Mozambique’s Institute of Cereals (ICM) announced on Wednesday, 21 October, that it has lifted the suspension on rice imports by África Indústria, after the company resolved the irregularities identified in its import process. Companhia Industrial da Matola (CIM) remains the only one of the three originally suspended operators still barred from importing rice and wheat.

According to an ICM statement cited by Lusa, África Indústria may resume operations upon submission of import requests and compliance with legally established procedures. The decision follows the lifting of the suspension on Pembe Mozambique, announced on 15 October.

Regarding CIM, the institute clarified that the ban will remain in force until the situations that prompted the measure are resolved, without indicating a timeline for any potential resumption of imports.

The three companies had been suspended with effect from 13 October for alleged non-compliance with rice and wheat import regulations. At the time, the ICM announced the seizure of 34,300 tonnes of cereals: 25,000 tonnes of rice belonging to África Indústria, 6,000 tonnes of wheat belonging to Pembe Mozambique, and 3,300 tonnes of wheat belonging to CIM.

“The measure results from the repeated carrying out of irregular imports, without the proper authorisation of the ICM, in violation of the legal framework governing the importation of those products,” the institution stated at the time.

CIM’s cargo had been seized on 9 October at the Port of Matola. The company contested the suspension, describing it as “legally inadmissible” and arguing that it was not previously notified of any infringement proceedings, nor given the opportunity to exercise its right of defence.

According to the company, the imported wheat complied with all customs procedures required in Mozambique. CIM maintains that the competent authorities expressly authorised the offloading and issued the necessary documentation for the goods to enter the country.

The company argues that the dispute does not concern the legality of the goods, but rather the new cereal import mechanism. In this context, CIM revealed it has taken the matter to the administrative courts to challenge the rules applied by the ICM, on the grounds that they establish an “illegal monopolistic regime”, and is seeking a declaration of nullity of the relevant provisions.

The centralised import mechanism came into force in February 2026 for rice and in May for wheat. The government justified the model on the grounds of the need to strengthen oversight of operations and foreign currency use, as well as to combat alleged over-invoicing practices.

According to ICM estimates, such practices cause annual losses to the state of approximately US$100 million, equivalent to €89.1 million at the exchange rate published by Lusa.

In its most recent statement, the institute reiterated that rice and wheat imports must comply with the applicable regulatory framework. The continuation of CIM’s suspension thus sustains the stand-off between the regulator’s position and the legal challenges filed by the company in the courts.

Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=554425