Cross-Border Trade

Malawi has a Simplified Trade Regime (STR) Agreement under the auspices of COMESA with Zambia and Zimbabwe in the region.

Under the STR, governments have agreed on a list of products that do not require such a certificate for small consignments. The list is displayed at the border posts and is available at the offices of the Cross Border Traders Association and Malawi Revenue Authority both at the border and in the main cities. A COMESA Simplified Declaration and Certificate of Origin can be obtained at the border post and is signed by the Customs Office.

The STR is about proving the origin for the goods in a simple way. Some goods such as agriculture products obviously originate in one country. Other items, especially manufactures, may be made up of parts from other countries outside COMESA. There are special rules that determine whether a good can be considered to be of ‘local origin’, depending on what proportion of the material is imported, or what percentage of the value added is local.

Only goods of value of up to USD 1000.00 are eligible under the STR. For further information on import requirements, make reference to the Commercial Imports guidelines.

• Click here for the complete guidelines of the STR Regime.
• Click here for the procedure on how to process goods under the STR Regime.