US embassy cable - 03HARARE336

UNCLAS HARARE 000336 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EB/CBA Michael A. Garcia 
 
E. O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: BEXP, BBSR, ECON, EINV, ETRD, ZI 
SUBJECT: Mission Assistance to U.S. Business 
 
Ref: State 29441 
 
1.  Reftel asks us to summarize efforts to assist U.S. 
businesses, including success cases, here in Zimbabwe. 
Because of our strained bilateral relations, it is often 
not practical for the Embassy to advocate on behalf U.S. 
businesses.  We have lobbied the GOZ, thus far 
unsuccessfully, to return farms or offer compensation to 
several Amcit farmers, whose land has been seized under 
fast-track land reform. 
 
2. In our daily dealings with U.S. firms and through the 
American Business Association, which we presently 
administer, we have let the American business community 
know that we are available to provide any level of 
support.  Most of our daily assistance does not rise to 
the "success story" level, however.  We sporadically 
provide gold-key service in conjunction with the U.S. 
Commercial Service, but given the paucity of new foreign 
direct investment in Zimbabwe (FDI inflows have dropped 
from US$ 444 to 3 million in the last 5 years), this is 
not a big part of our workload.  For that reason, our 
role is slightly different than that of our counterparts 
in more stable economies.  Most U.S. companies are merely 
trying to tread water rather than expand business. 
 
Sullivan