Ivory Coast – Legislation Import cargo

With reference to a Decree dated September 6, 2017 (Ref No. 2017- 567) from the Minister of Handicraft Commerce for small and medium companies, we would like to inform you that with effect from April 16, 2018, the Ivorian Authorities have decided to launch a program of verification of the conformity of goods imported to Ivory Coast from all origin countries.

This program is applicable to all imported goods destined to Ivory Coast for which the FOB value is greater or equal to 1,000,000 CFA – excluding goods mentioned below:

• Gold and precious metals and precious stones
• Explosives, arms, munitions and other war material
• Alive animals
• Fresh Fish, Meat, and Vegetable as well as Plants, floriculture products
• Cinematographic films , developed
• Newspaper, Stamps , passports, Bank notes cheque books and postal packets
• Personal effects and used domestic objects
  
• Used vehicles
• Raw Petroleum or partially refined
  
• Commercial samples
  
• Furniture destined to diplomatic missions or to international organisms
  
• Goods and material destined to Oil and Mine operations
  
• Importations linked to the Franc regimes
• “Produits du Cru” or traditional handicraft of community origin
  

The Importer is responsible to inform his Supplier of the mandatory requirement to provide the Conformity Certificate for all goods before any entry in Ivory Coast.

To obtain this conformity certificate, the supplier/exporter will have to contact one of the following authorized service providers in their location:

• Bureau VERITAS Inspection Valuation Assessment and Control (BIVAC BV)
• COTECNA Inspection
• INTERTEK International limited
• Societe Generale de Surveillance (SGS)

Verification fees will be invoiced to the Provider depending on the evaluation method applied here after:

• Route A : 0,45 % of the FOB value declared
  
• Route B : 0,40% of the FOB value declared
• Route C: 0.30% of the FOB value declared
  

All goods imported to Ivory Coast without a Conformity Certificate will be liable for a penalty of 50% of the CAF value and seized by the authorities, followed by the destruction of the cargo. All additional fees will be on the account of the Importer.