• Zambia is not maximizing its full potential when it comes to trading with neighboring countries.
• The country has continued to depend on the export of a single commodity which is copper.
• In terms of volumes, a lot still needs to be done

Centre for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD) says Zambia is not maximizing its full potential with regards to trading with neighboring countries and the Continent at large.
Centre Executive Director Isaac Mwaipopo told Money FM News in an interview that this is due to the country’s continued dependency on the export of copper.
Mr. Mwaipopo however noted that efforts have been made to diversify the export portfolio and some of the opportunities that the country has tried to tap into include Non-Traditional Exports such as maize.
“From Centre for Trade Policy and Development and the research that we have been doing, it continues to show that the country is actually not maximizing its full potential when it comes to trading with neighboring countries, not only neighboring countries but equally countries within the Continent.”
“There have been efforts to diversify the portfolio of our exports and some of the opportunities that we have tried to tap into include Non-Traditional Exports maybe within the agriculture sector we talk of things like the export of maize grain,” Mr. Mwaipopo noted.
He stressed the need to increase the export volumes in order to strengthen the country’s economy.