Mozambique: Domestic production in Mozambique reached a record high of 0.28Mt in the first quarter of 2012, with imports falling to 79,000t during the same period.

National Director of Industry, Sidonio dos Santos, has attributed this growth to a sharp increase in the availability of cement, although domestic production is yet to meet the demands of the market. Cimento Nacional, a new cement factory, has been commissioned with an installed annual capacity of 0.25Mt/yr. Cimentos de Mocambique, the largest cement factory in the country, has increased its capacity to 0.40Mt/yr with the inauguration of a new mill.

In 2010 total production capacity for the country was estimated at 1.3Mt, which increased to 2Mt in 2011. In January 2012 domestic production reached 79,000t while imports were just 16,000t. In February 2012 production was nearly 90,000t, with imports at 26,000t. In March 2012 production was 0.11Mt, with imports at 37,000t.

"We believe we will meet the government's five-year plan for cement production, because investors are implementing their projects to increase production and build new factories," said Dos Santos.

Currently there are five cement factories in Mozambique. The government expects to inaugurate another three cement factories in the province of Maputo: GS Cimentos, with a capacity of 0.5Mt/yr; ADIL Cement, with a capacity of 0.12Mt/yr; Maputo Cement and Steel Maputo with a capacity of 0.13Mt/yr. In January 2012 Industry and Trade Minister Armando Inroga announced that the government is considering imposing a quota system for imported cement later in 2012 in order to protect Mozambican cement producers.