• IBT - Admin

Mistakes that hold up goods in customs

Seeing cargo stuck at the port or airport is one of the greatest fears for any business operator in Côte d’Ivoire. Beyond the stress it creates, prolonged delays immediately result in heavy financial penalties, storage fees, and sometimes the loss of key strategic clients. However, the vast majority of customs-related transit issues in Abidjan stem from avoidable errors made upstream.

The first and most common mistake concerns incorrect tariff classification of goods, known as “misdeclaration of goods.” The Ivorian customs system is based on a precise nomenclature where each product corresponds to a ten-digit code that determines applicable duties and taxes. Attempting to classify goods under a lower-tax category to reduce costs is a risky practice that systematically leads to customs reassessment and severe penalties.

Another major cause of delays is the absence or non-compliance of mandatory documents required by the authorities. For instance, failing to obtain the Import Declaration Form (Fiche de Déclaration à l’Importation – FDI) before shipment loading at origin constitutes a serious violation. Similarly, missing certificates of origin prevent importers from benefiting from preferential tariff regimes under ECOWAS agreements or other international trade frameworks.

Undervaluation of goods on commercial invoices is also heavily sanctioned during customs clearance in Côte d’Ivoire. Customs officers rely on updated global reference price databases for all product categories. If the declared value appears abnormally low compared to market standards, customs may reject the transaction value and suspend clearance until a corrected valuation is provided.

Non-compliance with Ivorian technical and sanitary standards represents another critical risk for uninformed importers. Many goods (including food products, cosmetics, and electrical equipment) are subject to the Verification of Conformity (VoC) program prior to shipment. If goods arrive in Abidjan without a valid Certificate of Conformity (CoC), they may be blocked, or even subject to re-exportation or destruction at the importer’s expense.

To avoid these pitfalls that can paralyze your operations, the safest solution is to work with a proactive and reliable freight forwarder. At Ivory Bridge Transit, we carefully review your import documentation well before goods leave the factory to correct any discrepancies in advance. Plan your shipments with IBT today to ensure smooth, fast, and hassle-free customs clearance.