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The Côte d'Ivoire Trade Information Portal is a unique and comprehensive source of information. It brings together, in a user-friendly way, all information relating to imports and exports to and from Côte d'Ivoire. Using this portal will enable all economic players to obtain information on the regulatory requirements they will need to carry out their transactions.
PWIC: Portail Web d'Informations Commerciales
The Côte d'Ivoire Trade Information Portal is a unique and comprehensive source of information. It brings together, in a user-friendly way, all information relating to imports and exports to and from Côte d'Ivoire. Using this portal will enable all economic players to obtain information on the regulatory requirements they will need to carry out their transactions.
GUIDE DE L’EXPORTATION
FAQ
What is an SME ?
According to Decree no. 2012-05 of 11 January 2012 defining Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Law no. 2014-140 of 24 March 2014 setting out the national policy for promoting SMEs, an SME is any business that produces goods and/or market services, permanently employs fewer than two hundred (200) people and has an annual turnover excluding tax of no more than one billion CFA francs. It is a fully autonomous company, legally constituted and keeping regular accounts.
For the purposes of the decree, the concept of SME covers all activities in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors.
What makes an SME an exporter ?
In Côte d’Ivoire, there are no specific provisions relating to the characteristics of an exporting SME. In the absence of internal legal and regulatory provisions, we can rely on a benchmark in this area and retain the following information.
An exporting SME is a company that organises cross-border movements of goods for commercial purposes. In other words, it is any natural or legal person who transports goods from one territory (country) to another in order to resell them. To export, therefore, you must first be a trader, in possession of products that you wish to sell on the market of another country. To be an exporter, you must :
- Be legally incorporated
- Have a head office/commercial premises/manufacturing unit
- Have a label/product/service/raw material/finished or semi-finished product with high added value
- Work with foreign companies / Obtaining an international sales contract
- Ensure the technical, health and plant health conformity of the product to be exported
- Have the necessary logistics in place
Know and comply with the general and special export regulations applicable to your product.
What does the Agence Côte d'Ivoire Export do ?
- Promouvoir, développer et diversifier les exportations des produits et services pour accélérer durablement la transformation structurelle de l’économie ivoirienne ;
- Promouvoir le développement et la diversification des produits et services ivoiriens ;
- Accélérer et promouvoir la mise en ceuvre des politiques commerciales, programmes, plateformes et mécanismes d’exportation ;
- Collecter et diffuser les informations sur les produits et services innovants sur le marché international ;
- Offrir une assistance technique aux exportateurs dans tous les domaines relatifs aux renforcements des capacités, à l’amélioration de l’accès aux marchés et à la promotion de leurs produits et services ;
- Plaidoyer pour la simplification et la célérité des procédures d’exportation ;
- Initier et développer ces partenariats en vue du développement des exportations.
What are the Agence Côte d'Ivoire Export’s targets ?
The Agence Côte d’Ivoire Export aims to :
- Any individual or legal entity / high-potential or emerging exporting SME ;
- Any company with an international presence;
- Any individual or legal entity owning a work of the mind, work of art or music with high potential
- Umbrella organisations and national firms.
- Economic interest groups
- Sectoral professional associations
- The entrepreneur
What sectors does the Agence Côte d'Ivoire Export cover ?
All the SMEs from the business clusters identified in the 2021-2025 NDP are covered by the Agency’s activities. These are :
- Agro-industry Cluster
- Textiles and Clothing Cluster
- Chemicals and Plastics Cluster
- Packaging Cluster
- Pharmaceutical Industries Cluster
- Building Materials Cluster
- Automotive Cluster
In addition to the clusters identified, works of art and spirit, artificial intelligence, computer and software engineering and the provision of services are also areas covered by the Agency’s activities.
What are the strategic objectives of the Agence Côte d'Ivoire Export ?
The strategic objectives of the Agence Côte d’Ivoire Export Agence are to:
- OS1: Promoting and diversifying exportable products and services
- OS2: Helping to improve the competitiveness of exporting SMEs
- OS3Contribute to improving the business environment
- OS4 : Strengthening the managerial and operational capacities of the Agence Côte d’Ivoire Export
What potential services do the Agence Côte d’Ivoire Export offer you ?
The Agency’s range of services is tailored to meet the essential needs of exporting SMEs through a capacity-building and training programme covering : Mastery of international trade rules and practices, legal advice, access to finance, development of export rating tools, management of international operations, export administrative formalities, brand labelling and development, e-commerce and market development.
What are the main stages in exporting ?
To organise its export process, an SME must :
- Ensure the quality of your product/service ;
- Select a target market ;
- Define a strategy for penetrating the target market;
- Draw up an export plan ;
- Export services
- Follow up order settlement.
What practical advice do you have for SMEs looking to export ?
Exporting is a business with its own rules, standards and techniques. Before taking the plunge, the company director must not only be armed with a spirit of conquest, creativity and competitiveness, but also and above all master the techniques of international trade, such as Incoterms, international payment methods, commercial negotiation, international sales contracts, norms and standards, certification, labelling, etc
This expertise is available at the Côte d’Ivoire Export Agency, and all SMEs can go there to benefit from these services.
What intermediaries are involved in export operations ?
International trade involves a number of specialised intermediaries. The main ones are: banks, insurance companies, forwarding agents and carriers.
What are the different types of export ?
There are three main forms of export :
– direct export ;
– indirect export ;
– concerted or associated exporting.
In the case of direct export, the company is autonomous in the management of its commercial activity; it is responsible for marketing and assumes the risks.
Indirect exporting or subcontracted exporting is a method in which a company subcontracts its export sales. To this end, it uses a commercial intermediary who has the resources, skills, knowledge and experience of the market.
Concerted exporting involves a company exporting in cooperation with other companies.
What are the risks involved in exporting ?
Any operator in international trade must be aware that international business involves considerable risks. Exporters are often faced with three main types of risk: commercial risk, political risk and exchange rate risk.
Why move to export ?
SMEs generally decide to export for a number of reasons. These include :
- Commercial motivations (Increase sales, face up to international competition and consolidate your local position, broaden your customer base and gain access to public contracts; Reduce the risk of dependence on a single market by diversifying your customer base; Raise your company’s profile and expertise internationally)
- Financial and growth motivations (Spread your workload, Strengthen your competitiveness, Achieve economies of scale, Reduce your production costs, Accelerate your company’s growth)
- Opportunistic motivations (Responding to a request, Disposing of surplus production, Meeting an internal challenge)
What is an export licence ?
This is a legal document that is required for goods whose export is controlled by the government, specifically products on the Export Control List (see above) or goods destined for countries on the Area Control List.
What is a customs declaration?
This is a document that generally accompanies exported goods, containing information such as the nature of the goods, their value, the consignee and their ultimate destination. Required for statistical purposes, this declaration accompanies all controlled goods exported under a relevant export permit.
What is a commercial invoice ?
This is a document prepared by the exporter or forwarder that the buyer abroad must have in order to establish ownership and arrange payment to the exporter. It must contain basic information about the transaction, including a description of the goods, the sender’s and exporter’s addresses and the terms of delivery and payment. In some cases, the commercial invoice is used to calculate customs duties..
What is a pro forma invoice ?
This is an invoice issued by the exporter before the goods are shipped, to inform the buyer about the shipment of the goods, their value and other important details.