The rapid growth in imports of sliced bread has put the national bakery sector under the authorities' scrutiny. Between 2023 and 2025, purchases from abroad soared by around 70%, from 1,100 to 1,900 tonnes, a trend that has led the Government to prepare a temporary restriction on the entry of this product into the country.

The measure forms part of a broader strategy to protect and promote national production. At the same time, Mozambique has approved an administrative mechanism to regulate the import of ceramic products, according to information released by the Ministry of Economy.

The two proposals were under review during the eighth ordinary session of the Import Advisory Committee (CCI), held on Wednesday the 12th. At the meeting, the committee also recommended the signing and subsequent publication, in the Boletim da República, of the decree establishing the new regime applicable to ceramic products.

In the case of sliced bread, the figures are at the heart of the authorities' concern. According to the Ministry of Economy, imports grew from 1,100 tonnes in 2023 to 1,900 tonnes in 2025, an increase of approximately 70% in just two years.

“The proposed measure aims to temporarily protect the national bakery industry, promote an increase in domestic production and ensure a more effective share for national producers in supplying the market,” the Ministry of Economy explains in the CCI statement.

The new framework is expected to take the form of a Ministerial Decree and take effect from this month. Its application will be monitored by the authorities, who intend to track both the evolution of imports and the conditions of competition in the national market.

The Government also intends to assess whether unfair trading practices may exist. At the same time, the application of the restrictions should seek to preserve the availability of sliced bread on the market and guarantee consumer protection.

The intervention is not, however, limited to the food sector. In the field of ceramic products, the approved mechanism covers tariff headings 6904, 6907 and 6908 of the Harmonised System and will apply to the various parties involved in the import chain.

Those covered include importers, financial institutions, logistics operators, port and customs authorities, as well as other agents involved in bringing these products into the national territory.

According to Lusa, the mechanism also establishes a 20% preference margin over the imported product, seeking to strengthen the competitiveness and value of national production in the face of foreign competition.

The measure on ceramic products will initially last 12 months, counted from the date it comes into force.