In 2024, Mozambique spent approximately $8.4 billion (525 billion meticais) on imports, representing a 9% decrease compared to the previous year, according to the latest report from the Bank of Mozambique. This decline was largely due to a reduction in purchases by the so-called traditional economy, which saw its imports fall by 14%. The slowdown was broad-based, affecting everything from production goods to everyday consumer products.
For intermediate goods, typically used in production (such as raw materials), spending dropped by 16%. In this category:
- Raw aluminium fell by 54%
- Construction materials (excluding cement) dropped 17%
- Fuels decreased by 16%
Consumer goods, which go directly to households, also declined. Spending fell by 10%, with notable drops in:
- Medicines and reagents: ‑28%
- Wheat: ‑19%
- Cooking oil: ‑17%
In the capital goods category (typically used for investment, like machinery), the bill amounted to $1.4 billion (92 billion meticais), a 16% drop from the previous year:
- Purchases of miscellaneous machinery declined 15%
- Tractors and semi-trailers dropped 30%
South Africa remained Mozambique’s main supplier, with exports worth $2.1 billion (about 131 billion meticais). It was followed by:
- China: $1.3 billion (81 billion meticais)
- India: $569 million (35 billion meticais)
- United Arab Emirates: $483 million (30 billion meticais)
- Oman: $463 million (29 billion meticais)
Source: Diário Económico
