Navigator
Zambia
(information)
Population as of 2020: 18.3 million 64 of 193
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Region: Africa
Nominal G.D.P. in 2024: $26.33 billion 116 of 193
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Top Exports
Total exports: **~$11.2–11.3 billion (2024)**
**Extremely concentrated economy:** copper alone accounts for **~60–70% of exports**
| Rank | Export Category | Notes |
| ---- | ----------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 1 | **Copper & copper products** ⭐ | Dominates exports (~60–70%) |
| 2 | **Ores, slag & ash** | Includes copper ores and concentrates |
| 3 | **Precious metals (gold)** | Fast-growing export |
| 4 | **Cobalt & cobalt products** | Key battery mineral |
| 5 | **Mineral fuels (petroleum, coal)** | Moderate share |
| 6 | **Salt, sulphur, stone & cement** | Industrial materials |
| 7 | **Tobacco & tobacco products** | Major agricultural export |
| 8 | **Iron & steel** | Industrial metals |
| 9 | **Sugars & sugar products** | Important agro-export |
| 10 | **Cotton & textiles** | Traditional export sector |
Key individual export products (by value)
| Rank | Product | Notes |
| ---- | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------- |
| 11 | **Refined copper (cathodes)** | #1 export (~$7.5B) |
| 12 | **Copper anodes / unrefined copper** | Core intermediate export |
| 13 | **Copper ores & concentrates** | Raw mineral export |
| 14 | **Cobalt ores & concentrates** | Battery supply chain metal |
| 15 | **Gold (unwrought)** | Increasingly important export |
| 16 | **Tobacco (unmanufactured)** | Major agricultural product |
| 17 | **Sugars (raw & refined)** | Regional export |
| 18 | **Maize (corn)** | Regional food export |
| 19 | **Gemstones (emeralds)** | Zambia is a major global emerald producer |
| 20 | **Electricity exports** | Regional power trade |
Key Takeaways
* 🥇 **Copper dominates overwhelmingly:**
* Accounts for **over half (often ~60–70%) of export revenue**
* 🔋 **Critical mineral exporter:**
* Copper + cobalt place Zambia at the center of the **global battery and energy transition supply chain**
* 🌱 **Agriculture is secondary:**
* Tobacco, sugar, and maize are important but much smaller
* 💎 **Gemstones are a niche strength:**
* Zambia is one of the world’s leading **emerald exporters**
* ⚠️ **High concentration risk:**
* Export earnings are highly sensitive to **global copper prices**
Top Importers of Zambia’s Exports (2024)
| Rank | Country | Notes |
| ---- | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| 1 | **China** | By far the largest buyer (~40–50%+); copper and cobalt. |
| 2 | **Switzerland** | Major copper trading/refining hub. |
| 3 | **Democratic Republic of the Congo** | Regional trade; copper processing links. |
| 4 | **Singapore** | Global commodity trading hub. |
| 5 | **United Arab Emirates** | Metals and gold trading hub. |
| 6 | **South Africa** | Regional trade; minerals and manufactured goods. |
| 7 | **India** | Copper and minerals. |
| 8 | **South Korea** | Industrial metals for manufacturing. |
| 9 | **Japan** | Copper for industrial use. |
| 10 | **Tanzania** | Regional trade and transport corridor. |
Key Patterns
* 🇨🇳 **China dominates overwhelmingly**
* Takes a very large share of Zambia’s **copper exports**
* ⛏️ **Mining drives all trade relationships**
* Nearly every major partner imports **copper or related minerals**
* 🪙 **Trading hubs are key intermediaries**
* **Switzerland, Singapore, UAE** handle global metals trading
* 🌍 **Mixed regional + global structure**
* Strong links to:
* **Asia (China, India, Japan, Korea)**
* **regional Africa (DRC, South Africa, Tanzania)**
