US$24.50M EXPORT DEALS RECORDED AT LUBUMBASHI TRADE MISSION
EXPORT deals worth US$24.50 million have been recorded from the just ended Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Trade Mission in Lubumbashi by the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA).
Of the total export deals, US$10.82 million are confirmed orders while US$13.7 million are export leads.
The confirmed orders and leads are for the supply of dayold chicks, chicken sausages, fish, pork, maize seed, mealie meal, maize samp and beans.
Others include personal protective equipment (PPEs), safety clothing and copper cables and pots.
These results are a further testimony that both large companies and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) can both earn foreign exchange and thereby significantly create jobs and wealth for the Zambian citizens, according to the
ZDA Acting Director General, Mr Albert Halwampa.
Mr Halwampa said the results also validated the ZDA’s strategy and positioning that DRC was Zambia’s number one market for non-traditional exports.
“’ZDA’s strategy going forward is to facilitate market access for as many companies as possible to export products and expand the exporter base to DRC in line with the aspirations of the new dawn administration of increasing trade and investment for the country.
“Next year, the agency plans to undertake at least four trade missions into DRC to explore markets in Tanganyika, Haut-Lomami, Lualaba, and the usual Haut-Katanga provinces,” Mr Halwampa said in his comment on the export deals.
Some companies are still in discussion with their potential clients on possible export deals.
The ZDA is therefore following up on the participating companies with trade leads to ensure that they translate into actual export transactions.
Last September, 45 export ready and exporting Zambian companies were taken to DRC by ZDA, Government of Finland through the Finnish government funded Accelerated Growth for Micro Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in Zambia and ABSA Bank Zambia PLC to secure market access for their products.
The Zambian enterprises which included large companies, SMEs were drawn from various sectors including agriculture, agro-processing, manufacturing, tourism, mining, processed foods, leather and textile.