Mozambique - Foreign trade

There is a considerable amount of unofficial trade along the borders as well as unreported fish exports to Asia. In April 1997, Mozambique began a three-year contract with Crown Agents, a private British company, to take responsibility for the regulation of foreign trade in order to reduce smuggling and corruption.

Shrimp account for the largest portion of Mozambique's export revenues (26%). Other exports include electric current (23%), fruits and nuts (15%), cotton (7.3%), and sugar (2.1%). 1997, Mozambique's imports were distributed among the following categories:

Consumer goods	9.6%
Food	22.3%
Fuels	11.6%
Industrial supplies	22.3%
Machinery	17.3%
Transportation	16.8%
Other	0.1%

Principal trading partners in 1998 (in millions of US dollars) were as follows:

COUNTRY	EXPORTS	IMPORTS	BALANCE
Spain	43	11	32
South Africa	42	738	-696
Portugal	29	75	-46
United States	25	50	-25
Japan	17	23	-6
Italy	14	14	0
India	13	33	-20
Zimbabwe	9	121	-112
United Arab Emirates	n.a.	47	n.a.
Saudi Arabia	n.a.	45	n.a.