Mozambique has become the latest country to conclude Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) negotiations with the UAE, the country’s foreign trade minister announced.
Once signed, ratified and in force, the CEPA will reduce customs duties, remove trade barriers and expand market access, while providing a stable framework for investment.
The final terms of the agreement were announced on Saturday in the presence of Mozambican President Daniel Francisco Chapo, who was on an official state visit to Abu Dhabi.
Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, the UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, said the negotiations mark a significant milestone in the UAE’s efforts to expand its trade network across the African continent.
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UAE-Mozambique non-oil trade up 91.6%
Bilateral non-oil trade between the UAE and Mozambique reached approximately $2.6 billion (Dh9.5 billion) in 2025, up 91.6 per cent compared with a year prior and almost five times the value recorded in 2019. This year, non-oil trade reached $2.5 billion (9.18 billion) in the first nine months of the year, a 49 per cent increase on the same period in 2025.
Overall, the UAE recorded a historic first during the nine-month period, recording Dh2.945 trillion in foreign trade with a 31 per cent increase in exports to the country’s ten largest trading partners, including China, India, and Japan.
Al Zeyoudi added that the East African country’s location and economic potential offers “promising opportunities” that the agreement will help foster a more open and competitive environment by facilitating market access for goods and services, encouraging mutual investment, and opening new avenues for cooperation in priority sectors.
“This partnership strengthens the UAE’s economic presence in African markets and reinforces our position as a global hub connecting markets and international trade corridors,” the Emirati minister said. “By supporting more efficient and resilient supply chains, it will create new opportunities for businesses to grow and expand, enhance trade and investment flows, and deliver sustainable economic benefits for both our nations.”
Emirati companies eye investments in East Africa
The CEPA is expected to open avenues for cooperation in priority sectors including energy, logistics, agriculture and food security, mining and critical minerals, and manufacturing. It builds on significant UAE investment in Mozambique, including XRG’s 10 per cent stake in the Area 4 concession of the Rovuma Basin. It also builds on DP World’s role in the expansion of the Port of Maputo, a key gateway for trade in Southern Africa.
The UAE has concluded 37 CEPAs since the programme’s launch in 2021, 18 of which have already entered into force.
Mozambique’s economy minister, Basílio Zefanias Muhate, said agreement will help Mozambican producers reach new markets “through one of the world’s premier trade hubs, while encouraging Emirati investment in sectors such as agro-processing, industry and infrastructure.”
Source: Khaleej Times