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China-Africa Trade Information Service
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Zimbabwe is spending millions of dollars on importing products that it should ordinarily manufacture locally or simply do without, latest figures from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) have revealed.
Plastic bottles, carboys, flasks and other similar articles of plastic gobbled nearly $30 million in imports from February to October last year, as some minor commodities continue to weigh heavily on the country's import bill.
All sorts of non-essential commodities have been crossing into the country of late, with footwear and leather polishes gobbling close to $1,7 million from February to October 2018.
According to information compiled by ZimStat, a collection of superfluous goods has led to an unprecedented rise on the country's import bill. Make up and skincare-related items consumed a whopping $7,2 million worth of imports as deodorants, shaving creams and anti-perspirants gobbled $2 million for the 10 months from February to October 2018.
Polymer sacks and bags consumed slightly above $3 million during the same period last year.Zimbabwe imports about 55 percent of basic commodities and other essential goods due to low productivity in the majority of the country's sectors, which consequently exert pressure on little foreign exchange earnings.
In terms of agriculture-related products, there is a gentle increase in imports, with seed potato claiming $5,5 million as cheese and fresh grapes consumed $2,6 million and $2,3 million, respectively.
Zimbabwe's imports were mainly sourced from South Africa (35,2 percent) Singapore (19,4 percent); United Kingdom (6,4 percent); China (7,5 percent); and Japan (4,5 percent).