Zambia to seek regional bodies' guidance over Zimbabwe trade ban

Zambia will seek guidance from regional bodies before imposing retaliatory measures against a recent trade ban by neighboring Zimbabwe, the country's top trade official said Tuesday.

In June, Zimbabwe restricted importation of some products from neighboring countries to protect local industries. For Zambia, items hit by the trade ban include margarine, peanut butter and juices.

Since the announcement of the trade ban, Zambian manufacturers have been asking the government to impose retaliatory measures against Zimbabwe's products.

The Zambian government would seek guidance from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) before imposing the ban, said Margaret Mwanakatwe, Zambia's trade minister.

The ban has negatively affected Zambian exporters and it is regrettable that the list of products banned has kept on increasing, she was quoted as saying by the Times of Zambia.

The minister asked the Zimbabwean authorities to look for other ways to support local industries instead of creating a trade barrier with its neighbors.

Zambia, she said, was equally under economic pressure but had not opted to restrict imports from other countries. Endi