Zimbabwe’s government has published, in the national official directory, a newly issued law about duty concession applied to exports of tanning raw hides and skins. Such regulation, which comes after a long and controversial debate over the best possible use of local hides and skins, partly offsets the protectionism policy, implemented in the country. The armour is being dismantled to some extent though. As reported by the Herald daily newspaper, companies, enrolled in a specific registry (at present, there are 9 of them), will benefit from a duty concession: for the records, 75 cents per product kilo, which will apply to stocks to be sold abroad. Over the last years, Zimbabwe’s tanning leather industry has been unable to take advantage of the overall supply of raw hides and skins manufactured in the country: according to Zimstat institute of statistics, in 2017, 60% of tanning raw hides and skins were discarded. Despite that, we can’t say that the Central African country is really heading towards a deregulation in the leather industry. In fact, firstly, the duty concession, mentioned above, will be valid for a two-year period. Secondly, the Minister of Financial Affairs pointed out that duty concessions will enter into force only after domestic demand is fully met, therefore in favour of provisions of goods which would not be sold in the domestic market.
Zimbabwe partly steps back on leather protectionism, while applying duty concession to export of hides and skins. Just for two years though
