Prohibited & Restricted Goods — What You Cannot Bring In

Some goods are absolutely prohibited from import (drugs of abuse, counterfeit goods, certain weapons). Others are restricted — they can enter only with specific authority or under defined conditions (used clothing, certain second-hand vehicles, asbestos products). This lesson maps both categories so you don't waste time and money on a consignment that will be rejected at the border.

• Customs and Excise Act [Chapter 23:02] — Schedule of prohibited and restricted goods.
• Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act.
• Counterfeit Goods Act.
• Trade Marks Act — for branded goods.
• Hazardous Substances and Articles Act — for asbestos and certain chemicals.
• Motor Vehicle Importation Regulations — age caps for second-hand vehicles.

Sub-paragraph map — CITES and the Parks and Wild Life Act

The wildlife-trade control regime layers an international treaty over Zimbabwe's domestic statute book.

International foundation. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) classifies regulated species across three Appendices: Appendix I (species threatened with extinction, traded only in exceptional circumstances); Appendix II (species not necessarily threatened with extinction but in which trade must be controlled to avoid utilisation incompatible with their survival); and Appendix III (species protected in at least one country which has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade). Trade in any listed species requires a CITES permit issued by the exporting and importing country's CITES Management Authority.

Domestic implementation. The treaty is given effect by the Parks and Wild Life Act [Chapter 20:14], supplemented by Statutory Instrument 76 of 1998 (the principal CITES regulations in Zimbabwe) and the more recent Statutory Instrument 129 of 2020 which updated the schedules and fees. The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) is the CITES Management Authority for Zimbabwe.

Customs operational authority. ZIMRA enforces the CITES regime at the border under specific sub-paragraphs of the Customs and Excise Act:

• section 13 — the general stop-and-search power that authorises CITES verification at the border
• section 47(1)(f) of the Customs and Excise Act — the specific prohibition head for wildlife products imported or exported without a valid CITES permit
• section 3(1)(a) — appointment of designated ports for CITES clearance
• section 61(1) — Commissioner's detention power exercised on reasonable suspicion of a non-permitted CITES specimen
• section 173 — search of premises
• section 174, including section 174(1)(d) — forfeiture of goods imported or exported in contravention of the Act
• section 193 — the principal offence and penalty section, including representations to the Commissioner before forfeiture
• section 196 — additional penalty exposure for trade in scheduled CITES species. A consignment of ivory, rhino horn or pangolin scales encountered at the border triggers the full statutory cascade — detention, sampling for species identification, ZimParks reachback, and seizure or release on the technical assessment

Absolutely prohibited (no import allowed)

• Narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances (other than authorised pharmaceutical use).
• Counterfeit / pirated goods bearing infringing trade marks or copyright.
• Indecent or obscene publications.
• Asbestos products (specific categories).
• Certain weapons of war and prohibited military hardware.
• Specific endangered species and their parts (CITES Appendix I).

Restricted (allowed under conditions)

• Used clothing — restricted by SI; importation banned for general commercial use.
• Second-hand passenger vehicles > 10 years old.
• Used tyres beyond a defined remaining-tread threshold.
• Live animals — require Veterinary permit.
• Plants and seeds — require Phytosanitary certificate.

Travellers vs commercial

The list applies regardless of whether goods arrive commercially or in personal baggage. A traveller carrying counterfeit branded goods at the border faces seizure regardless of value.

Worked example: returning traveller with branded counterfeits

You bring back 5 fake Rolex watches from Hong Kong as gifts. At the airport, ZIMRA identifies them as counterfeit. Outcome: seizure regardless of declared value, possible penalty for attempted import of prohibited goods. The watches are destroyed.

Worked example: 2010 Toyota over the age cap

You buy a 2010 Toyota in 2026 (16 years old). Refused entry on age grounds. You either find a younger vehicle or, if it's already at the border, abandon it to ZIMRA or re-export.

• Counterfeit-goods cases — strict-liability seizure even where the importer claims ignorance.
• Asbestos product disputes — ZIMRA can require independent lab testing to confirm composition.
• Vehicle age-cap challenges — courts have upheld the cap as a valid public-policy regulation.

1. Buying counterfeit goods abroad to "save money" — they're worthless once seized.
2. Importing a vehicle right at the age cap without checking the policy date.
3. Treating "personal use" as a defence — not generally accepted for prohibited goods.
4. Importing items that contain prohibited components (e.g. an electrical product with asbestos insulation).

Q1: B

Q2: C

Used clothing for commercial use is restricted under SI.

Q3: B

Vehicles over the age cap are refused entry; the cost of acquisition is borne by the importer.

1. Prohibited goods cannot enter under any conditions.
2. Restricted goods need conditions/permits.
3. List applies to commercial AND personal imports.
4. "Personal use" is rarely a defence.
5. Check before you order — refused goods can't be re-imported either.

End of Module 7. Next: — Regional & International Trade.