Zimbabwe Perfil del Miembro
No notifications submitted by Zimbabwe
Examen de las políticas comerciales
Último Examen de las Políticas Comerciales (Informe de la Secretaría de la OMC) WT/TPR/S/398/Rev.1
A. Importación prohibiciones, restricciones y licencias de importación
3.42.
Zimbabwe maintains a system of non-automatic import licensing, to ensure that imported goods are safe for the public, to restrict imports for import substitution purposes, and to monitor them for statistical purposes. The system is opaque and unpredictable, as the authorities tend to regularly modify its scope and procedures. Since the last TPR in 2011, the main legislation on import licensing - the Control of Goods (Import and Export) (Commerce) Regulations, under the authority of the MIC, was amended three times; the most recent legislation, S.I. 237A/18 amended S.I. 122/17, which had amended S.I. 64/16.[86] Other licensing procedures are applied by the Ministry of Agriculture (Section 4.1). Assistance could help Zimbabwe to review and simplify this system, publish a list of products subject to licensing, and clarify conditions to obtain licences.
3.43.
In 2016, S.I. 64/16 made it compulsory for imports of products that are also domestically produced to be covered by a non-automatic Special Import Licence (SIL) rather than an Open General Import Licence (OGIL); according to the authorities, under the OGIL, the importer is free to import, and there is no licence requirements.[87] Products affected by S.I. 64/16 included a large variety of consumer food items and other products.[88] According to the authorities, these import substitution measures, together with foreign exchange shortages, caused imports to decline substantially in 2016.[89]
3.44.
In 2018, the list of goods under the SIL was substantially decreased. The fee payable for the import licence issued by the MIC was reduced from USD 70 to USD 30 in 2018, and then changed to Zimbabwean dollars in June 2019, at a rate of 1 to 1 (ZWL 30).
3.45.
In Table 3.10, an attempt has been made to lists all products subject to non-automatic import licensing, as at November 2019, as well as the corresponding statutory instrument.
3.46.
These changes are yet to be notified to the WTO. Although detailed answers were provided to the WTO Questionnaire on Import Licensing procedures in 2014, no notification has been received since then on this matter. There is therefore a need to notify a list of products currently subject to licensing, and provide a clear description to operators of the practical steps required to obtain an import licence under the different systems, explain the system's purpose, and update the corresponding official website.[90] This website contains a description of the import licensing system, a general description of the restricted and prohibited goods, and the names of the implementing government agencies; it would need an update indicating the purpose of the system, the exact nature of all products covered by compulsory licensing, with their HS codes, the types of licences, the institutions in charge of delivering them, and the cost. WTO technical assistance could help to provide more clarity and predictability to the import licensing system.
3.47.
This multi-layered system combines non-automatic licensing, quantitative restrictions and the SPS permit system, and could be reviewed to facilitate the importation procedure. The system could also be made more user-friendly by accepting copies of the original licence for customs clearance; by authorizing importers to exceed the authorized quantity and/or value limits in case of necessity; and by accepting licence applications after the goods' arrival at Customs. MIC licences are valid for three months from the date of issue, and are not transferable between importers.
3.48.
The movement of all wild life within Zimbabwe and across its borders is controlled by a permit system, run by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, which, inter alia, administers the CITES protocol.[91]
3.49.
Zimbabwe maintains import prohibitions mainly on health and moral grounds, and to comply with international conventions to which it is a party (Table 3.11). Source: Information provided by the authorities.
3.50.
Violations concerning prohibited or restricted importations are punishable by imprisonment for up to five years, and fines of up to USD 2,000, or three times the duty-paid value of the subject goods, whichever is greater.
B. Exportación prohibiciones y restricciones
3.61.
Zimbabwe's non-automatic export licensing regime covers a wide range of products, including most agricultural commodities (Table 3.12). As in the case of import licensing, a request for an export licence must be submitted to the MIC.[99] This policy is designed to ensure sufficient quantities of produce domestically, but has the effect of discouraging exports. Abolishing export permits would enhance local industry's export competitiveness, as the need for prior clearance on exports delays product delivery.
3.62.
In 2018, the authorities introduced an additional export permit under National Biotechnology Regulations Statutory Instrument 157 of 2018, which required importers and exporters of food, feed, food and feed additives, and seeds to register with the National Biotechnology Authority and obtain an annual permit. This resulted in complaints from exporters who felt this permit was an impediment, as it was not a requirement by regional and international buyers.[100] The permit was eliminated in October 2019 to improve the doing business climate, except for those exports destined for markets that require a genetically modified organism declaration or certification.
3.63.
Under the Zimbabwe Investment Authority Act of 2006, the Government may prohibit the export of specified raw materials in "un-beneficiated" form (Section 4.2.1).[101] Besides posing considerable administration challenges, including evasion, these export restrictions are likely to discourage investment in the activities concerned.
3.64.
Other export prohibitions or "suspensions" are maintained to ensure adequate supply of the goods on the domestic market, or to stimulate local value added (Table 3.13). For suspended products, an export permit may only be given in special circumstances.
Base de Datos sobre Medio Ambiente (BDMA) de la OMC
La BDMA contiene medidas relacionadas con el medio ambiente que pueden considerarse RC, las cuales, por lo tanto, deben notificarse con arreglo a la Decisión sobre las restricciones cuantitativas.
Ver las medidas relacionadas con el medio ambiente adoptadas por el Miembro