Trading across African borders and running into problems? Tell us about it here.
This free service of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) lets you report obstacles you face when moving goods between African countries: long delays, unexpected fees, extra paperwork, repeated testing of your products, and similar problems. Government officials in the countries involved then work to remove them.
Anyone trading goods in Africa can report: small, medium and large companies, informal cross-border traders, women and young business owners, transporters and clearing agents.
Watch a quick introduction video about the mechanism: Watch video
What is a trade barrier?
A non-tariff barrier (NTB) is any problem, other than the normal import duty, that makes it harder, slower or more expensive to move goods from one African country to another. It can be a rule, a procedure, a fee or a practice at the border, at a port or at a government office.
Examples reported by traders
- Your goods are held at the border for days, even though all your documents are in order.
- Your certificate of origin is refused, so you are charged full import duty instead of the lower AfCFTA rate.
- Your products must be tested again on arrival, although they were already tested and certified at home.
- You need an import licence or permit that is slow, expensive, or has unclear rules.
- You are asked to pay fees that are unofficial, unpredictable or not published anywhere.
- Customs values your goods much higher than the price on your invoice.
- Truck load limits differ on each side of the border, so your goods must be unloaded and reloaded.
- As a small or informal trader, you are stopped or limited in the quantity you may carry across the border.
- A product is suddenly banned from import, without notice or explanation.
Your report goes to the government officials responsible in the countries involved. They work to remove the barrier, and you can follow the progress of your complaint. Learn more about non-tariff barriers
HOW TO REPORT TRADE BARRIERS
- Go to https://tradebarriers.africa and choose your language
- Click on Login/Register → Register → fill in your details and submit
- In your Email: Receive a confirmation email → click on the activation link in that email!
- Go back to https://tradebarriers.africa → Login/Register → enter your username/email and password → Login
- Click on “Report an NTB online” → fill the form and provide as much detail as possible → Submit your complaint!
After you report a non-tariff barrier, the concerned government authorities will follow-up to resolve your problem. NTBs Coordination Unit in the AfCFTA Secretariat and NTB Units in your Regional Economic Community (REC), as well as NTB National Focal Points (NFPs) in your countries will support the process.