Mauritania Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in mauritania, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Customs Regulations
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Mauritania continues to modernize its customs procedures, having adopted the ASYCUDA++ automated customs system across its 27 customs offices, including specialized offices for mining, fishing, hydrocarbons, and the Nouadhibou free trade zone. There is a functioning “single window” system for non-customs fees and taxes (the RTU, launched in 2016) that is linked to clearance processes. Importer registration is required (including a Central Importers Register and possibly a taxpayer number, NIF, for larger traders). Mauritania also claims alignment with WTO customs valuation rules and has discontinued minimum import values for most goods, though special rules (such as Argus-based minimums for used cars) remain in select cases. These reforms have improved trade facilitation: the UN Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation shows Mauritania’s “trade facilitation score” increased significantly between 2019 and 2021, particularly in transparency, institutional cooperation, and paperless trade. That said, stakeholders continue to report delays and unpredictability in physical inspections, inconsistent enforcement of licensing or permit requirements, and lack of clarity or harmonization in how customs agents interpret documentation, so practical friction remains.

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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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