Online Reporter
Farirai Machivenyika
Senior Reporter
THE Competition and Tariff Commission (CTC) has launched a probe into the importation of pasta products following an application for a safeguard investigation by National Foods Limited, the only producer of pasta products in the country, which is arguing that the imports are threatening the viability of the local industry.
The CTC announced the probe through General Notice 1787 of 2026, cited as Notice of Initiation of a Safeguard Investigation into Increased Imports of Pasta Products into Zimbabwe, published in the Government Gazette last Friday.
“The CTC has received and accepted an application for remedial action in the form of a safeguard measure against increased imports of pasta products into Zimbabwe,” the CTC said in the notice.
“The application was lodged by National Foods Limited (“the applicant”), the sole known domestic producer of pasta products in Zimbabwe.
“The applicant alleges that pasta products are being imported into Zimbabwe in such increased quantities, in absolute terms and relative to domestic production, and under such conditions as to cause serious injury to the domestic industry producing like or directly competitive products,”
The CTC added that following a preliminary assessment of the application and supporting evidence in accordance with section 11(1) of the Competition (Safeguards) (Investigation) Regulations, 2006 (Statutory Instrument 217 of 2006) (“the Safeguard Regulations”), the Commission considered that the application contains sufficient evidence to justify the initiation of a safeguard investigation.
“The preliminary assessment considered, inter alia, evidence concerning unforeseen developments, the effect of obligations incurred by Zimbabwe under GATT 1994, increased imports, serious injury to the domestic industry and a causal link between the increased imports and the alleged injury.
“Accordingly, pursuant to section 12(1) of the Safeguard Regulations and Article 12 of the WTO Agreement on Safeguards, the Commission hereby gives notice of the initiation of a safeguard investigation into increased imports of pasta products into Zimbabwe,” the commission said
“The application was lodged by National Foods Limited, which is currently the sole known domestic producer of pasta products in Zimbabwe.”
National Foods commenced domestic production of pasta products in February 2024 and the CTC noted that, prior to commencing domestic production, the applicant participated in the Zimbabwean pasta market through the importation of pasta products.
Last year, President Mnangagwa commissioned National Foods’ US$6 million pasta plant last year in May, with a production capacity of 1 200 tonnes per month.
“The commencement of domestic production therefore represented a transition from importing to domestic manufacturing rather than the entry of the Applicant into the pasta market as a new participant,”
“Based on the information available to the Commission, the Applicant constitutes the domestic industry for purposes of this investigation within the meaning of section 3 of the Safeguard Regulations,” the CTC added in the General Notice.
The investigation should be completed within 6 months in accordance with Section 14 of the Safeguard Regulations and can only be extended once for two months.
All participating interested parties will be allowed to submit written evidence, arguments and responses to submissions made by other interested parties, including views on whether the application of a safeguard measure would be in the public interest.
