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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Standards for Trade
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Overview

The Sierra Leone Standards Bureau (SLSB), under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, oversees the country’s standards regime, including standardization, metrology, certification, and conformity assessments. The SLSB ensures the accuracy of weights and measures, calibrates equipment, and verifies product compliance through inspections and testing, particularly at borders in coordination with customs and regulatory agencies. It also authorizes the use of the metric system and reviews labeling and certificates of conformity before goods are released.

Standards and Technical Regulation

Sierra Leone’s standards and technical regulations are managed by the SLSB. The SLSB enforces both mandatory standards, which address health, safety, and environmental protection, and voluntary standards, which promote trade and best practices. For industrial goods, the country aligns its national standards framework with organizations such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). While there is no formal policy requiring the use of U.S. standards, Sierra Leone selectively adopts standards from American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International, and the American Petroleum Institute (API), when relevant. However, due to historical ties with the UK and stronger trade relationships with the EU and ECOWAS, the country generally prioritizes European and African regional standards. The SLSB is affiliated with several global and regional standardization organizations, including ISO (Corresponding Member), IEC (Affiliate Member), International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML), African Organization for Standardization (ARSO), Airmen’s Meteorological Information (AIRMET), and ASTM (via an MOU). For food safety on food and agricultural products, the SLSB follows the Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization’s joint Codex Alimentarius Commission standards. 

Product testing methods often reference ISO, Association of Official Analytical Collaboration (AOAC), European Committee for Standardization (CEN), and ASTM protocols. Additionally, Sierra Leone adheres to WTO agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS), Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), and Trade Facilitation, demonstrating its commitment to international best practices in trade and product quality. 

National standards are developed by the SLSB based on international and regional benchmarks, such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), ECOWAS, Codex Alimentarius, and ISO/IEC directives. For indigenous products lacking global standards, the SLSB may create its own standards. The standard-setting process is guided by five technical committees focused on food, agriculture, metrology, engineering, and industrial standards. Stakeholder participation in the standards development process is encouraged. 

Standards

For food safety standards, the Bureau adopts the Codex Alimentarius Commission for agricultural products, and for product test method standards, it adopts ISO, AOAC, CEN, and ASTM standards. The Bureau is a member of the following bodies: ISO (Corresponding Member), IEC (affiliate Member), OILM, ARSO, ARIMET, and ASTM (MOU). The Bureau complies with the WTO Agreements of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, Technical Barriers to Trade, and Trade Facilitation.  Additional information is available on the SLSB’s official website.

Testing, Inspection and Certification

Sierra Leone currently lacks mutual recognition agreements. Sierra Leone employs a risk-based approach to product testing, prioritizing public health, safety, and environmental protection. Most products can enter the market freely with proper documentation, such as a Certificate of Conformity. However, high-risk categories including food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, electronics, building materials, petroleum products, and children’s items require mandatory testing and inspection by the SLSB, often in collaboration with customs and other regulatory agencies. Testing methods include pre-market sampling, laboratory analysis, and field inspections, particularly for flagged imports or uncertified goods. While low-risk items like office supplies or textiles face minimal scrutiny, the SLSB reserves the right to test any product if quality concerns arise. This targeted approach balances trade facilitation with consumer safety and regulatory compliance.

Publication of Technical Regulations

The SLSB oversees the review and publication of technical regulations and standards through the official government gazette. Proposed regulations undergo a 60-day public consultation period, allowing stakeholders to submit inquiries and comments to the SLSB Secretariat. After finalization and publishing in the government gazette, the regulations become mandatory following the 60-day period.

International stakeholders can contribute to the regulatory process through bilateral consultations with designated national contact points, such as the National Codex Contact Point for food safety, the National Plant Protection Focal Point for phytosanitary issues, and the National OIE Focal Point for animal health concerns. This process promotes transparency and encourages international collaboration in the development of Sierra Leone’s technical regulations.

Address for the SLSB: Wahman Abu Compound, Kelsey Road, Ferry Junction, Freetown, Sierra Leone
Phone:    +232 76 202010
Email:    info@slsb.gov.sl

Use of ePing to Review Proposed Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures. 

The ePing SPS&TBT platform (https://epingalert.org/), or “ePing”, provides access to notifications made by World Trade Organization (WTO) Members under the Agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), distributed by the WTO from January 16, 1995, to present.  ePing is available to all stakeholders free of charge and does not require registration unless the user wishes to receive customized e-mail alerts.  

•    Follow and review current and past notifications concerning regulatory actions on products, packaging, labeling, food safety, and animal and plant health measures in markets of interest,
•    Receive customized e-mail alerts when new notifications are distributed,
•    Find information on trade concerns discussed in the WTO SPS and TBT Committees. 

Per obligation under the TBT Agreement, each WTO Member operates an Enquiry Point. National TBT Enquiry Points are authorized to accept comments and official communications from other national TBT Enquiry Points, which are NOT part of the WTO or the WTO Secretariat. All comment submissions from U.S. stakeholders, including businesses, trade associations, U.S. domiciled standards development organizations and conformity assessment bodies, consumers, or U.S. government agencies on notifications to the WTO TBT Committee should be sent directly to the USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point. Refer to the comment guidance at https://www.nist.gov/notifyus/commenting for further information. This guidance is provided to assist U.S. stakeholders in the preparation and submission of comments in response to notifications of proposed foreign technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures.
  

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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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