | $12 million |
| 71 · Gems and precious metals | $756 million | $11 million |
| 26 · Ores and slag | $710 million | $253 million |
| 25 · Salt, stone and cement | $354 million | $168 million |
| 24 · Tobacco | $348 million | $47 million |
| 27 · Oil, gas and coal | $275 million | $2.6 billion |
| 72 · Iron and steel | $190 million | $281 million |
| 28 · Inorganic chemicals | $174 million | $178 million |
| 22 · Beverages and spirits | $145 million | $71 million |
| 31 · Fertilizers | $115 million | $727 million |
| 17 · Sugar and sweets | $114 million | $21 million |
| 34 · Soap and cleaning products | $113 million | $102 million |
| 19 · Baked goods and cereal products | $93 million | $44 million |
| 84 · Mechanical machinery | $90 million | $1.9 billion |
| 68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles | $87 million | $14 million |
| 23 · Animal feed and food waste | $85 million | $42 million |
| 87 · Vehicles | $65 million | $1.2 billion |
| 04 · Dairy, eggs and honey | $64 million | $36 million |
| 69 · Ceramics | $61 million | $29 million |
| 10 · Cereals | $58 million | $178 million |
| 85 · Electrical and electronic equipment | $56 million | $566 million |
| 15 · Fats and oils | $54 million | $216 million |
| 38 · Miscellaneous chemicals | $52 million | $223 million |
| 73 · Iron and steel products | $46 million | $303 million |
| 09 · Coffee, tea and spices | $42 million | $10 million |
| 48 · Paper and paperboard | $32 million | $125 million |
| 36 · Explosives and matches | $32 million | $41 million |
| 39 · Plastics | $28 million | $612 million |
| 44 · Wood | $27 million | $24 million |
| 20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables | $21 million | $25 million |
| 78 · Lead | $19 million | $2 million |
| 07 · Vegetables | $18 million | $6 million |
| 49 · Books and printed matter | $17 million | $17 million |
| 12 · Oilseeds and grains | $17 million | $15 million |
| 01 · Live animals | $15 million | $8 million |
| 52 · Cotton | $15 million | $2 million |
| 29 · Organic chemicals | $13 million | $91 million |
| 63 · Home textiles and used clothing | $12 million | $64 million |
| 76 · Aluminum | $11 million | $55 million |
| 06 · Live plants and flowers | $11 million | $3 million |
| 08 · Fruit and nuts | $8 million | $18 million |
| 40 · Rubber | $7 million | $247 million |
| 30 · Pharmaceuticals | $7 million | $320 million |
| 18 · Cocoa and chocolate | $6 million | $10 million |
| 02 · Meat and offal | $6 million | $19 million |
| 21 · Food preparations | $6 million | $45 million |
| 41 · Hides and leather | $5 million | $14 thousand |
| 03 · Fish and seafood | $5 million | $169 million |
| 86 · Railway equipment | $5 million | $8 million |
| 33 · Perfumes and cosmetics | $4 million | $90 million |
| 90 · Precision and medical instruments | $4 million | $128 million |
| 32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents | $3 million | $48 million |
| 67 · Feathers and artificial flowers | $2 million | $2 million |
| 88 · Aircraft and spacecraft | $2 million | $20 million |
| 11 · Milling products and malt | $2 million | $15 million |
| 82 · Tools and cutlery | $2 million | $35 million |
| 81 · Other base metals | $2 million | $366 thousand |
| 94 · Furniture and lighting | $2 million | $79 million |
| 64 · Footwear | $996 thousand | $33 million |
| 70 · Glass | $747 thousand | $38 million |
| 55 · Synthetic staple fibers | $746 thousand | $31 million |
| 89 · Ships and boats | $659 thousand | $3 million |
| 16 · Prepared meat and fish | $620 thousand | $2 million |
| 83 · Miscellaneous metal goods | $614 thousand | $23 million |
| 96 · Other manufactured goods | $558 thousand | $9 million |
| 42 · Leather goods and bags | $545 thousand | $9 million |
| 54 · Synthetic filaments | $535 thousand | $12 million |
| 14 · Other plant products | $530 thousand | $4 thousand |
| 97 · Art and antiques | $443 thousand | $698 thousand |
| 62 · Woven clothing | $396 thousand | $24 million |
| 58 · Special fabrics and lace | $265 thousand | $1 million |
| 13 · Gums and plant extracts | $206 thousand | $2 million |
| 47 · Wood pulp | $167 thousand | $14 million |
| 92 · Musical instruments | $150 thousand | $1 million |
| 56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope | $134 thousand | $23 million |
| 79 · Zinc | $133 thousand | $6 million |
| 61 · Knitted clothing | $95 thousand | $31 million |
| 95 · Toys and sports gear | $87 thousand | $8 million |
| 35 · Glues, starches and enzymes | $81 thousand | $22 million |
| 05 · Other animal products | $75 thousand | $3 million |
| 53 · Other plant fibers | $70 thousand | $1 million |
| 93 · Weapons and ammunition | $51 thousand | $1 million |
| 65 · Hats | $51 thousand | $4 million |
| 59 · Coated and technical textiles | $35 thousand | $6 million |
| 66 · Umbrellas and canes | $26 thousand | $833 thousand |
| 80 · Tin | $21 thousand | $570 thousand |
| 46 · Wicker and basketware | $18 thousand | $79 thousand |
| 91 · Watches and clocks | $12 thousand | $1 million |
| 60 · Knitted fabric | $12 thousand | $736 thousand |
| 43 · Fur and fur goods | $11 thousand | $47 thousand |
| 51 · Wool | $3 thousand | $58 thousand |
| 57 · Carpets and rugs | $3 thousand | $2 million |
| 37 · Photographic goods | $2 thousand | $833 thousand |
| 50 · Silk | $806 | $288 thousand |
| 75 · Nickel | $596 | $332 thousand |
| 45 · Cork | $0 | $298 thousand |
Trading partners
Its main destination is Switzerland (33% of exports) and its main source is South Africa (24.9% of imports).
Who it sells to
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 4.8 | 33% | Sea |
| China | 3 | 20.6% | Sea |
| India | 2 | 13.8% | Sea |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1.2 | 8.3% | Land |
| South Africa | 0.52 | 3.5% | Sea |
| United Arab Emirates | 0.4 | 2.8% | Sea |
| Namibia | 0.36 | 2.5% | Land |
| Zimbabwe | 0.31 | 2.1% | Land |
| United States | 0.19 | 1.3% | Air |
| Tanzania | 0.19 | 1.3% | Land |
Who it buys from
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 3 | 24.9% | Sea |
| China | 2 | 16.9% | Sea |
| United Arab Emirates | 0.61 | 5.1% | Sea |
| India | 0.57 | 4.9% | Sea |
| Tanzania | 0.51 | 4.3% | Land |
| Singapore | 0.5 | 4.3% | Sea |
| Japan | 0.48 | 4% | Sea |
| Namibia | 0.47 | 4% | Land |
| Saudi Arabia | 0.33 | 2.8% | Sea |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 0.32 | 2.7% | Land |
Overview 1995–2024
In 2024, Zambia accounted for 0.06% of world exports, compared with 0.03% in 1995.
Exports and imports
Exports grew 10.6-fold since 1995
USD billions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 14.6
- Imports 11.8
- Balance +2.7
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $1.4 billion | $956 million | $423 million |
| 1996 | $1.3 billion | $992 million | $280 million |
| 1997 | $1.5 billion | $1.2 billion | $226 million |
| 1998 | $1.1 billion | $1.2 billion | -$133 million |
| 1999 | $1.1 billion | $972 million | $107 million |
| 2000 | $955 million | $1.1 billion | -$153 million |
| 2001 | $1.4 billion | $1.2 billion | $123 million |
| 2002 | $1.3 billion | $1.5 billion | -$145 million |
| 2003 | $1.3 billion | $1.7 billion | -$367 million |
| 2004 | $2.4 billion | $2.1 billion | $240 million |
| 2005 | $3.1 billion | $2.4 billion | $655 million |
| 2006 | $5.2 billion | $3.3 billion | $1.9 billion |
| 2007 | $6.5 billion | $4 billion | $2.5 billion |
| 2008 | $7.3 billion | $5.1 billion | $2.2 billion |
| 2009 | $6.2 billion | $4 billion | $2.2 billion |
| 2010 | $9.9 billion | $5.6 billion | $4.3 billion |
| 2011 | $13 billion | $7.6 billion | $5.5 billion |
| 2012 | $14 billion | $8.9 billion | $5 billion |
| 2013 | $13.2 billion | $10.8 billion | $2.4 billion |
| 2014 | $14 billion | $10.2 billion | $3.9 billion |
| 2015 | $9.9 billion | $8.2 billion | $1.7 billion |
| 2016 | $9.9 billion | $7.7 billion | $2.2 billion |
| 2017 | $12.4 billion | $8.2 billion | $4.3 billion |
| 2018 | $12.4 billion | $10.1 billion | $2.2 billion |
| 2019 | $9.4 billion | $8.1 billion | $1.4 billion |
| 2020 | $9.9 billion | $5.9 billion | $4 billion |
| 2021 | $13.1 billion | $7.4 billion | $5.7 billion |
| 2022 | $15.3 billion | $9.4 billion | $5.9 billion |
| 2023 | $15.3 billion | $11.1 billion | $4.3 billion |
| 2024 | $14.6 billion | $11.8 billion | $2.7 billion |
World rank
Zambia rose from 106th to 86th among the world's exporters
Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).
- 106th in 1995
- 86th in 2024
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 106th |
| 1996 | 110th |
| 1997 | 108th |
| 1998 | 111th |
| 1999 | 115th |
| 2000 | 127th |
| 2001 | 118th |
| 2002 | 119th |
| 2003 | 124th |
| 2004 | 116th |
| 2005 | 111th |
| 2006 | 96th |
| 2007 | 96th |
| 2008 | 99th |
| 2009 | 94th |
| 2010 | 86th |
| 2011 | 83rd |
| 2012 | 82nd |
| 2013 | 86th |
| 2014 | 84th |
| 2015 | 93rd |
| 2016 | 88th |
| 2017 | 86th |
| 2018 | 87th |
| 2019 | 95th |
| 2020 | 91st |
| 2021 | 89th |
| 2022 | 90th |
| 2023 | 88th |
| 2024 | 86th |
What it sells
Its top export group is still copper: 69% in 2024
% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.
- Other 12%
- Inorganic chemicals 1%
- Iron and steel 1%
- Oil, gas and coal 2%
- Tobacco 2%
- Salt, stone and cement 2%
- Ores and slag 5%
- Gems and precious metals 5%
- Copper 69%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Chapter | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Copper | 73.9% | 68.9% |
| Gems and precious metals | 0.9% | 5.2% |
| Ores and slag | 0.15% | 4.9% |
| Salt, stone and cement | 0.45% | 2.4% |
| Tobacco | 0.32% | 2.4% |
| Oil, gas and coal | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| Iron and steel | 0.22% | 1.3% |
| Inorganic chemicals | 0.14% | 1.2% |
| Other | 21.4% | 11.8% |
Who it trades with
China went from 0.9% to 19% of Zambia's trade
% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.
- China 19%
- Switzerland 18%
- South Africa 13%
- India 10%
- Democratic Republic of the Congo 6%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Partner | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| China | 0.94% | 18.9% |
| Switzerland | 0.56% | 18.4% |
| South Africa | 14% | 13.1% |
| India | 4.3% | 9.8% |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1.3% | 5.8% |
Production hubs
Sources and methodology
Sources and licenses
- CEPII BACI · Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0
- Climate TRACE · CC BY 4.0 (emissions by asset; the 3 largest per country are shown)
- Kummu et al., gridded GDP · CC BY 4.0 (hubs aggregated by this site)
- Natural Earth · Public domain
Methodology
Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Ranks are computed among the countries with data each year. Services are not included. Data up to 2024.