Maputo, Sept. 11, 2026 (Lusa) - Mozambique's trade deficit more than doubled in the first half of the year, to the equivalent of €76.4 million, as the current account deficit narrowed by almost 39%, according to government figures.
According to figures from the Ministry of Finance for the period from January to June, to which Lusa gained access today, the trade balance recorded a deficit of $89 million (€76.4 million), resulting from exports worth $1.853 billion (€1.59 billion) and imports of $1.942 billion (€1.67 billion).
The figures show that exports remained virtually stable compared with the same period in 2025, when they totalled $1.854 billion (€1.59 billion), while imports grew by 2.4%, from $1.897 billion (€1.63 billion).
As a result, the trade deficit, which measures the difference between exports and imports of goods, widened from $43 million (€36.9 million) in the first half of 2025.
Major projects continued to underpin the country's export capacity. According to the report, exports associated with these projects rose by 0.5%, from $1.464 billion (€1.26 billion) to $1.471 billion (€1.27 billion).
Excluding major projects, however, exports fell by 2%, from $390 million (€335 million) in the first half of 2025 to $382 million (€328 million) in the same period this year.
According to the report, exports accounted for 21.97% of the annual target set for 2026, whilst imports represented 20.34% of the figure forecast for the year as a whole.
For the government, «these levels of achievement, ranging between 20% and 22% of the annual targets, highlight the need to boost domestic production, strengthen export capacity and accelerate the implementation of major investment projects during the second half of the year».
However, the government notes in the document that «the current account deficit has narrowed» to $359 million (€308 million), compared with the $588 million (€505 million) recorded in the first half of 2025.
The current account is a broader indicator of a country's economic relations with the rest of the world, encompassing not only trade in goods but also services, income and transfers.
The report attributes this improvement to the favourable performance of other components of the external accounts, such as the balance on services at $158 million (€136 million) and primary income at $113 million (€97 million).
It adds that «the financial account recorded a net inflow of capital» amounting to $143 million (€123 million).
PVJ/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
