ZAMBIA RECORDS K0.4 BILLION TRADE SURPLUS IN SEPTEMBER
Lusaka….Thursday, October 30, 2025 (SMART EAGLES )
Zambia recorded a K0.4 billion trade surplus in September 2025, marking a moderation from the K3.3 billion surplus posted in August, according to the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats).
Releasing the October 2025 Monthly Bulletin, Sheila Mudenda, Acting Statistician General, said the marginal surplus was mainly due to a decline in export earnings and a rise in import bills during the period under review.
“Exports decreased by 4.3 percent to K28.5 billion in September 2025 from K29.8 billion in August 2025, while imports increased by 6.2 percent to K28.1 billion,” she said.
The report showed that Traditional Exports (TEs), mainly copper products, rose by 2.3 percent to K19.1 billion, while Non-Traditional Exports (NTEs) fell by 15.3 percent to K9.4 billion.
“Copper continues to dominate Zambia’s export basket, accounting for 66.9 percent of total export earnings,” Ms Mudenda noted.
“However, the decline in non-traditional exports such as agricultural and manufactured goods contributed to the narrower trade surplus.”
Canada, Switzerland, and the Democratic Republic of Congo were Zambia’s top three export destinations, collectively accounting for over 65 percent of export earnings in September.
Ms Mudenda emphasized that despite monthly fluctuations, cumulative trade for January to September 2025 stood at K489.1 billion, an 18.1 percent increase over the same period in 2024.
“These trade statistics are critical for understanding Zambia’s position in global markets and for guiding policy towards export diversification,” she said.