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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All imported goods, except those exempted by law, are subject to import duties.  Import duties are generally calculated according to the goods’ original invoice price (Cost – Insurance – Freight (CIF) value).  When the buyer does not present the original invoice, the Customs Service evaluates the local market value of the product and applies the appropriate rate.  Imported goods must be declared at Customs after arriving, and the Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) inspects the nature, price, composition, and quantity, and compares them with those reported in the original invoice.

Mauritania’s membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the EU/Africa Caribbean Pacific (EU/ACP) Lomé Pact underpins its trade liberalization policies.  However, customs procedures are extremely complicated and discouraging for importers who are not familiar with the Mauritanian system. The government is taking measures to alleviate these procedures to facilitate the clearance of products through customs, including digitization and the reduction – to some extent – of administrative complexities and time required to process requests.  Persons over the age of 18 travelling to Mauritania may import the following goods duty-free: 200 cigarettes/25 cigars/450 g of tobacco, 50 ml of perfume and 250 ml eau de toilette.  Alcohol is prohibited, and firearms require an import and gun license prior to arrival.

Customs contact information:

Customs Office

B.P. 198

Nouakchott, Mauritanie

Tel: (222) 525-1404 or 525-6302

Fax: (222) 525-5615 or 525-6304

Website: http://douanes.mr/

Colonel Dah Ould Hamady Ould Mamy, General Manager

https://www.mauritaniatrade.com/en/importing-into-mauritania/procedures.html

 

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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.

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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.

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