Gabon Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in gabon, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
Select Country Guide
Distribution and Sales Channels
Last published date:

Using an Agent to Sell US Products and Services

Most U.S. products sold in Gabon are marketed through Gabonese agents.  Examples include Tractafric (selling Caterpillar heavy equipment) and SOGAFRIC (selling General Electric products).  Small local firms sell other U.S. products.

There are local companies that act as agents or distributors for U.S. companies.  Contact a U.S. Department of Commerce district office (see https://www.trade.gov/contact-us  under “contact us” for a listing) to request an Agent/Distributor Service (ADS).

Establishing an Office

The primary government entity for establishing an office and starting a business is the Agency for National Promotion and Investment (ANPI).  Established in 2014, ANPI has three core functions – inward investment promotion, business start-up and entrepreneurship support, and export trade development.  It is now possible to establish a company or office within 48 hours.  For more details, please consult the ANPI website: https://www.investingabon.ga/ or the following organizations:

Ministère du Commerce (Ministry of Commerce) 
B.P. 561, Libreville, Gabon
Tel. +241-11 76-83-03 ; +241-11-74-59-25
Fax +241-11 72-15-40

Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale (Social Security Administration)
B.P. 134, Libreville, Gabon
Tel. +241-11-70-27-38; +241-11-72-03-61
https://www.cnss.ga/

For the latest Investment Climate Statement (ICS) for Gabon, which includes information on investment and business environments in foreign economies pertinent to establishing and operating an office and to hiring employees, visit the U.S. Department of Department of State’s Investment Climate Statements website at Investment Climate Statements.

Franchising

There are currently three U.S. franchise operations in Gabon: KFC launched in Libreville in January 2019, Pizza Hut in February 2021, and Pinkberry in May 2021.

Direct Marketing

There are no restrictions on foreign firms directly marketing products in Gabon.

Joint Ventures/Licensing

Joint ventures and licensing agreements are limited in Gabon.  The state reserves the right to invest in the equity capital of ventures established in certain sectors (petroleum, mining, etc.).

Express Delivery

Express Delivery is available in Gabon.  UPS, FedEx, and DHL maintain a presence in the country.  Please see contact information below. 

UPS GABON

Libreville, Gabon BP 12947

Tel.: +241-11-44-30-80
Fax.: +241-11-44-30-81
Mob.: +241-775-54-42-07
https://www.ups.com/ga/en/contact.page

FedEx GABON

PAKO Agency Ltd – Gabon
Libreville, Gabon BP 8248
Tel. + 00241 11 74 67 57
Fax. +241 11 746 774
https://www.fedex.com/en-ga/customer-support.html

DHL GABON
Libreville, Gabon
Tel. +241- 11 44 29 72/ 241-7746886.
https://www.dhl.com/ga-en/home/customer-service.html

Due Diligence

All U.S. companies are advised to exercise due diligence before investing or trading in Gabon.  Highly recommended is “on the ground” investigation into respective sectors and legal requirements.  The U.S. Embassy stands ready to provide perspectives on the overall business climate and to help facilitate trade and investment as appropriate.

×

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