Exporting from Zimbabwe - The Passports to Export

Any person ordinarily resident in Zimbabwe, whether individual or corporate, can export any of the uncontrolled goods from Zimbabwe without any need of a special authority. The potential exporter does not necessarily need to be a manufacturer of the product – all the entities throughout the chain of distribution can move the identified goods to international markets, provided the person has all the ‘passports to export’ from Zimbabwe. The following are the passports for exporting goods from Zimbabwe.

Registration of an Exporter
One has to register his/her name with one of the Zimbabwean registered Commercial Bank or Merchant Bank. The registration is a once off exercise which does not take hours to complete. It is a simple procedure which calls for submission of documents

• Copies of National Identification Card of an Individual Exporter
• Proof of Residence for Individual Exporter
• Copy of CR14 for corporate exporters
• Copy of Certification of Incorporation in Zimbabwe for corporates
• Duly completed Registration Form for both individual and corporate exporters

Relevant Export Licenses and Certificates of Origin
Export licences are only applicable to goods which are not of Zimbabwe origin but being exported form the country. The licences are obtainable from Ministry of Industry and International Trade. If goods are of Zimbabwean origin as defined by Rules of Origin under specific Bilateral agreements with target export market, it is wise for an exporter to complete a certificate of origin, to qualify for preferential treatment when goods enter the destination country.

Getting a Form CD1 for Specific Shipment
Once registered, the exporter can submit the Commercial Invoice to any registered Commercial Bank or Merchant Bank for creation of a Form CD1. This process should ideally not take an hour to complete per each Form CD1. 

For the exporters who wish to raise their Forms CD1 from own premises can register their staff members for access to the system called CEPECS. Raising Forms CD1 from own premises has many conveniences including ability to create a Form CD1 outside business hours, reports which track maturities of Forms CD1 and use of own corporate stamps on Form CD1 instead of visiting Bank branch for stamping.

A Form CD1 is a declaration form on which an exporter attests to the Exchange Control authority, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, the value and quantity of goods to be exported. This form should be completed with acquittal in mind. A standard acquittal period (the period within which the payment for the exported has to be received in Zimbabwe is 90 days).

Completion of Customs Procedure
Once the exporter has obtained the Form CD1 from the aforementioned sources, s/he should proceed to any Inland ZIMRA export processing office for a Bill of Entry, as pre-clearance exercise. The exporter simply gives his Form CD1 to a registered Customs Clearing agent for this formality, who completes the Bill of Entry in the ASYCUDA World system. Bearing in mind that the Bill of Entry needs assessment (which normally takes at most 6 hours, registering a Bill of Entry while at the ZIMRA Port of Exit is not ideal. 

Consignment Notes
For every export, there is a consignment note submitted to Customs office, which is filled in a standard format. These notes act a proof of export to Customs; they are very important for making claims under drawback of duty and cancellation of exports. The type of consignments notes are as follows:

• Rail Advice Notes – issued by National Railways of Zimbabwe after being handed over the goods export. It should be accompanied by a notify party of instruction
• Airway Bills – issued by the airline after being handed over the goods export. They should be accompanied by shippers instructions
• Road Consignment Notes – issued by the road carrier after being handed over the goods export.

Documentation for Controlled Exports
In Zimbabwe, the exporter should look for speciliased permits/ authority for the controlled exports. The controlled exports are:

1. Wildlife and Wildlife Products
2. Agricultural Products
   - Grain
   - Dairy products
   - Seed
   - Fresh farm products
3. Livestock (pedigree, for shows or competition etc)
4. Live Horses
5. Used agricultural equipment
6. Second hand industrial equipment including scrap metal.