Botswana Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in botswana, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Import Requirements & Documentation
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Import permits, issued by the Department of International Trade in the Ministry of Trade and Entrepreneurship, are required for goods entering Botswana directly from outside the SACU.  Import permits are non-transferable and typically granted upon request.  Botswana has no foreign exchange restrictions, making it relatively easy to access foreign currency for transactions.  Import permits for habit-forming drugs, such as narcotics and psychotropics, are issued by the Botswana Medicines Regulatory Authority (BoMRA).

All imported goods are subject to a Value Added Tax (VAT) of 14 percent, except for items listed in the Third Schedule of the VAT Act, which are also exempt from customs duties.  However, these exemptions are limited and rarely relevant to mainstream business enterprises.  Goods exported from Botswana are not subject to VAT.
The SAD 500 form is the only document required for external trade.  Despite efforts to improve transit procedures and simplify bonding requirements, excessive delays in shipping across SADC borders, particularly with South Africa, continue to negatively impact economic activity.  Progress in addressing these issues has been slow.

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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