Trading Partner Portal: Zambia
Overview
| Zambia Launches Landmark “Invest in Zambia International Conference” to Drive Economic Transformation Lusaka Times, July 17, 2025 |
Trade Overview
The Republic of Zambia is a south-central African country that is rich with natural resources. Mining has been one of larger economic industries, specifically in copper, but it has begun to diversify its economy in industries such as, energy, infrastructure, information & communication technologies, travel and tourism, and agriculture.
It is a politically stable, multi-party democracy with a population, currently 21.31 million people as of 2024, that is expected to double by 2050. It’s GDP as of 2024 is $26.33 billion according to the World Bank, with GDP per capita equaling $1,235.
U.S. – Zambia Trade
Two-way goods trade between the United States and Zambia totaled $282 million in 2024. Goods exports from the U.S. to Zambia equaled $114 million. Top exports were non-electrical machinery ($44 million), transportation equipment ($23 million), computer & electronic products ($14 million), other special classification provisions ($7 million), and plastics & rubber products ($6 million).
In this same year, goods imports totaled $169 million. The top imports from Zambia to the U.S. were miscellaneous manufactures ($127 million), primary metals manufactures ($28 million), agricultural products ($10 million), goods returned ($1 million), and livestock & livestock products ($1 million).
California – Zambia Trade
As of 2024, Zambia is California’s 142nd export partner, with total goods exports equaling $6 million. Computer and electronic products were the largest export category, totaling $5 million. Chemicals were the second largest category at $1 million, while used or second-hand merchandise, electrical equipment, appliances & components, and fabricated metals products all came in at less than $1 million.
Goods imports in this same year from Zambia to California totaled $9 million. Top imports were miscellaneous manufactures ($7 million), agricultural products ($2 million), livestock & livestock products (less than $1 million), gods returned (less than $1 million) and used or secondhand merchandise (less than one million).
FDI – Zambia
Zambia is open to foreign direct investment and U.S. interest lie in many of its sectors, especially in mining. Zambia has signed Bilateral Investment Treaties with 16 different countries, with 10 in force and 6 pending.
Trade Agreements
Trade Agreements
Zambia is a member of the 21-member Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the 16-member Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the African Tripartite Free Trade Area Agreement, and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). It is also eligible for U.S. trade benefits under African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the former General System of Preferences (GSP).
Zambia has also been a member of the WTO since its inception in 1995; it holds duty and quota-free access to EU markets.
AGOA – African Growth and Opportunity Act
The African Growth and Opportunity Act was put into force on May 18, 2000, and has been renewed on many different occasions, the most recent being in 2015. It was extended to September of 2025 and is currently under review.
Zambia is one of the countries under AGOA that expands market access to the U.S. for qualifying Sub-Saharan African countries to allow U.S. importers to clear goods under specific tariff lines duty-free. These preferences build on the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), which is still pending reauthorization.