Angola Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in angola, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
Select Country Guide
Trade Barriers
Last published date:

The U.S. Trade Representative’s Annual “National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers for 2021” highlights many of the issues covered in this Country Commercial Guide.

Import Quotas:  

Angolan Presidential Decree 34/15 and implementing decree 22/15 of January 2015 established import quotas on 14 food and beverage products where domestic production is deemed to meet 60 percent of market demand.  While the law remains on the books, its implementation has been deferred indefinitely due to stiff pressure from importers and the diplomatic community, and as part of an effort to conform to international trade commitments.  The decree also required importers of a range of food and building materials products to register through a new process that includes presentation of company details, projected import volume, and a demonstration of warehousing/refrigeration capacity.  Delays in obtaining import licenses remains the top barrier for importers in the retail network.

On January 14, 2019, Presidential Decree No. 23/19 entered into effect giving priority to goods produced in Angola by requiring that importers demonstrate that they either cannot find a product domestically or already have a contract to purchase products domestically.  The decree aims to decrease reliance on imports by increasing local production in 54 product categories.  

On March 17, 2021, Executive Decree 63/21 of established new rules on the importation of pre-packaged products starting June 15, 2021.  The decree established that imports of a series of identified products must be packaged in bulk for shipping, in “big bags” of at least one ton.  The decree then mandates that the packaging process be held in the country.  According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, this measure will make it possible to generate jobs and revenue for the country since the products will be imported at lower prices and create opportunity for the emergence of small and medium-sized packaging and logistics industries. However,  the measure may constitute a non-tariff barrier to trade.

Testing Requirements: 

Imports of foods and pharmaceutical products are subject to quality testing during customs clearance.  Once imported into Angola, these products are subject to additional oversight by the Ministries of Industry and Trade, Agriculture, and Health.

 

×

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.

Privacy Program | Information Quality Guidelines | Accessibility