The Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, in partnership with the Public-Private Dialogue Forum (PPDF) convened a Stakeholder Engagement and Capacity-Building Workshop on Market Access.

The workshop brought together industry representatives, manufacturers, exporters and importers, among others to identify Zambia’s commercial interests, priority products, and sensitive sectors ahead of ongoing bilateral trade negotiations.

Opening the engagement, Permanent Secretary in-charge of Trade and Commerce, Mrs. Lillian S. Bwalya, underscored the importance of evidence-based market access scheduling. “The decisions taken in this process can directly affect domestic production, industrial competitiveness, employment, Government revenue, consumer welfare and Zambia’s ability to participate effectively in regional and continental markets,” She said.

She emphasized that while trade liberalization creates opportunities for exporters and reduces input costs, it must be undertaken carefully to protect vulnerable and strategically important industries that are not yet prepared for adjustment pressures. The Permanent Secretary called on the private sector to provide specific, verifiable data on production capacity, employment, investment, export potential, and import dependency.

Mrs. Bwalya noted that Government has the formal mandate to negotiate trade agreements, but private sector input is critical because it is industry that produces, invests, trades, and utilizes market access opportunities.

The workshop included technical presentations on border and internal taxes, tariff scheduling, and rules of origin.

In her remarks, PPDF Director-Research and Policy Analysis Ms. Elita Mwanda, reaffirmed the PPDF’s commitment to facilitating constructive dialogue between Government and the private sector.

She urged industry representatives to actively contribute practical insights and evidence to shape Zambia’s tariff offer. “Today’s engagement is not merely a consultation meeting. It is an opportunity for the private sector to directly contribute to shaping Zambia’s negotiating position by identifying products and sectors of strategic importance and highlighting industry sensitivities,” She added.

Further stressed that Zambia must strike the right balance between opening markets and safeguarding legitimate domestic industry interests to support competitiveness, industrialization, job creation, and participation in regional and global value chains.

Both Government and PPDF encouraged industry to remain engaged beyond the workshop and to submit additional production, trade, and tariff data to help refine Zambia’s market access schedule. The outcomes of the engagement are expected to support a negotiating position that advances export growth and regional integration while safeguarding national development and industrial interests.