By JUDITH NAMUTOWE –
ZAMBIA recorded a 35 per cent rise in exports of Non Traditional Exports (NTEs) in March this year.
Central Statistical Office (CSO) director census and statistics John Kalumbi said there was a 35 per cent increase in the export of NTEs from K1,472.2 million in February to K1, 987.0 million in March this year.
Mr Kalumbi said there was a 4.3 per cent increase in the total value of metal exports from K3, 801.7 million in February to K3, and 965.3 million in March.
He said during a monthly bulletin in Lusaka that overall contributions of metals and their products to the total export earnings in February and March this year averaged 69.4 per cent.
“The share of NTEs recorded an average of 30.6 per cent in revenue earnings between March and February, 2016,”Mr Kalumbi said.
Zambia’s major NTEs in March 2016 were the auxiliary plant for use with boilers which accounted for 21.9 per cent followed by telephones for networks or for other wireless networks which accounted for 17.6 per cent.
Mr Kalumbi said other notable NTEs in March  were maize, bullion semi manufactured forms and new stamps, stamp impressed paper, cheques and banknotes.
Others were postage and revenue stamps which accounted for 14.3 per cent.
He said Zambia’s major export destination in March this year was Switzerland which accounted for 32 per cent of the total export earnings.
“The major export products to Switzerland were cathodes and sections of cathodes of refined Copper which accounted for 52.7per cent,”Mr Kalumbi said.
China was the second main destination of Zambia’s exports accounting for 18.9 per cent of the total export earnings.
The major export products to China were Copper blisters accounting for 52.9 per cent.
Tanzania was the third main export accounting for 8.1 per cent of the total export earnings, with major export product being auxiliary plant for use with boilers accounting for 89.8 per cent.
The United Kingdom  was the fourth main export destination accounting for 7.2 per cent of the total export earnings.
“The major export products were cathodes and elections of cathodes of refined copper accounting for 47.2 per cent.
Mr Kalumbi said the fifth main export destination was the United Arab Emirates  which accounted for 6.4 per cent of the total export earnings.
These five countries collectively accounted for 72.6 per cent of Zambia’s total export earnings in March 2016.
The major import products by category in March 2016 were capital goods, accounting for 40.0 per cent.
The consumer goods category was second with 28.4 per cent followed by intermediate goods category representing 21.3 per cent and raw materials category at 10.2 per cent.
In February and March this year, the country has been a net importer of capital goods, contributing an average of 38.4 per cent of the total imports