Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe establish cross-border trade regime

Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe have taken a step to intensify the existing cross-border trade by establishing a simplified trade regime (STR) under the auspices of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

By Gregory Gondwe

7 Sep 2009

So far, traders from the three countries have listed down products to be traded using this facility.

Malawi's assistant director of trade, Kenneth Nkankha, said STR has been developed to formalise cross-border trade.

“It will also allow traders from respective countries to benefit from COMESA's trade preferences,” he said.

Because of the agreement, traders from Malawi going to either of the two countries will no longer be required to possess an Inland Certificate of Origin from the Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry in order to cross the borders with a consignment of up to US$500.

A list of some of the products that qualify under the STR include smoked fish, yoghurt, groundnuts, bananas, live sheep and goats.

Although nine years have passed since the Free Trade Area (FTA) was launched, small-scale cross-border traders are yet to benefit from the COMESA tariff preferences.

Gregory Gondwe

About Gregory Gondwe

Gregory Gondwe is a Malawian journalist who started writing in 1993. He is also a media consultant assisting several international journalists pursuing assignments in Malawi. He holds a Diploma and an Intermediate Certificate in Journalism among other media-related certificates. He can be contacted on moc.liamg@ewdnogyrogerg. Follow him on Twitter at @Kalipochi.