Zimbabwe mineral investment and trade engagement

Zimbabwe is actively seeking international investment to support its policy of local mineral value addition and beneficiation, following a government ban on the export of raw natural resources.

In late September 2026, a ZANU PF delegation led by Dr. Engelbert Rugeje conducted a mission to Huizhou, China. The delegation inspected manufacturing plants and engaged with the Huizhou International Gemstones Association to study gemstone value chains and technology for domestic processing within Special Economic Zones.

By early October 2026, interest in Zimbabwe’s mineral sector expanded to include the United States. Following a meeting between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Congressman Marlin Stutzman, the U.S. is expected to send a congressional and business delegation to Harare. This engagement is driven by Zimbabwe’s deposits of lithium, nickel, chrome, and platinum-group metals, which are considered vital for the global energy transition. Additionally, trade relations have seen movement through the inclusion of Zimbabwe in the U.S. fiscal 2027 tariff-rate quota for raw cane sugar.