Maputo, Aug. 8, 2025 (Lusa) - The president of the Mozambique Tax Authority said on Friday that the country is studying ways to mitigate the impact of the 16% tariff imposed by the US as part of its strategy to boost exports of products to the US market.
According to the president of the Tax Authority (AT), Aníbal Mbalango, the institution is analysing existing trade agreements with the United States to take full advantage of preferential tariffs.
“As the Tax Authority, we implement tax policy, and it is important to understand that Mozambique’s exports are not taxed and we also have trade agreements with the United States, under which we also have preferential tariffs,” said the AT president on the sidelines of the 15th session of the Tax Council in Maputo.
“Under these agreements, we will be able to see what our framework is and what discussions can be held to ensure that our products are exported to the United States,” he added.
The Mozambican government said on 10 June that it intended to negotiate a free trade agreement with the United States, following the imposition of a 16% customs duty by Washington.
Speaking to journalists after a Cabinet meeting, government spokesman Inocêncio Impissa said that Mozambique wanted to “assess the possibility” of negotiating a free trade agreement with the United States to reduce tariffs.
“The effort that the country will make is naturally to create space, in the dialogue that has been taking place between the US and Mozambique, to find other ways of exploring this opening up to allow trade relations to take place in a much more reliable and pleasant environment for both the US and Mozambique,” said Inocêncio Impissa.
In view of the customs tariffs, the Mozambican government has also previously promised to argue with the US authorities for a review of the tariffs imposed, considering the possibility of renegotiating the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a trade pact that allows Mozambique to have easier access to the US market.
It is necessary to "initiate contacts with a view to renewing AGOA as a strategic instrument for cooperation and market opportunity, contributing to boosting economic growth, promoting economic and political reforms and closer cooperation between the United States and Mozambique," said Impissa in April.
The US trade pact, created in May 2000 and expiring in September 2025, grants eligible African countries tax exemptions on around 6,900 products for export to the US.
Eligible countries include the Portuguese-speaking countries of Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe.
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