adminSenior Business Reporter
BULAWAYO is set to play host to a joint export promotion seminar by ZimTrade in collaboration with the Open Trade Gate Sweden (OTGS).
According to the ZimTrade newsletter for January, the export promotion agency, OTGS and the Embassy of Sweden will next week collaborate in hosting a seminar on penetrating that country’s export market.
“ZimTrade, in collaboration with OTGS and the Embassy of Sweden in Zimbabwe, will host a seminar on ‘How to Export to Sweden’ on February 15, 2016 in Bulawayo,” said ZimTrade.
It said more than 30 participants from OTGS would converge to provide requisite market intelligence to Zimbabwean companies, particularly those with the potential as well as the capacity to export to Sweden and the European Union.
Some of the areas to be covered in detail include export procedures, trade agreements, as well as Swedish imports and consumer demands.
According to Trademap, in 2015, Sweden imported $4.4 billion of clothing and textiles and $4.3 billion worth of leather products globally.
Zimbabwe’s exports of clothing and textiles to Sweden during the period under review stood at $15 000.
“This, therefore, presents a huge opportunity for local players hence the need for this session,” said ZimTrade.
OTGS is a one-stop information centre that was set up by the Swedish government as a public service to exporters from developing countries. It is mandated to facilitate trade and increase exports from developing countries to Sweden.
Meanwhile, ZimTrade will disseminate findings on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) market survey in Harare and Bulawayo later this month.
The market survey, which was conducted last October, gathered information on possible export products and services to consider specifically for the Lubumbashi market in the DRC.
ZimTrade said opportunities for Zimbabwean businesses were identified in the agricultural implements and inputs, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and engineering services sectors.
“In addition, the survey established other market related intelligence which will enhance opportunities for Zimbabwean products and services to penetrate the Lubumbashi market.
“Lubumbashi, the second largest city in the DRC, serves as a key commercial and national industrial centre, as well as the mining capital of the DRC.”
The agency said the proximity of Lubumbashi to Zimbabwe makes it easier and cheaper for local businesses to export goods and transport them either by air or road.
In 2015, the DRC import bill stood at $5.7 billion, with Zimbabwe contributing only $3.7 million.
According to Trade map, 99.8 percent of Zimbabwe’s exports to the DRC consisted mainly of mineral oils and fuels, with the remainder going towards fish and crustaceans, hence the need to diversify the export product range.
— @okazunga
Online Reporter