Mozambique's government is preparing a temporary restriction on imports of sliced bread and has approved an administrative mechanism to regulate the entry of ceramic products, as part of a broader strategy to protect domestic production and ease pressure on foreign exchange reserves, the Lusa news agency reported on Thursday, 13 August.
The measures were reviewed at the eighth ordinary session of the Import Advisory Commission (CCI), held on Wednesday, 12 August. The commission also recommended the signing and subsequent publication in the Official Gazette of the ministerial instrument governing ceramic products.
The proposed restriction on sliced bread imports follows a roughly 70% increase in external purchases of the product between 2023 and 2025, with volumes rising from 1,100 to 1,900 tonnes, according to data from the Ministry of Economy.
"The proposed measure aims to temporarily protect the national bread-making industry, promote growth in domestic production, and ensure a more effective participation by national producers in supplying the market," the Ministry of Economy said.
The restriction is expected to be enacted through a Ministerial Decree, taking effect this month, and will be accompanied by ongoing monitoring of import trends and market competition conditions.
Authorities are also expected to examine potential unfair trade practices, seeking to balance the protection of domestic production with product availability and consumer interests.
For ceramic products, the administrative mechanism covers tariff headings 6904, 6907, and 6908 of the Harmonised System.
The measure involves importers, financial institutions, logistics operators, port and customs authorities, and other participants in the import process.
The mechanism establishes a 20% preference margin for domestically produced ceramics over imported equivalents and will have an initial duration of 12 months from the date it enters into force.
The new measures fall within the government's policy of temporarily limiting imports of certain products with the aim of conserving foreign exchange and stimulating domestic production.
The policy also seeks to substitute non-essential imports with domestically manufactured goods, particularly in sectors where national production capacity is considered sufficient to meet internal demand.
The framework is set out in Decree No. 51/2025 of 29 December, which made the importation of 16 designated products conditional on the issuance of import licences or quotas.
The decree justifies the restrictions on the grounds of the need to manage foreign exchange reserves, ensure priority in the importation of essential goods, and the fact that certain products are already being produced domestically in quantities and quality deemed adequate to satisfy internal demand.
The CCI was established by Ministerial Decree No. 10/2026 of 19 February, with a mandate to issue opinions or proposals on import applications and to support the definition of procedures applicable to products subject to temporary quantitative restrictions.
The creation of this mechanism forms part of a strategy announced by the government to reduce pressure on foreign exchange reserves and stimulate domestic industry.
In December, government spokesman Inocêncio Impissa explained that the restrictions were intended to "safeguard Mozambique's external position and ensure the priority allocation of foreign exchange to the importation of essential goods and services," while also contributing to making Mozambican industry more competitive.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=530388
