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1400 GENEVA TIME ( 1200  GMT) 22 APRIL 2009  
 
PRESS/TPRB/309 
22 April 2009 
(09-1903) 
 
TRADE POLICY REVIEW: MOZAMBIQUE 
Structural problems are inhibiting development  
Since its first review in 2001, Mozambique ha s taken steps to liberalize its trade regime 
by lowering its maximum tariff rates and improving its investment regime. The reforms 
have contributed to achieving high economic growth of 8,7%  on average per year during 
2001-07; this has been driven mainly by fore ign direct investment and public spending 
largely financed by foreign aid, according to a WTO Secretariat report on the trade 
policies and practices of Mozambique. 
 
The report notes that structural problems, including administrati ve hurdles and supply-
side constraints like the high price and inefficient supply of utilities by state-owned 
companies operating under monopoly, still inhibit the business environment and competitiveness. It also calls for a contin uation of reforms to address the problems. 
 
The transparency and predictability of Mozamb ique’s trade regime would be enhanced by 
broadening the scope of its multilateral commitments, reducing bound rates, and 
displaying further efforts to meet notificati on requirements. Further development of the 
services sector, to achieve an improved and e fficient supply of services, is also necessary 
since this is a leading sector of th e economy accounting for 55% of GDP. 
 
The report, along with a policy statement by the Government of Moza mbique, will be the 
basis for the second Trade Policy Review (TPR) of Mozambique by the Trade Policy 
Review Body of the WTO on 22 and 24 April 2009. 
 
The following documents are available in MS Wo rd format on the WTO web-site. They can be 
downloaded at http://www.wto.org/english/ tratop_e/tpr_e/tp309_e.htm  
 
• Secretariat reports 
> Contents and summary observations  
> Economic environment  > Trade and investment regimes  
> Trade policies and practices by measure  
> Trade policies by sector  > Appendix tables  
• Report by the Government of Mozambique 
• Chairperson’s concluding remarks  
• Minutes of the meeting (available appr oximately six weeks after the meeting). PRESS/TPRB/309 
Page 2 of 2 
 
 
Note 
Trade Policy Reviews are an exercise, mandated in the WTO Agreement, in which member countries’ trade and related policies are examined and evaluated at regular intervals. Significant 
developments that may have an impact on the global trading system are also monitored. For each 
review, two documents are prepared: a policy stat ement by the government of the member under 
review, and a detailed report written independently by the WTO Secretariat. These two documents are then discussed by the WTO’s full membership in  the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB). These 
documents and the proceedings of the TPRB’s meetings are published shortly afterwards.  
 
Print copies of the TPR publications are available for sale from the WTO Secretariat, Centre William 
Rappard, 154 rue de Lausanne, 1211 Genève 21 and through the on-line bookshop at 
http://onlinebookshop.wto.org/shop/articles.asp?Id_Rayon=38  
or follow this path :  
www.wto.org >resources > publications > trade policy reviews  
 
The TPR publications are also available from our co-publisher Bernan  
Press, 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706-4346, United  
States. Please call 1-800-865-3457 or e-mail: customercare@bernan.com.” 
Next reviews: 
Solomon Islands: 6 and 8 May 2009 
New Zealand: 10 and 12 June 2009 
Morocco: 24 and 26 June 2009 
 
For a full list of previous trade policy reviews and the full programme of future reviews go to 
http://www.wto.org/english/trat op_e/tpr_e/tpr_ e.htm#reviews 
or follow this path : www.wto.org > trade topics > trade policy reviews 
 
 
END