Benin flag Benin: Buying and Selling

International convention and customs procedures of Benin

International Conventions
Member of the World Trade Organization (WTO)
International Economic Cooperation
Benin is a member of the WTO, the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA).
Non Tariff Barriers
OECD’s Trade Facilitation Indicators shows that Benin is below the average performance of Sub Saharan countries in areas such as procedures, fees and charges, governance and impartiality, and information availability.
The 2018 World Bank Logistics Performance Index - which measures countries’ trade logistics efficiency - ranked Benin 76th out of 160 countries.
According to the World Bank, the most imposed non-tariff measures in Benin include inspection requirements, authorization requirements, and technical measures.
Customs Duties and Taxes on Imports
Benin is a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which has a common external tariff scheme with 5 tariff rates, as follows:
0% - essential social commodities;
5% - essential commodities, raw materials, capital goods
10% - intermediate products
20% - consumer goods
35% - specific goods for economic development
According to data by the World Bank, the applied average tariff in Benin was 11.57% (2017, latest data available).
Customs Classification
Benin is a member of the World Customs Organisation and does comply with the harmonised customs system.
Import Procedures

The documents required to import goods into Benin generally include:

  • invoice
  • bill of lading (B/L)
  • inspection certificate from Bureau Veritas
  • the importer’s import license
  • attestation of origin of the goods
  • single payslip (BFU)
  • electronic cargo tracking note (BESC)
  • animal or plant health inspection certificate (if applicable).
Importing Samples
Benin is not part of the Carnet ATA convention. Products allowed for temporary admission are not subject to custom duties. After their use, they must be re-exported or destroyed, with the process being certified by a custom agent.
 

To go further, check out our service Import controls and Export controls.

 
For Further Information
Benin Customs
Business Portal for Africa

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Latest Update: March 2024

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