The United Arab Emirates continues to be the leading destination for Zimbabwe’s exports, receiving 50 percent of the country’s shipments by value in the first quarter of 2026. According to the latest statistics released by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat), the country earned US$2,775,026,816 from all worldwide exports.
The UAE accounted for exactly half of this revenue, bringing in US$1.401 billion during the first quarter of this year.
South Africa (SA) and China occupied the second and third spots for top export markets, bringing in US$538 million (19 percent) and US$536 million (19 percent) respectively.
Together, exports to the UAE, South Africa, and China accounted for 89 percent of the country’s total export earnings.
Semi-manufactured gold was the leading export commodity during the first quarter, earning the country US$1.4 billion.
Tobacco followed in second place at US$511 million. Nickel mattes, nickel ores, and ferro-chromium completed the top five export positions.
Exports to the UAE have risen sharply, climbing from US$2 billion in 2023 to US$5 billion in 2025. The UAE has now overtaken South Africa, which previously led Zimbabwe’s export market in 2024 and maintained a strong position into 2025.
Minerals, tobacco, and horticultural products remain the three leading export product groups shipped to the UAE.
Zimbabwe’s imports from the UAE declined by 16 percent, dropping to US$226 million in 2025 from US$304 million in 2024.
Consequently, the trade surplus with the UAE grew by a massive 85 percent, reaching US$4.5 billion last year, up from US$2.4 billion in 2024.
Statistics from the International Trade Centre’s (ITC) online TradeMap database provide a deeper look into these sectors for 2025: Gold: Unwrought, semi-manufactured, or platinum-plated gold accounted for US$4.5 billion.
Unmounted and unset diamonds brought in US$99 million.
Tobacco: Unprocessed tobacco and tobacco refuse accounted for US$134 million. Manufactured tobacco and substitutes brought in US$1.3 million.
The UAE imported US$357 000 worth of fresh Zimbabwean strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and gooseberries.
Meanwhile, the Second Republic is moving ahead with its quest to derive maximum value from national exports through value addition and beneficiation. This strategy aims to achieve the twin objectives of import substitution and stopping the export of local jobs.
In February this year, the Government suspended the export of lithium concentrates and other raw minerals. This formed part of a broader strategy to enhance accountability, promote local beneficiation, and strengthen value retention across the mining sector.
Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe has since started exporting its first batch of lithium sulphate from its US$400 million processing plant.
This marks the country’s inaugural production of lithium salt and represents a major step forward for local industrial policy.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Mining Indaba in Cape Town, Mines and Mining Development Minister Polite Kambamura asserted that Africa must decisively move away from exporting raw minerals.
Instead, he noted, the continent must position itself as a hub for industrial processing and innovation.
The National Development Strategy 2 (NDS 2) will prioritise industrialisation, modernisation, value addition, and the beneficiation of agricultural and mineral commodities.
These priorities aim to drive higher market value, curtail the export of jobs, and boost import substitution.
Similarly, the Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Strategy 2 is expected to increase local tobacco value addition to 30 percent, up from the current 10 percent.
Lands and Rural Development Minister Vangelis Haritatos stated that the country must transition from exporting low-priced raw agricultural commodities to high-value finished products.
Zimbabwe grows some of the highest-quality tobacco in the world, yet 92 percent of current earnings come from raw tobacco exports, while cigarettes account for just seven percent.
Citing this gap, Haritatos pointed out that while Zimbabwe’s average raw tobacco price sits at US$5.75 per kilogramme (US$0.06 per gramme), a single premium cigar like a Cohiba Behike commands a price of US$100 or more per 10 to 15-gramme stick.
Consequently, while Zimbabwe currently earns just US$0.06 per gramme, it could potentially capture up to US$10.00 per gramme by manufacturing premium cigars from the same raw materials.-herald
