Sierra leone Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in sierra leone, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Import Requirements and Documentation 
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Sierra Leone replaced its pre-shipment inspection with a destination inspection scheme in 2009. The scheme assesses the quality, quantity, value, and customs classification for imports to be declared for clearance and recommends their classification and valuation opinion for the attention of customs. Imports exempted from this scheme include arms, ammunition, weapons, implements of war, gold and other precious stones, explosive and pyrotechnic products, live animals, scrap metals, crude oil, personal and household effects, supplies for diplomatic missions and United Nations Organizations, and frozen fish caught by Sierra Leone owned vessels.

In 2021, the National Revenue Authority upgraded its UNCTAD Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA ++) to ASYCUDA World and introduced the Electronic Single Window. ASYCUDA World is a web-based system that improves processing and reduces clearance times, while the Electronic Single Window enhances efficiency in the trade logistics landscape of import and export goods.

See the National Revenue Authority’s website for more information on Customs Import Procedure

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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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