Maputo, Feb. 27, 2026 (Lusa) - The United States Government (US) recognises that Mozambique has become an “important source of investment” for the US in Africa, and is also on its way to becoming a major supplier to the country.
In an exclusive interview with Lusa in Maputo, on the sidelines of her working visit to Mozambique, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Sarah Troutman, immediately acknowledged the impact of the ongoing resumption of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) projects in Cabo Delgado, in the north.
“They have definitely solidified Mozambique as an important source of US investment and will be major global suppliers of this resource. We therefore eagerly await the start-up of these projects and welcome the fact that TotalEnergies has lifted the ‘force majeure’ clause [in October, following the terrorist attacks in 2021],” she said.
“We are pleased to see this project back on track, with significant US investment and significant involvement from American companies. And, of course, we are very excited about the ExxonMobil project, which is directly adjacent to it, and we look forward to it coming online,” he added.
The US EximBank, a state-owned bank that finances US exports, last year approved $4.7 billion (€3.9 billion) in financing for TotalEnergies' $20 billion (€16.9 billion) megaproject in Afungi, Cabo Delgado.
US company ExxonMobil announced on November 20 that it had lifted the ‘force majeure’ declaration for the LNG megaproject in Cabo Delgado, an essential step towards the Final Investment Decision (FID), scheduled for 2026. This is the Rovuma LNG gas project, one of the largest in Africa, which operates in parallel with TotalEnergies' project, already in the recovery phase, valued at $30 billion (€25.4 billion), following the attacks in 2021.
ExxonMobil expects to produce 18 million tons per year (mtpa) of LNG in Area 4. The Area 1 project, led by TotalEnergies and in recovery, expects LNG deliveries in 2029 and a capacity of 13 mtpa.
In addition to LNG, Sarah Troutman said, the Balama graphite mine, operated in Cabo Delgado by Australia's Syrah and which exports that ore for the production of electric car batteries, including in US factories, “is an important source” for the US, which, in 2024, through the International Development Finance Corporation, a government development finance institution, allocated $150 million (€125.9 million) to its development.
“This is part of our effort, once again, to ensure the flow of critical minerals to the US,” said the minister.
The expectation, she pointed out, is that there will be “even more investment” from the US in areas such as agribusiness and digital transformation: "We know that these are priorities for the government, as well as tourism. So I will certainly take the good news to Washington that Mozambique's government is very eager to establish partnerships with American companies. We know that this is a priority for President Chapo, and we thank him for that.“ Hence, she argues, there are ”opportunities to increase“ bilateral trade between the US and Mozambique, which has fluctuated ”between $400 million and $600 million [€339 million to €508 million] per year."
“With the start-up of LNG projects and increased interest and opportunities in the mining sector, there will be even more opportunities to increase this trade. We know that many of the US exports to Mozambique include machinery, vehicles, and agricultural products, and that our imports include agricultural products and various other items,” he explained.
However, he acknowledged that it is necessary to “strengthen” and diversify trade relations with Mozambique.
“Part of our priority at the State Department's Africa Bureau is to increase U.S. exports to the continent to balance our bilateral trade relations, so we are looking for more opportunities to do so,” he said.
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