By BUUMBA CHIMBULU
ZAMBIA’s Non-Traditional Exports (NTEs) earnings have risen to K6.7 billion in June this year from K4.1 billion the previous month, representing 49.4 per cent growth.
NTEs accounted for 32.3 per cent of total export earnings in June 2021, according to Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats) interim Statistician General, Mulenga Musepa.
Agricultural products accounted for a share of 32.1 per cent of Zambia’s NTEs in June this year compared to 34.4 per cent recorded the previous month.
Mr Musepa said export earnings from agricultural products increased by 39.5 per cent to K2.0 billion in June this year from K1.4 billion in May 2021.
He said the major export commodities were tobacco, partly or wholly stemmed/stripped accounting for 17.4 per cent, oil cake of soya and other raw cane sugar.
“Non-agricultural products accounted for a share of 67.9 per cent of Zambia’s NTEs in June 2021 compared to 65.6 per cent in May 2021.
“Export earnings from non-agricultural products recorded an increase of 54.6 per cent to K4.2 billion in June 2021 from K2.7 billion in May 2021,” Mr Musepa said.
He said the major export commodities were Articles of stone or other mineral substances accounting for 17.2 per cent, other non-alcoholic beverages and Portland cement.
Mr Musepa said the traditional export earnings decreased by 18.4 per cent to K12.9 billion in June 2021 from K15.9 billion in May 2021.
In terms of share in total exports, traditional exports accounted for 67.7 per cent of export earnings in June 2021.
He said export earnings from refined copper in June 2021 decreased by 18.6 per cent to K12.9 billion from K15.9 billion in May this year.
This was attributed to the 17.3 per cent decrease in export volumes from 72.8 thousand tonnes in May 2021 to 60.2 thousand tonnes in June 2021.
Copper prices on London Metal Exchange (LME) market for the corresponding months decreased by 5.6 per cent to US$9,612.4 per tonnes in June 2021 from US$10,184.0 tonnes in May 2021.
Mr Musepa said the volumes of refined copper exported for the period January to June 2021 was 447.1 thousand tonnes while that of 2020 for the same period was 423.8 thousand tonnes representing a 5.5 per cent increase.
He said Zambia’s major export products in June, 2021 were from the intermediate goods category mainly comprising copper anodes for electrolytic refining and Copper blister accounting for 78.7 per cent.
“Exports from the consumer goods, raw materials and capital goods categories, collectively accounted for 21.3 per cent of total exports in June, 2021,” Mr Musepa said.
He said the major import product category in June 2021 was capital goods, accounting for 38.4 percent.
The consumer goods category was second at 29.8 per cent, followed by the intermediate goods and raw materials categories, accounting for 22.6 per cent and 9.1 per cent, respectively.
Mr Musepa said the major export destination in June 2021 was Switzerland, which accounted for 29.4 per cent of total export earnings.
China was the second main destination of Zambia’s exports accounting for 27.7 per cent of the total export earnings followed by Singapore, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Africa.
