• Zambia has benefitted from joining the trade agreements.
• The country is earning a lot of foreign exchange from Sugar exports in COMESA region.
• High cost of production is one of the challenges being faced by Zambia.

Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) says it fully supports trade agreements because they promote market export possibilities.
Speaking when he appeared before the Parliamentary Budget Committee meeting that was held virtually and Chaired by Mbala Area Member of Parliament, Mwalimu Simfukwe, Authority Commissioner General, Kingsley Chanda said Zambia has benefitted from joining the trade agreements as it is earning a lot of foreign exchange from exporting Sugar in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
Mr. Chanda added that the country is also earning a lot of foreign exchange from various products being manufactured and exported by local industrial players like trade kings derived from trade agreements.
“Zambia is earning a lot of foreign exports from sugar exports in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) region,” Mr Chanda said.
“Trade Kings is also contributing greatly to exchange earnings through the various products its manufacturing derived from trade agreements,” he said.
He however said some of the challenges that the country is facing for joining trade contracts is the fact that Zambia is a high cost production country; hence most of the products are uncompetitive on the market and it can hardly trade with South Africa.
Mr Chanda also disclosed that the continued volatility of the exchange rate has been making it very difficult for manufactures to project their production costs.
He further called on manufacturers in the country to strive to add value to their goods for them to greatly benefit from the various trade agreements that the country has signed.