International convention and customs procedures of Benin

International Conventions: Member of the World Trade Organization (WTO)
International Economic Cooperation: Benin is a member of the WTO, the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA).
Non Tariff Barriers: OECD’s Trade Facilitation Indicators shows that Benin is below the average performance of Sub Saharan countries in areas such as procedures, fees and charges, governance and impartiality, and information availability.
The 2018 World Bank Logistics Performance Index - which measures countries’ trade logistics efficiency - ranked Benin 76th out of 160 countries.
According to the World Bank, the most imposed non-tariff measures in Benin include inspection requirements, authorization requirements, and technical measures.
Customs Duties and Taxes on Imports: 10,16%
(Weighted mean applied tariff is the average of effectively applied rates weighted by the product import shares corresponding to each partner country. Source: World Bank)

Customs Classification

Benin is a member of the World Customs Organisation and does comply with the harmonised customs system.

Import Procedures

The documents required to import goods into Benin generally include:

invoice
bill of lading (B/L)
inspection certificate from Bureau Veritas
the importer’s import license
attestation of origin of the goods
single payslip (BFU)
electronic cargo tracking note (BESC)
animal or plant health inspection certificate (if applicable).

Importing Samples

Benin is not part of the Carnet ATA convention. Products allowed for temporary admission are not subject to custom duties. After their use, they must be re-exported or destroyed, with the process being certified by a custom agent.