ZimTrade organises solo exhibition for Malawi fair

THE country’s national export promotion agency, ZimTrade, is organising a solo exhibition for local companies to participate at a trade showcase slated for Malawi before the end of the year.
ZimTrade acting chief executive officer Mr Christopher Tsimba told Business Chronicle yesterday that participation at the trade showcase would increase the local industries’ viability.
“We are organising a solo exhibition in Blantyre to be held between 17 and 19 November. We believe this exhibition will give local companies a chance to expose their products in Malawi, a move that is likely to result in the improvement of viability by local companies as they will seek to produce to satisfy both domestic and foreign markets," he said.
Mr Tsimba said ZimTrade was encouraging companies whose products had potential in Malawi to seriously consider participating at the solo trade showcase.
He said ZimTrade members and other Zimbabwean companies based in that country were encouraged to participate at the exhibition.
Mr Tsimba said the trade showcase was one in a series of exhibitions that the trade promotion body had organised on behalf of local companies this year.
He said Malawi was one of the country's major export markets in the region and the market presented opportunities for a wide range of products produced by local industries.
Among many other products, Malawi's major imports include manufactured tobacco, electrical and electronic equipment; soaps, lubricants, wax, packaging materials, dairy and poultry products.
Mr Tsimba said in 2008, the total value of imports in Malawi was US$2, 2 billion up from US$1.3 billion the previous year.
Between 2003 and 2007, the annual growth in Malawi's imports was 15 percent and between 2006 and 2007 it was 14 percent.
"Given this scenario we believe that Zimbabwean products have a market in Malawi," he said.
He said as Zimbabwe and Malawi were in the Southern Africa Development Community and belonged to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa it meant qualifying products were not subject to duty payment.
COMESA formed a customs union in June and member countries are working on modalities that would soon see member states adopting a common external tariff.