MOZAMBIQUE Trends and Developments Contributed by: José Miguel Oliveira, Sara Alves Lourenço, Kenny Laisse and Caio de Mello Ferreira, VdA
Introduction The shipping sector in Mozambique plays a criti - cal role in the country’s economic development, as it offers a significant means of transporta - tion with access to the international markets. Mozambique has a coastline of approximately 2,500 kilometres, three major ports – Maputo, Beira and Nacala – and several minor ports and harbours. The Port of Maputo is the largest and busiest port in Mozambique, handling about 90% of the country’s trade and more than 12 million tonnes of goods annually. The port offers diverse transit options for cargo, including sea, road and rail, thereby connecting Mozambique to neighbour - ing Southern African countries. The Port of Beira also plays a major role in the shipping sector, serving as a vital gateway for landlocked countries such as Zimbabwe, Zam - bia and Malawi and an essential transit hub for fuel, cargo and containers. The Port of Nacala is located in the northern region of Mozambique and is one of the deep - est ports in Southern Africa. It is mainly used for exporting coal from the adjacent Moatize coal mines. The port also serves as an important hub for exporting other commodities, including agri - cultural products. While Mozambique’s shipping industry has recently experienced several challenges, includ - ing maritime security issues such as piracy and organised crime (see the section on the Rovu - ma Project further on in this article), the indus - try remains a critical sector for Mozambique’s economic growth and the country is increasingly becoming fertile ground for shipping contracts and legal action on maritime liens. The Mozam - bican government is investing in infrastructure
improvements aimed at enhancing the coun - try’s connectivity and competitiveness in the regional and international markets, particularly in the development of a transportation corridor that connects the central and northern regions and links the ports to the landlocked countries of Southern Africa. Additionally, the ports of Pemba and Palma, located further north in Mozambique, are pro - jected to become crucial servicing and logistics ports for the oil and gas industry. These ports will support transportation of goods and per - sonnel to and from offshore oil and gas drilling sites in the Rovuma Basin. The development of these ports aligns with Mozambique’s ambitions to become a significant player in the global gas market and attract foreign investment to the sec - tor. Legislative Developments In 2022, acknowledging the preponderance that its maritime ports may have as a result of the above-mentioned facts, Mozambique approved the Maritime Courts Law (Law No 10/2022), which provides for the institution of special - ised maritime courts with specific know-how on matters relating to shipping contracts, mari - time liens, maritime claims and arrest of ships. At the moment, the Maritime Courts of Maputo City and Sofala and Nampula Provinces are fully operational, in a clear sign of the government’s commitment to ensuring adequate responses to the specificities of the shipping sector. In 2024, and as a clear sign of its commitment to maritime sector legislation, the government approved the new Regulations for the Exercise of Ship Agency Activity, Cargo and Complemen - tary Services. Also in the same year (2024), with an impact on the maritime defence sector, a Maritime Defence Co-operation Agreement was
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