According to the ICM, the three companies imported cereals without the institution's required authorisation, in violation of Ministerial Decree No. 132/2025 of 31 December, which designates the Institute as the state agency responsible for overseeing rice and wheat imports.
The decision is also based on Ministerial Decree No. 31/2026 of 24 April, which establishes the operational mechanisms and procedures applicable to the importation of these products.
According to an ICM statement cited by the newspaper O País, the suspension follows repeated import operations considered irregular and will remain in place until the companies bring their activities into compliance with the applicable legislation.
"The measure will remain in force until the circumstances that led to the suspension have been resolved, through full compliance with the legislation in force," the statement reads.
As part of the decision, the authorities seized a total of 34,300 tonnes of cereals, including 3,300 tonnes of wheat imported by Companhia Industrial da Matola through the Port of Matola on 9 October, and a further 6,000 tonnes of wheat belonging to Pembe Mozambique.
Another 25,000 tonnes of rice belonging to África Indústria were also seized. According to the ICM, the goods could be forfeited to the state if the companies fail to regularise their situation.
The legal framework cited by the Institute establishes that the ICM is responsible for managing the rice and wheat import process, while allowing the participation of partners and other economic operators in accordance with the law.
The legislation further stipulates that the institution is responsible for supplying these cereals to economic operators, against payment, for subsequent sale on the domestic market.
CIM Challenges Suspension and Takes Legal Action
Meanwhile, Companhia Industrial da Matola has rejected the decision by the Cereals Institute, describing it as unlawful, and has taken legal action before the Administrative Court to challenge the measures imposed.
In a statement, the company said it learned of the suspension through the media, claiming that it had received no formal notification and had not been given an opportunity to defend itself before the measure was imposed.
"CIM was not notified of any infringement proceedings that could justify such a suspension, was not heard beforehand, and was not given the opportunity to respond to the allegations," the company stated.
CIM argues that imposing such a serious sanction without following the required legal procedures, including the right to be heard and to present a defence, is legally unacceptable.
The company also revealed that it had initiated legal proceedings before the Administrative Court to challenge the validity of the regulations invoked by the ICM, arguing that they establish what it considers to be a monopolistic and unlawful cereals import regime.
According to CIM, the Cereals Institute has already been formally notified by the court of the ongoing proceedings and should, in the company's view, refrain from taking administrative measures that could conflict with the legal effects of that notification.
CIM also rejects the classification of its importation of 3,300 tonnes of wheat as irregular, maintaining that the operation complied with the applicable customs procedures and that the unloading of the shipment had been authorised by the Mozambique Customs Authorities.
The suspension has therefore placed the Cereals Institute and Companhia Industrial da Matola at odds over the interpretation and enforcement of the regulations governing cereals imports.
While the ICM maintains that companies must comply with the authorisation procedures established by law, CIM questions the legality of the regulatory framework and the measures adopted, leaving the dispute to be resolved by the Administrative Court.
