All goods entering Côte d’Ivoire with a free-on-board (FOB) value exceeding one million CFA (approximately $1,600) must be inspected by the inspection company at the point of origin to ensure that invoice valuation is consistent with the goods shipped. The inspection certificate is then used as the basis for customs valuation. Exporters should note that the inspection process is triggered by the Ivoirian importer when they file an import declaration form (FDI).
The fee charged by the National Single Customs Window Platform for inspection services is 0.75 percent of the FOB value of the merchandise to supply on the market. The inspection company receives 1.05 percent of the FOB value of merchandise, 0.8 percent for oil, and 1 percent for wood before export from Côte d’Ivoire.
Payment of import duties and taxes must be made within 20 days of arrival of the goods. Late payments will incur a penalty; the rate of the penalty is dependent on the type of product. The average time of customs clearance depends on the type of goods being imported. The clearance times for products whose specifications are in customs’ database can vary from 48 hours to a week. Goods that the Ivoirian Customs Office has not previously processed can take much longer as customs officials are unfamiliar with them. A quicker customs clearance is possible for businesses that have established professional customs records with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s Customs Office (https://pwic.gouv.ci/).
For more information and help with customs issues, contact:
Direction Générale des Douanes
BP V 25 Abidjan
Tel: (225) 272025 1500/ 272025 1526