Côte d’Ivoire’s customs authority has announced the immediate removal of visa requirements previously imposed by customs representatives in Mali and Burkina Faso on export declarations, a move aimed at improving trade flow and speeding up cargo movement to inland West African markets, Business Insider Africa reported.
In a circular dated March 31, 2026, the Director General of Customs, Da Pierre A., explained that the decision follows the rollout of digital transit systems that now provide secure and transparent tracking of goods destined for Mali and Burkina Faso.
The directive, which has been shared across customs services and trade stakeholders, officially ends a long-standing administrative process that required approvals from foreign customs offices before goods could be cleared for transit.
Originally introduced to strengthen oversight and improve trade data accuracy, the requirement had increasingly become a bottleneck as cargo volumes through Abidjan’s ports continued to rise.
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According to the customs authority, the change is based on the successful deployment of the T1 Transit Management Module with Mali and the Interconnected Transit Goods Management System (SIGMAT) with Burkina Faso.
These digital platforms allow real-time sharing of customs data, ensuring continuous, secure, and transparent monitoring of goods without the need for manual approvals.
The reform comes amid shifting geopolitical dynamics in West Africa, particularly after the creation of the Alliance of Sahel States by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger following their exit from ECOWAS.
The bloc has committed to removing trade barriers among its members and reducing dependence on coastal transit countries, including plans to eliminate what it describes as “blockade-style” restrictions on the movement of goods within the Sahel.
Despite these goals, landlocked countries within the AES remain heavily reliant on coastal routes, especially through Côte d’Ivoire, to access global markets.
This latest move by Abidjan can be seen as both a practical economic decision and a strategic step to maintain its position as a major regional transit hub in a changing trade environment.
With the visa requirement now removed, licensed customs brokers can submit export declarations directly to the appropriate Ivorian customs offices, a change expected to reduce delays and improve overall trade efficiency.
The policy reflects Côte d’Ivoire’s broader effort to modernize its logistics systems while adapting to the evolving structure of regional trade.
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