Burkina faso Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in burkina faso, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Prohibited & Restricted Imports
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Burkina Faso has prohibitions and restrictions on the import of certain goods to protect public health, safety, and the environment and boost local manufacturing firms. In 2025, Burkina Faso’s list of prohibited products includes adulterated alcohol, alcoholic energy drinks, mercury-based cosmetics, certain medicines, specific herbicides, and non-biodegradable plastics. In addition, several goods require a Special Import or Export Authorization from the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Handicrafts before they can be traded. These include weapons and ammunition, gold and precious materials, oilseeds (sesame, raw cashew nuts, shea nuts), scrap metal, cottonseed, plant seeds, pharmaceuticals and veterinary products, medical equipment, reagents, and consumables and staple foods such as sugar, flour, oils, potatoes, and onions, as well as tires for two-wheeled vehicles. 

Furthermore, the authorities have introduced a number of import quotas and suspensions on solar panels, wheat, and sugar. For more information, visit the website of the Ministry of Commerce Burkina Faso or Investburkina.

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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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