WT/TPR/S/398/Rev.1 30 November 2020 (20-8614) Page: 1/119 Trade Policy Review Body TRADE POLICY REVIEW REPORT BY THE SECRETARIAT ZIMBABWE Revision This report, prepared for the third Trade Policy Review of Zimbabwe, has been drawn up by the WTO Secretariat on its own responsibility. The Secretariat has, as required by the Agreement establishing the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (Annex 3 of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization), sought clarification from Zimbabwe on its trade policies and practices. Any technical questions arising from this report may be addressed to: Mr. Jacques Degbelo (tel.: 022 739 5583), Mr. Thomas Friedheim (tel.: 022 739 5083), and Ms. Catherine Hennis-Pierre (tel.: 022 739 5640). Document WT/TPR/G/398 contains the policy statement submitted by Zimbabwe. Note: This report was drafted in English. WT/TPR/S/398/Rev.1 • Zimbabwe - 2 - CONTENTS SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................ 7 1 ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................ 10 1.1 Main Features of the Economy .....................................................................................10 1.2 Recent Economic Developments ...................................................................................10 1.2.1 Monetary and exchange rate policies ..........................................................................14 1.2.2 Fiscal policy ............................................................................................................17 1.2.3 Balance of payments ................................................................................................20 1.3 Developments in Trade and Investment ........................................................................20 1.3.1 Trends and patterns in merchandise and services trade ................................................20 1.3.2 Trends and patterns in FDI .......................................................................................23 2 TRADE AND INVESTMENT REGIMES........................................................................... 24 2.1 General Framework ....................................................................................................24 2.2 Trade Policy Formulation and Objectives ........................................................................26 2.2.1 Main institutions in charge of trade policy ...................................................................26 2.2.2 Objectives of trade policy..........................................................................................27 2.3 Trade Agreements and Arrangements ...........................................................................28 2.3.1 WTO ......................................................................................................................28 2.3.2 Regional and preferential agreements ........................................................................31 COMESA ..............................................................................................................31 SADC ..................................................................................................................32 The COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite negotiations ........................................................32 AfCFTA ................................................................................................................33 2.3.3 Relations with the European Union .............................................................................34 2.3.4 Other agreements and arrangements .........................................................................34 2.4 Investment Regime ....................................................................................................34 2.4.1 Overview ................................................................................................................34 2.4.2 Foreign investment procedures ..................................................................................36 2.4.3 International investment agreements .........................................................................37 3 TRADE POLICIES AND PRACTICES BY MEASURE ........................................................ 39 3.1 Measures Directly Affecting Imports ..............................................................................39 3.1.1 Customs procedures, valuation, and requirements .......................................................39 3.1.1.1 Procedures ...........................................................................................................39 3.1.1.2 Goods in transit ....................................................................................................42 3.1.1.3 Customs valuation ................................................................................................43 3.1.2 Rules of origin .........................................................................................................43 3.1.3 Tariffs ....................................................................................................................44 3.1.3.1 Applied MFN tariffs ................................................................................................44 3.1.3.2 WTO tariff bindings ...............................................................................................47 3.1.3.3 Tariff preferences ..................................................................................................48 WT/TPR/S/398/Rev.1 • Zimbabwe - 3 - 3.1.4 Other duties and charges ..........................................................................................49 3.1.5 Internal taxes..........................................................................................................50 3.1.6 Duty concessions, suspensions, exemptions or rebates .................................................51 3.1.7 Import prohibitions, restrictions, and licensing ............................................................54 3.1.7.1 Import licensing, controls and other restrictions ........................................................54 3.1.7.2 Import prohibitions ...............................................................................................57 3.1.8 Anti-dumping, countervailing, and safeguard measures ................................................58 3.2 Measures Directly Affecting Exports ..............................................................................58 3.2.1 Customs procedures and documentation requirements .................................................58 3.2.2 Taxes, charges, and levies ........................................................................................59 3.2.3 Prohibitions, quantitative restrictions, controls, and licensing ........................................60 3.2.3.1 Export licensing ....................................................................................................60 3.2.3.2 Export prohibitions ................................................................................................61 3.2.4 Tax and other export incentives .................................................................................61 3.2.5 Export finance, insurance, and guarantees ..................................................................63 3.3 Measures Affecting Production and Trade .......................................................................63 3.3.1 Incentives ...............................................................................................................63 3.3.2 Standards and other technical requirements ...............................................................63 3.3.3 Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements ...........................................................66 3.3.4 Competition policy and price controls .........................................................................71 3.3.5 State trading, state-owned enterprises, and privatization .............................................72 3.3.6 Government procurement .........................................................................................74 3.3.7 Intellectual property rights (IPRs) ..............................................................................75 4 TRADE POLICIES BY SECTOR ..................................................................................... 78 4.1 Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries ...............................................................................78 4.1.1 Overview ................................................................................................................78 4.1.2 Agricultural policy framework ....................................................................................80 4.1.3 Market access .........................................................................................................81 4.1.4 Domestic support.....................................................................................................81 4.1.4.1 General services ...................................................................................................82 4.1.4.2 Input subsidies .....................................................................................................82 4.1.4.3 Grain procurement ................................................................................................83 4.1.5 Export measures .....................................................................................................84