This paper analyses the relative importance of trade policy and ‘natural’ trade barriers in
the demand for imports for Malawi, a geographically landlocked sub-Saharan African economy, using an augmented dynamic import demand model. Incidence analysis of protection shows that pre-liberalisation trade policy barriers were greater than ‘natural’ barriers but in post-liberalisation ‘natural’ barriers were greater. Econometric analysis of the import demand model shows that ‘true’ protection of importables has been a decisive disincentive to importing. Therefore, like other landlocked countries Malawi needs to aggressively lower not only trade policy barriers but also ‘natural’ barriers for greater efficient trade.