COMESA
ZAMBIA-COMESA KEY FIGURES
| Membership | Regulatory Alignment | State-Owned Enterprise Exports | Other Trade Blocs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Member state | Aligned | Grain exports | SADC, Tripartite FTA, AfCFTA |
Zambia is a member of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, alongside the Southern African Development Community, the Tripartite Free Trade Area and the African Continental Free Trade Area, with its domestic regulatory system generally aligned to COMESA and SADC frameworks.
Zambian state-owned enterprises in agriculture export grain to other COMESA and SADC member countries, and the government notifies draft technical regulations to the World Trade Organization’s Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade as part of that regulatory alignment.
Membership and Regulatory Alignment
Zambia is a member of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the Southern African Development Community, the Tripartite Free Trade Area, and the African Continental Free Trade Area[1][2]. Zambia’s domestic regulatory system generally aligns with COMESA and SADC frameworks, and the government notifies draft technical regulations to the World Trade Organization’s Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade[1].
Trade in Practice
Zambian state-owned enterprises in agriculture export grain to other SADC and COMESA member countries, though the US Department of State notes it is unaware of any Zambian state-owned enterprises investing in the United States, and Zambia does not have a bilateral income tax treaty with the United States[1].
Investment Opportunities
Zambia’s overlapping membership of COMESA, SADC, the Tripartite Free Trade Area and AfCFTA gives exporters based in Zambia preferential access routes into multiple regional markets simultaneously, relevant to any investor evaluating Zambia as a regional manufacturing or trade base rather than a market limited to its own population, detailed further on the dedicated Trade page[1][2].
Last Update: September 2026
