On the west African coast, in the nation of Sierra Leone, there are abundant natural, fishing, and agricultural assets. There are several chances for trade and growth in the nation. With a populace of 8.2 million and a landmass of 71,740 square kilometers, it is situated on the west African coastline. Because of its vast shoreline, wide oceanic plates, and fertile soil, Sierra Leone has an agrarian sector that depends heavily on agriculture, fishing, and forestry. The nation does not, however, produce enough food on its own so most of its food resources depend on imports.
Importing in Sierra Leone
There are few restrictions on business in Sierra Leone. Additional tariff concessions have been made in recent years, primarily per its obligations to the ECOWAS. According to Sierra Leone’s Temporary Poverty Elimination Plan, the liberalization process would continue, with a focus on rationalizing and lowering external duties.
Import taxes
The major tool for Sierra Leone’s import tariffs is the customs clearance tax, which generates 45% of all federal income. Taking into account the sales tax and the ECOWAS charge, the average net imposed MFN tariff is 14.9%.
For manufactured goods, the usual MFN duty is 13.5%, and for farm imports, it is 16.5%. Presently, 52% of customs duties are liable to tariffs between zero and ten percent, and another 47% are between twenty and thirty percent. The final consumer items are subject to the 7 categories of the customs tariff, which are the highest. 60.5% is the highest actual implemented MFN tariff rate.
All tax sectors are connected, which gives the tax a high level of consistency. Nevertheless, the regulators have a lot of room to raise applicable tariffs within bounds because the simple mean of bound MFN tax rates is significantly higher than the typical implemented MFN import duties. The fact that all imposed tariff rates are established on an ad valorem level adds to the tariff’s clarity. The tax rates per the WTO are mentioned in Table 1.1.
The 0.5% ECOWAS extra tariff, which is solely imposed on imports from other nations, is in effect in Sierra Leone. Additionally, Sierra Leone levies an income tax of 17.5% on both local and imported goods as well as an assessment tax of 30% on some imports.
Table 1.1
| Products | Final bound duties | MFN applied duties | ||||
| AVG | Duty-free in % | Max | AVG | Duty-free in % | Max | |
| Clothes | 50 | 0 | 50 | 22.1 | 0 | 30 |
| Shoes | 49.9 | 0 | 50 | 17.5 | 0.6 | 30 |
| Fruits | 39.8 | 0 | 40 | 18.0 | 1.1 | 30 |
| Cereals | 39.5 | 0 | 40 | 15.4 | 2.5 | 30 |
| Cotton | 30 | 0 | 30 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Dairy | 40 | 0 | 40 | 19.7 | 0 | 20 |
| Leather | 49.9 | 0 | 50 | 17.5 | 0.6 | 30 |
| Textile | 50 | 0 | 50 | 22.6 | 0 | 30 |
| Fish | 50 | 0 | 50 | 16.5 | 0 | 20 |
| Drinks | 48 | 0 | 80 | 26.8 | 0 | 30 |
Requirements
In 2009, Sierra Leone switched from pre-shipment screening to a destination clearance program. The plan evaluates the imports’ condition, volume, price, and customs category before recommending a class and evaluation assessment to officials for approval. The following imports are exempt from this policy:
- Armaments, ammunition, firearms, and war tools;
- Diamonds and other jewels;
- Dynamite and firework items;
- Live creatures; recyclables;
- Crude oil;
- Individual and home belongings; and
- Frozen fish is obtained by boats operated in Sierra Leone.
Import restrictions
Some import limitations and bans continue to exist for ecological, medical, and safety concerns. Plants, seedlings, soil other than sterilized clay and special growing fertilizers, and any item combined with soil must all be imported with a specific license from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Consumer Safety. The importing of guns, ammo, and explosives is prohibited for security reasons.
