Paper short abstract:

This paper explores the existent backward linkages in Zambia's copper value chain, through an examination of state policies and donor-driven campaigns, the procurement policies of private mining firms, and the experiences of Zambian contractors and suppliers.

Paper long abstract:

Over the past decade, a body of literature has emerged calling for the establishment of backward (and forward)

linkages to resource extraction on the African continent. The expectation is that the formation of local value

chains tied to processes of resource extraction and processing will create employment, develop technical

capacities, encourage technology transfers, and ultimately lead to industrialization and economic

diversification. In Zambia, local mine suppliers and contractors have sought to secure more business from the

copper mines. In response, policymakers have engaged in discussions around the feasibility of local content

regulations, as part of a recent trend towards increasing resource nationalism in the governance of mineral

extraction. This paper explores the existent backward linkages in the copper value chain, through

an examination of state policies and donor-driven campaigns, the procurement policies of private mining firms,

and the experiences of Zambian contractors and suppliers. It argues that existing backward linkages to copper mining are weak due to the negative effects of neoliberal structural adjustment and an inadequate regulatory regime. Local content measures are undoubtedly required to create and/or bolster backward linkages. Yet these measures are absent due to the PF government's preoccupation with fiscal linkages, the recalcitrance of foreign mining capital, and the constraints of multilateral trade agreements.