ZIMTRADE is optimistic about the ongoing discussions regarding the resumption of direct flights between Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom, which is expected to boost business exchanges and trade growth.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona recently announced that direct flights from Zimbabwe to the UK are set to resume, with the goal of strengthening trade ties and capitalising on Zimbabwe’s strategic position within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
“If you look at it, the bulk of our trade in terms of goods is mainly focused on fresh products in horticulture. What we now want to reckon with is the logistics. We are quite happy that there are a lot of discussions happening on the Air Zimbabwe front about resuming direct flights to the UK,” said ZimTrade chief executive, Allan Majuru, at the Zimbabwe-UK Business Forum hosted by the trade development and promotion body.
Felix Mhona, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister
“Once that happens, it will ensure that our goods, especially the fresh produce, reach London on time,” Majuru added.
Zimbabwe has been actively working to enhance bilateral trade with the United Kingdom, with the recent ratification of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) being a key milestone. The EPA is designed to remove trade barriers, allowing the free movement of goods, services, and investments between countries.
Under the EPA, the United Kingdom has committed to providing duty-free and quota-free access to goods from the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) region, which includes Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Madagascar. This agreement is expected to expand and diversify trade between Zimbabwe and the UK, helping Zimbabwe reach its export growth target of US$14 billion by 2030.
At the same event, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Christian Katsande, emphasised the potential for increased trade between the two nations. He noted that current trade volumes are far below what could be achieved, and that the trade agreement is expected to unlock significant opportunities.
“According to the UK Department for Business and Trade, the total trade in goods and services between the UK and Zimbabwe amounted to £609 million in the four quarters ending in quarter one of 2024. This reflects an impressive increase of £167 million compared to the same period last year,” Katsande said.
He further encouraged both nations to take advantage of this opportunity to fully establish trade ties.
“This strategic move will effectively balance trade interests and foster mutually beneficial trade and investment opportunities,” he added.
Zimbabwe’s exports to the UK are primarily composed of horticultural products such as coffee, flowers, vegetables, fresh fruits, nuts, and arts and crafts. There is also increasing demand for products like blueberries, macadamia nuts, citrus fruits, and groundnuts.
The resumption of direct flights is expected to further facilitate the timely delivery of these goods, strengthening trade ties between Zimbabwe and the UK. newsdesk@fingaz.co.zw