The Government of Zimbabwe is generally committed to a policy of import substitution, and as a result will sometimes impose a ban on the export of a good for which it believes there is sufficient domestic processing capacity.  For example, in August 2021 the government announced, without warning and with immediate effect, a ban on the export of raw chrome in a bid to support the domestic ferrochrome industry. In December 2022, the GOZ imposed a ban on raw lithium exports, requiring firms to set up plants to process the ore into concentrates before exporting.  Such unpredictable changes in government policy make long-term planning difficult.

Zimbabwe also has partial import bans on various meat products citing consumer protection or disease prevention considerations, although these measures also have the effect of protecting local producers from foreign competition.  Although the government allows the importation of a limited amount of goods for personal use, the government generally requires importers to obtain product-specific import licenses.