Maputo — Mozambique must submit its tariff offer to the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat (AfCFTA) by June of the current year.

The tariff offer was ratified in 2022 by the Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic.

According to the Minister of Industry and Trade, Silvino Moreno, who was addressing the press during the launch of Africa Week Celebrations, the tariff offer is compulsory for Mozambique's effective adherence to the continental free market.

"This document contains relevant information about the products that Mozambique will place in the continental market and those that will be free from customs tariffs. The work is concluded and we will present our tariff offer to the AfCFTA by June 30', the minister said.

Moreno believes that Mozambique has great potential to take advantage of AfCFTA by using, for example, its agricultural products, as well as fishery resources, especially prawns.

"We have a major agricultural capacity. We can offer cashew nuts, cotton and other products that are currently exported to Europe and Asia', he said, adding that the country has a lengthy coastline, ideal for offering logistical services to some countries that do not have access to the sea.

After the tariff offer submission, he explained, there will follow the disclosure of the national private sector commitments, since Mozambican companies are the main actors of the market.

"Mozambique's integration into the Continental Free Trade Area is part of the 2063 Agenda aspirations, focused on increasing inter-African trade from two per cent to 12 per cent of total trade', he said.