That dollar total reflects a 91.9% acceleration from $8.6 billion in imports 5 years earlier during 2019.
Year over year, the value of Zimbabwean imports grew by 6.9% compared to $4.8 billion for 2022.
At the more detailed 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, Zimbabwe’s top 5 most valuable imported products are processed petroleum oils, trucks, nitrogenous fertilizers, soya-bean oil and cars. Added together, that quintet of major products represent over one-quarter (27%) of overall Zimbabwean imports during 2023.
Main Suppliers for Zimbabwe’s Imports
The latest available country-specific data shows that 84.3% of products imported into Zimbabwe was sold by exporters in: South Africa (38.0% of the Zimbabwean total), mainland China (14.9%), Bahamas (5.1%), Singapore (5%), Bahrain (3.5%), Mozambique (3.1%), Mauritius (2.9%), India (2.8%), Zambia (2.7%), United Arab Emirates (2.5%), Hong Kong (1.91%) and Russia (1.87%).
From a continental perspective, more than half (51.5%) of Zimbabwe’s total imports by value in 2023 was purchased from fellow African countries. Trade partners in Asia supplied 33.9% of Zimbabwe’s total imports while another 7.6% worth of goods originated from European nations.
Smaller percentages came from Latin America (6.2%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, North America (0.7%), and Oceania (0.1%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Given Zimbabwe’s population of 16.2 million people, its total $9.2 billion in 2023 imports translates to roughly $570 in yearly product demand from every person in the southern African nation. That dollar metric outpaces the average $490 in average per capita imports one year earlier in 2022.
Zimbabwe’s Top 10 Imports
The following product groups, reported at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level, represent the highest dollar value in Zimbabwe’s import purchases during 2023. Also shown is the percentage share that each product category represents in terms of overall imports into Zimbabwe.
- Mineral fuels including oil: US$1.9 billion (20.2% of total imports)
- Machinery including computers: $1.2 billion (13.2%)
- Vehicles: $767.6 million (8.3%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $587.9 million (6.4%)
- Cereals: $456.7 million (5%)
- Fertilizers: $388.2 million (4.2%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $322.2 million (3.5%)
- Iron, steel: $287.2 million (3.1%)
- Articles of iron or steel: $286.8 million (3.1%)
- Animal/vegetable fats, oils, waxes: $276.3 million (3%)
Zimbabwe’s top 10 imports accounted for 70% of the overall value of its product purchases from other countries.
Imported cereals, particularly corn and wheat, increased at the fastest pace from 2022 to 2023 propelling a 51.7% product category advance.
In second place was electrical machinery and equipment via an 28.4% uptick, ahead of imported mineral fuels including oil (up 11.5%).
Year over year, the lone declining category was for animal or vegetable fats, oils and waxes dragged down by a -25.1% reduction.
Please note that the results listed above are at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level. Information presented below is at the more granular 4-digit level.
Zimbabwe’s Top Fuel Imports
In 2023, Zimbabwean importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of mineral fuels-related products.
- Processed petroleum oils: US$1.6 billion (up 16.3% from 2022)
- Electrical energy: $180.1 million (down -13.3%)
- Petroleum gases: $97.9 million (up 7.1%)
- Petroleum oil residues: $8.6 million (up 103.6%)
- Petroleum jelly, mineral waxes: $4.8 million (down -23.8%)
- Natural bitumen, asphalt, shale: $4.7 million (down -67.1%)
- Crude oil: $2.5 million (up 268.7%)
- Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation): $2 million (up 83.6%)
- Asphalt/petroleum bitumen mixes: $1.9 million (up 28.9%)
- Peat: $727,000 (down -42.3%)
Among these import subcategories, Zimbabwean purchases of crude oil (up 268.7%), petroleum oil residues (up 103.6%) then high temperature distilled coal tar oils (up 83.6%) grew at the fastest pace from 2022 to 2023.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported mineral fuels-related products among Zimbabwe’s businesses and consumers.
Zimbabwe’s Top Machinery Imports
In 2023, Zimbabwean importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machines including computers.
- Sort/screen/washing machinery: US$180 million (up 8.8% from 2022)
- Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators, road rollers): $137.2 million (down -14.9%)
- Spray/dispersing mechanical appliances: $77.8 million (up 16.2%)
- Computers, optical readers: $73.9 million (up 13.8%)
- Machinery parts: $60.6 million (up 7.3%)
- Temperature-change machines: $49.3 million (up 180.5%)
- Liquid pumps and elevators: $47 million (up 1.9%)
- Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $45.1 million (down -9.3%)
- Air or vacuum pumps: $37.4 million (up 54.8%)
- Dishwashing, clean/dry/fill machines: $34.5 million (up 2.1%)
Among these import subcategories, Zimbabwean purchases of temperature-change machines (up 180.5%), air or vacuum pumps (up 54.8%) then spray and other dispersing mechanical appliances (up 16.2%) grew at the fastest pace from 2022 to 2023.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported machinery among Zimbabwe’s businesses and consumers.
Zimbabwe’s Top Vehicles Imports
In 2023, Zimbabwean importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of vehicles and related products.
- Trucks: US$276.5 million (up 8.8% from 2022)
- Cars: $200.7 million (up 36%)
- Tractors: $103 million (down -33.6%)
- Public-transport vehicles: $48.8 million (up 34%)
- Special purpose vehicles: $40.9 million (up 71.8%)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $39.7 million (down -4.4%)
- Trailers: $38.7 million (down -10.1%)
- Armored vehicles, tanks: $8.1 million (2022 data unavailable)
- Motorcycles: $6.1 million (up 29.6%)
- Bicycles, other non-motorized cycles: $2.7 million (down -56.8%)
Among these import subcategories, Zimbabwean purchases of special purpose vehicles (up 71.8%), cars (up 36.0%) then public-transport vehicles (up 34%) grew at the fastest pace from 2022 to 2023.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different product subcategories of imported vehicles among Zimbabwe’s businesses and consumers.
Zimbabwe’s Top Imported Electronics
In 2023, Zimbabwean importers spent the most on the following subcategories of electrical items including consumer electronics.
- Phone devices including smartphones: US$124.3 million (up 133.1% from 2022)
- Electrical converters/power units: $58.6 million (down -28.6%)
- Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels: $53.6 million (up 32.9%)
- Electric storage batteries: $48.4 million (up 62.7%)
- Industrial or laboratory electric furnaces, ovens: $48.2 million (up 350.2%)
- Insulated wire/cable: $39.3 million (down -14.9%)
- Solar power diodes/semi-conductors: $35.3 million (up 31%)
- Electric generating sets, converters: $34 million (down -10.6%)
- Unrecorded sound media: $18.9 million (up 96.8%)
- Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $16.3 million (up 8.9%)
Among these import subcategories, Zimbabwean purchases of industrial or laboratory electric furnaces and ovens (up 350.2%), phone devices including smartphones (up 133.1%) then unrecorded sound media (up 96.8%) grew at the fastest pace from 2022 to 2023.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported electronics among Zimbabwean businesses and consumers.
See also Zimbabwe’s Top 10 Exports, Top African Export Countries, Top South African Trading Partners, Nigeria’s Top 10 Exports and Kenya’s Top 10 Exports
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook, Africa: Zimbabwe. Accessed on October 16, 2024
International Monetary Fund, Exchange Rates selected indicators (Domestic Currency per U.S. dollar, period average). Accessed on October 16, 2024
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on October 16, 2024
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on October 16, 2024
The World Factbook, Africa: Zimbabwe. Accessed on October 16, 2024
Wikipedia, Zimbabwe. Accessed on October 16, 2024