<p></p><p>India was the main destination for Mozambique’s exports in 2017, with almost double the value of the country ranked second, South Africa, according to a yearbook published by the National Statistics Institute (INE).</p> <p>The Statistical Yearbook for 2017 shows that India bought Mozambican goods worth 103.156 billion meticais or US$1.621 billion, while South Africa purchased goods worth 56.239 billion meticais or US$884 million. </p><p>China is ranked fifth in this list with US$252 million in purchases, with Portugal, the former colonial power, in a distant 18th place with US$21 million. </p><p>Mozambique’s exports in 2017 totalled 300.576 billion meticais or US$4.725 billion, of which India absorbed 34.32% and South Africa 18.71%. </p><p>In imports, which totalled 365.464 billion meticais or US$5.745 billion, South Africa appears in first place, with US$1.668 billion or 29.03% of the total and India in fifth place with US$451 million or 7.85% of the total. </p><p>In this list, China comes in third, with sales of US$493 million or 8.59% of the total, with Portugal in seventh place with US$242 million, or 4.22% of the total. </p><p>Taking into account the figures published in the Statistical Yearbook for 2017, Mozambique had a trade deficit of 64.888 billion meticais or US$1.020 billion that year. </p><p>The main products exported by Mozambique were coal, aluminium ingots and profiles, electricity, natural gas, tobacco, heavy sands, wood, sugar, bananas and cashew nuts. </p><p>Machinery topped the list of imported products, followed by diesel, graom, electricity, cars, gasoline, medicines, hydraulic cement, cooking oil and beer.<br></p><p></p>