Mali Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in mali, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Trade Barriers
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Though the transition government temporarily restricted the export of certain cereals in 2022 in response to the ECOWAS sanctions, for much of the past 30 years Mali has generally had an open economic policy that welcomed international trade and investment.  The Government of Mali reduced or eliminated import tariffs on many goods in 1994, though it has since reinstated some taxes on a case-by-case basis.  The WAEMU external common tariff (TEC) has been in effect since January 2000.  ECOWAS instituted its own TEC in January 2015.  The Government of Mali eliminated export tariffs in 1990, with the exception of a three percent fee on cotton and gold exports.

In May 2022, the National Transition Council (CNT), Mali’s transitional legislative body, approved a new customs code to replace the customs code of 2001.  The new code aims to simplify procedures and adopt a number of international best practices and protocols, including the Kyoto convention of 1999 on simplification and harmonization of customs procedures, the 2013 agreement for facilitating trade (Bali Package), and other WAEMU requirements.  In June 2022, the transition government adopted a three-year national strategy for the development of exports to capitalize on numerous economic agreements, commercial preferences, and customs unions to reinforce Mali’s economic competitiveness and diversification.  The strategy aims to reduce trade deficit by focusing on sectors with high export potentials.

There are no legal or regulatory barriers to investment and trade by foreign companies, nor is there discriminatory treatment against non-national firms.  There are no restrictions on the repatriation of capital or profit.  Some non-tariff measures exist depending on the sector or product.  The U.S. Embassy advises U.S. companies to contact the National Directorate for Commerce and Competition (DNCC) for more information on import and export procedures for specific products.  The Ministry of Commerce and Industry created the Mali Trade Portal to provide information on the procedures, documents, and legal framework related to import and export of goods in Mali: https://tradeportal.ml

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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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