21/09/2026
Zambia customs & corridor brief — 21 September 2026
1. Customs duty suspended on specified wheat imports
Status: Confirmed by ZRA; valid only until 30 September 2026.
Under Statutory Instrument No. 65 of 2026, customs duty has been reduced to 0% for wheat under HS codes 1001.19.00 and 1001.91.90, deemed effective from 1 September.
The relief is restricted to:
* The 26 companies listed in the statutory schedule.
* Importers holding a valid Ministry of Agriculture import permit.
* Quantities within each company’s approved allocation.
* A combined national allocation of 300,000 metric tonnes.
It is not a general waiver for every wheat importer. https://www.zra.org.zm/suspension-of-import-duty-on-wheat/
Operational impact: Qualifying wheat movements may generate short-term bulk and road-freight demand through Dar, Beira and southern corridors. Clearance delays beyond 30 September could expose shipments to normal duty unless the measure is extended.
Actions:
* Verify the importer’s name against the statutory schedule before quoting zero duty.
* Obtain the original agriculture import permit and confirm the remaining approved tonnage.
* Declare the exact eligible HS code and retain allocation records for audit.
* Obtain ZRA guidance immediately for cargo unlikely to complete clearance before 30 September.
* Do not promise zero duty based only on vessel arrival or border arrival.
2. Dar container congestion has eased moderately
Status: Confirmed by Tanzania Ports Authority’s 21 September list.
Three container vessels—MSC Polaris, Maersk Bahamas and Kota Nabil—are shown at berth. Four newer container vessels are waiting: EF Olivia, Konrad, Maersk Pelepas and Teh Taichung. The container vessels waiting last Monday have cleared from the current list, indicating continued turnover. TPA shipping list
Operational impact: Container-side congestion appears more manageable than during late August, although substantial general-cargo and bulk backlogs remain.
Actions:
* Maintain vessel-specific monitoring rather than applying one general Dar delay.
* Position trucks only after discharge, customs release and gate readiness are confirmed.
* Keep additional buffers for wheat, bulk cargo and other commodities using conventional berths.
* Review whether urgent containerised consignments can now be quoted with a slightly narrower port buffer, subject to shipping-line confirmation.
3. Copper-concentrate export-duty relief expires on 30 September
Status: Confirmed existing measure approaching expiry.
Zambia’s suspension of the 10% export duty on allocated copper concentrate is due to expire on 30 September 2026. The relief covers specified quantities assigned to miners including Mopani, Lumwana, First Quantum, Nkana Mining, Lubambe and KCM. Reuters report
Operational impact: There may be accelerated export dispatches before month-end, increasing demand for trucks, customs processing and border capacity. Undispatched or uncleared quantities could face a significant cost change from October unless Government announces an extension.
Actions:
* Confirm clients’ remaining allocations before accepting concentrate movements.
* Clarify whether eligibility depends on declaration, release or physical export occurring by 30 September.
* Avoid fixed post-September rates that assume the waiver continues.
* Monitor Copperbelt, Kasumbalesa, Dar and southern-corridor truck availability.
4. Clearing-agent licensing window enters its final nine days
Status: Confirmed deadline—30 September 2026.
Operational impact: An incomplete licence application or unresolved declarant compliance issue could affect 2027 customs operations.
Action: Ensure the application has been formally submitted and acknowledged this week. Do not leave TPIN, bond, tax-clearance or declarant-document corrections to the final two business days.
No other confirmed regulatory change
No new nationwide VAT, fuel-price, road-toll, product-conformity or general customs-duty change was identified this week. No authoritative nationwide notice confirming complete resolution of earlier PRN-processing issues was located.
Watchlist for the coming week
* Any extension or replacement of the wheat-duty suspension.
* Copper-concentrate export waiver after 30 September.
* ZRA clearing-agent licence submissions and acknowledgements.
* Month-end pressure on Dar bulk berths and Copperbelt truck capacity.
* October ERB diesel-price determination.
