Exports to Portugal Fall 32 Per Cent in 2010

13 April 2011

Maputo — Mozambique’s exports to Portugal fell by 32 per cent last year, down from 42.8 million euros in 2009 to 29.2 million euros in 2010.

Speaking in Maputo on Wednesday, Portugal’s ambassador to Mozambique, Mario Godinho de Matos, pointed to the decline of Mozambique’s sugar exports to his country as the main reason for the fall.

Ambassador Godinho de Matos, who was speaking during the opening of a three-day exhibition of Portuguese Goods and Services, was unable to explain the reasons behind the decline of sugar exports. But last year, especially in the first half, Mozambique failed to export sugar to the European market.

Most of the sugar produced in Mozambique was absorbed by the domestic market, and during the first few months of 2010 Mozambique had limited stocks of sugar. As a result, most of the sugar produced was used to replenish stocks and meet the demand of the local market, with exports falling by 11 per cent.

Therefore, this time last year Mozambique had only exported 107,900 tonnes of sugar, of which 82,900 tonnes went to the European Union market under the Everything But Arms (EBA) initiative with the remaining 24,900 tonnes going to the United States.

“Imports from Mozambique into Portugal behaved differently from in 2009, when there were signs that imports from Mozambique would grow. But 2010 saw a significant drop (32 per cent) in imports. Sugar was the main product responsible for this decline”, said Ambassador Godinho de Matos.

The volume of Mozambican exports to Portugal is still insignificant, with Mozambique falling from 59th to 66th place in the ranking of exporters to Portugal in 2010.

Meanwhile, Mozambican imports from Portugal continue to grow, rising in value from 120.9 million euros in 2009 to 151 million euros in 2010.

Portugal remains among the top 10 exporters to Mozambique, jumping from the 9th place to 5th place in the ranking of exporters to Mozambique.

“Although our exports to Mozambique are mainly made up of low to medium-low technological intensity, the degree of technological intensity has been increasing in recent years. High to medium-high intensity goods account for 49 per cent of our exports to Mozambique”, said the Ambassador.

The main products imported into Mozambique from Portugal include machinery, base metals, cellulose pulp and paper, books, electrical cables and electrical equipment.

As for Portuguese investment in Mozambique, the Ambassador said the volume fell sharply from 161.8 million euros in 2009 to 45.9 million euros in 2010.

Most of the investment was made in the construction sector, and banking and insurance, which together account 84 per cent of the total Portuguese investment made in Mozambique.

The Exhibition of Portuguese Goods and Services was organized by the Mozambican Confederation of Business Associations (CTA) and the Portuguese Industrial Association, in partnership with the Portugal-Mozambique Chamber of Commerce.

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