Mozambique: Government restricts non-essential imports – AIM report | See full list of 16 items inside

The Mozambican government on Tuesday banned the import of items deemed as non-essential, in order to avoid squandering the country’s foreign exchange reserves. Most of these goods are easily available from local suppliers, and so do need to be imported. Impissa said that the new restrictions will ensure the priority allocation of foreign exchange to the import of essential goods and services, and will make emerging Mozambican industries more competitive.

The government, said the Minister, is committed to import substitution and stimulating national production. The list made public by the Ministry of Economy on Wednesday on its official Facebook page reads as follows: 1– Carnes e miudezas comestíveis de aves |Edible poultry meat and offal; 2 –Arroz (não acondicionado para venda a retalho) |Rice (not packaged for retail sale); 3 – Açúcar (não acondicionado para venda a retalho) |Sugar (not packaged for retail sale); 4 – Óleo de palma alimentar refinado |Refined edible palm oil; 5 – Água engarrafada e bebidas gaseificadas |Bottled water and carbonated drinks; 7 – Sal e cloreto de sódio |Salt and sodium chloride;