That dollar total reflects a 69.5% acceleration from $9.2 billion in imports 5 years earlier during 2020.
Year over year, the value of Zimbabwean imports grew by 4% compared to $5.64 billion for 2023.
At the more detailed 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, Zimbabwe’s top 5 most valuable imported products are processed petroleum oils, corn, trucks, soya-bean oil and cars. Added together, that quintet of major products approached one-third (31.3%) of overall Zimbabwean imports during 2024.
Main Suppliers for Zimbabwe’s Imports
The latest available country-specific data shows that 85.7% of products imported into Zimbabwe was sold by exporters in: South Africa (39.4% of the Zimbabwean total), mainland China (14.2%), Bahamas (7.6%), Mozambique (4.2%), Singapore (3.5%), Zambia (3.3%), United Arab Emirates (3.2%), Bahrain (2.9%), Mauritius (2.1%), India (2%), Hong Kong (1.8%) and United Kingdom (1.5%).
From a continental perspective, more than half (53.4%) of Zimbabwe’s total imports by value in 2024 was purchased from fellow African countries. Trade partners in Asia supplied 31.6% of Zimbabwe’s total imports while another 8.5% worth of goods originated from Latin America excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean.
Smaller percentages came from Europe (5.7%), North America (0.8%), and Oceania (0.1%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Given Zimbabwe’s population of 17 million people, its total US$9.6 billion in 2024 imports translates to roughly $560 in yearly product demand from every person in the southern African nation. That dollar metric lags the average $570 in average per capita imports one year earlier in 2023.
Zimbabwe’s Top 10 Imports
The following product groups, reported at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level, represent the highest dollar value in Zimbabwe’s import purchases during 2024. Also shown is the percentage share that each product category represents in terms of overall imports into Zimbabwe.
- Mineral fuels including oil: US$2 billion (21.1% of total imports)
- Machinery including computers: $1.2 billion (12%)
- Cereals: $938.9 million (9.8%)
- Vehicles: $773.1 million (8.1%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $569.8 million (6%)
- Fertilizers: $331.1 million (3.5%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $331 million (3.5%)
- Articles of iron or steel: $282.3 million (3%)
- Animal/vegetable fats, oils, waxes: $282 million (2.9%)
- Iron, steel: $256.6 million (2.7%)
Zimbabwe’s top 10 imports accounted for 72.5% of the overall value of its product purchases from other countries.
Imported cereals, historically corn and wheat, increased at the fastest pace from 2023 to 2024 propelled by a 105.6% product category advance.
In second place were mineral fuels including oil via an 8.7% uptick, ahead of imported plastics both as materials and items made from plastic (up 2.7%).
Year over year, double-digit percentage declining categories were for imported fertilizers (down -14.7% from 2023) and metals iron or steel (down -10.6%).
Please note that the results listed above are at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level. Information presented below is at the more granular 4-digit level.
Zimbabwe’s Top Fuel Imports
In 2024, Zimbabwean importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of mineral fuels-related products.
- Processed petroleum oils: US$1.7 billion (up 6.9% from 2023)
- Electrical energy: $207.7 million (up 15.3%)
- Petroleum gases: $115.2 million (up 17.6%)
- Petroleum oil residues: $18.5 million (up 114.4%)
- Natural bitumen, asphalt, shale: $4.5 million (down -5.3%)
- Petroleum jelly, mineral waxes: $4.4 million (down -8.5%)
- Asphalt/petroleum bitumen mixes: $3.6 million (up 84%)
- Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation): $2.1 million (up 5.1%)
- Peat: $1.3 million (up 80.7%)
- Crude oil: $790,000 (down -68.1%)
Among these import subcategories, Zimbabwean purchases of petroleum oil residues (up 114.4%), asphalt or petroleum bitumen mixes (up 84%) then peat (up 80.7%) grew at the fastest pace from 2023 to 2024.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported mineral fuels-related products among Zimbabwe’s businesses and consumers.
Zimbabwe’s Top Machinery Imports
In 2024, Zimbabwean importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machines including computers.
- Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators, road rollers): US$116 million (down -15.4% from 2023)
- Sort/screen/washing machinery: $115.4 million (down -35.9%)
- Computers, optical readers: $80.1 million (up 8.4%)
- Liquid pumps and elevators: $57.7 million (up 22.7%)
- Spray/dispersing mechanical appliances: $52.8 million (down -32.1%)
- Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $51.7 million (up 14.8%)
- Machinery parts: $51.5 million (down -15%)
- Steam/vapor turbines: $35.1 million (up 377.4%)
- Miscellaneous machinery: $34.9 million (up 42.4%)
- Taps, valves, similar appliances: $33.7 million (up 4.6%)
Among these import subcategories, Zimbabwean purchases of steam and vapor turbines (up 377.4%), miscellaneous machinery (up 42.4%) then liquid pumps and elevators (up 22.7%) grew at the fastest pace from 2023 to 2024.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported machinery among Zimbabwe’s businesses and consumers.
Zimbabwe’s Top Imported Cereals
In 2024, Zimbabwean importers spent the most on the following subcategories of electrical items including cereals.
- Corn: US$605.8 million (up 298.5% from 2023)
- Rice: $190.4 million (up 10%)
- Wheat: $136.5 million (up 9.6%)
- Sorghum grain: $5.8 million (down -17.4%)
- Miscellaneous cereals including millet, buckwheat: $292,000 (up 841.9%)
- Oats: $103,000 (up 164.1%)
Among these import subcategories, Zimbabwean purchases of miscellaneous cereals including millet and buckwheat (up 841.9%), corn (up 298.5%) then oats (up 164.1%) grew at the fastest pace from 2023 to 2024.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported cereals among Zimbabwean businesses and consumers.
Zimbabwe’s Top Vehicles Imports
In 2024, Zimbabwean importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of vehicles and related products.
- Trucks: US$277.9 million (up 0.5% from 2023)
- Cars: $221.2 million (up 10.3%)
- Tractors: $98.6 million (down -4.3%)
- Public-transport vehicles: $41.6 million (down -14.9%)
- Special purpose vehicles: $41.5 million (up 1.3%)
- Trailers: $40.1 million (up 3.7%)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $38.6 million (down -2.8%)
- Motorcycles: $8.1 million (up 33.3%)
- Bicycles, other non-motorized cycles: $3 million (up 10.2%)
- Motorcycle parts/accessories: $1.4 million (up 9.6%)
Among these import subcategories, Zimbabwean purchases of motorcycles (up 33.3%), cars (up 10.3%) then bicycles, other non-motorized cycles (up 10.2%) grew at the fastest pace from 2023 to 2024.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different product subcategories of imported vehicles among Zimbabwe’s businesses and consumers.
See also Zimbabwe’s Top 10 Exports, Top African Export Countries, Top South African Trading Partners, Nigeria’s Top 10 Exports and Kenya’s Top 10 Exports
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook, Africa: Zimbabwe. Accessed on December 28, 2025
International Monetary Fund, Exchange Rates selected indicators (Domestic Currency per U.S. dollar, period average). Accessed on December 28, 2025
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on December 28, 2025
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on December 28, 2025
The World Factbook, Africa: Zimbabwe. Accessed on December 28, 2025
Wikipedia, Zimbabwe. Accessed on December 28, 2025