Mozambique is a large coastal country in Southern Africa. It borders Tanzania and Malawi to the North, Zambia to North West, Zimbabwe to the West, South Africa and Eswatini to the South. The country is very strategically located for trade, with a coastline of over 3,000 kms that serves three distinct geographical zones, four land-linked neighbour countries (Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Eswatini and Botswana), as well as South Africa, and no fewer than 37 border posts. Mozambique possesses three major ports (Maputo, Beira and Nacala), as part of separate road or rail corridors connecting the country with markets serving over 90m people across the region.

Mozambique acceded to the World Customs Organisation revised Kyoto Convention on simplification and harmonisation of customs procedures in 2012. It ratified the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement in January 2017 and has made modest progress in its World Bank Ease of Doing Business ranking, moving three places up to 135. Its Trading Across Borders ranking is 91, significantly better than the EAC average of 142.

However, Mozambique is missing out on major opportunities for growth and development. Its infrastructure must be upgraded, its trade costs must be reduced, and it must reform more responsively to the needs of business. These factors are potentially drivers of national economic regeneration and will help reposition Mozambique as a footprint country for trade with its neighbours.