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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Trade Barriers
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One of Sierra Leone’s few trade barriers is the Sierra Leone Customs and Excise Tariff. Imports are subject to import duty, goods and services tax, import excise duty, ECOWAS levy for non-ECOWAS originating goods, and a declaration processing fee. Tariff exemptions are extended to several imports based mainly on the importer, several of whom are diplomatic or United Nations institutions. As a member of the ECOWAS community, Sierra Leone grants duty-free preference to products from ECOWAS members, where they are wholly produced, sufficiently transformed, or with 35 percent value addition. Sierra Leone is also a member of the African Continental Free Trade Area with duty-free preference for products originating from member states.

Sierra Leone has not notified the WTO of any technical regulations related to the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) or its Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) legislation. However, the country’s phytosanitary legislation [Agricultural Act of 1946 and the Plant Phytosanitary (Import) Rules of 1974 & 1976] lists plants that are prohibited. Generally, a phytosanitary certificate is required for the international movement of any plant material or product. The phytosanitary control unit inspects such consignments at entry points and issues phytosanitary certificates, clearance certificates, or import permits. Animals are subject to livestock inspections, and the Fishery Product Regulations 2007 empower the Director of Fisheries to regulate the importation of fish products. 

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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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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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