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Promote:Côte d’Ivoire

Export from Côte d’Ivoire

A short guide for companies selling from Côte d’Ivoire: the export figures, the agreements and their limits, the main steps and who can help, each with its source.

1. What Côte d’Ivoire sells, and who buys it

Top goods exports

2025

  1. 1. Cocoa beans (HS 1801)US$7.05 billion
  2. 2. Unwrought gold (HS 7108)US$4.7 billion
  3. 3. Natural rubber (HS 4001)US$3.48 billion
  4. 4. Cashew nuts and coconuts (HS 0801)US$2.17 billion
  5. 5. Crude oil (HS 2709)US$1.8 billion
  6. 6. Cocoa paste (HS 1803)US$1.75 billion
  7. 7. Refined petroleum oils (HS 2710)US$1.72 billion
  8. 8. Cocoa butter, fat and oil (HS 1804)US$1.44 billion
Show 12 more products
  1. 9. Cocoa shells and husks (HS 1802)US$1.09 billion
  2. 10. Chocolate and cocoa foods (HS 1806)US$435.4 million
  3. 11. Cosmetics and beauty products (HS 3304)US$265.6 million
  4. 12. Bananas and plantains (HS 0803)US$248.4 million
  5. 13. Raw cotton (HS 5201)US$211.6 million
  6. 14. Palm oil (HS 1511)US$205 million
  7. 15. Soap and washing products (HS 3401)US$137.5 million
  8. 16. Plastic pipes and hoses (HS 3917)US$133.4 million
  9. 17. Coffee and tea extracts (HS 2101)US$112.5 million
  10. 18. Electricity (HS 2716)US$112.1 million
  11. 19. Cocoa powder (HS 1805)US$103.3 million
  12. 20. Other manufactured tobacco (HS 2403)US$80.2 million

Source: UN Comtrade, Côte d'Ivoire exports by product, 2025⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025

Where the goods go

2025, share of goods exports

  • Switzerland14.5%
  • Netherlands12.6%
  • Mali5.7%
  • Vietnam5.4%
  • United States5.3%
  • France5.1%
  • Belgium4.6%
  • Germany4.1%
  • The economy ministry's national figures use a different basis from UN Comtrade, so shares here are not comparable with the ministry's customer shares. Source⁠ (opens in a new tab)

Source: UN Comtrade, Côte d'Ivoire exports by destination, 2025⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025

2. What to look into next

Our reading

Promote:Global’s reading of the figures above, not a source’s statement, and not advice.

3. Trade agreements

What each arrangement can mean for a seller, and its limits. A preference is conditional: check the rules of origin before you quote.

  • African Continental Free Trade Area

    Côte d'Ivoire deposited its ratification on November 23, 2018, per the African Union list of May 22, 2026, so AfCFTA tariff schedules can apply to its goods.

    Rules-based preference, not unconditional market access. Check the destination country's own AfCFTA tariff schedule before you quote.

    Source: African Union, AfCFTA ratification list, May 22, 2026⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of May 22, 2026

  • ECOWAS

    Côte d'Ivoire is an ECOWAS member, and its customs publish the ECOWAS common external tariff with the national duties and taxes.

    Rules-based preference, not unconditional market access. Confirm the origin proof your buyer needs before you claim a regional preference.

    Source: Customs, ECOWAS common external tariff page (in French)⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026

  • West African Economic and Monetary Union

    Côte d'Ivoire is one of eight union members, and its customs collect duties and taxes for the union and for ECOWAS.

    Rules-based preference, not unconditional market access. Check the importing member's treatment before you quote.

    Source: Customs, missions and objectives page (in French)⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026

  • European Union interim Economic Partnership Agreement

    The agreement, signed July 28, 2016 and provisionally applied from December 15, 2016, sets the terms of Ivorian access to the European Union market.

    Rules-based preference, not unconditional market access. Register with customs as a registered exporter before you claim it.

    Source: European Commission, West Africa trade relations page⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026

Show 2 more agreements

  • United Kingdom-Côte d'Ivoire Stepping Stone Economic Partnership Agreement

    The United Kingdom lists the agreement as in effect, with full ratification, and it sets the terms of Ivorian access to the United Kingdom market.

    Rules-based preference, not unconditional market access. Confirm the origin proof the United Kingdom buyer needs before you ship.

    Source: United Kingdom government, trade agreements in effect, September 2026⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of September 1, 2026

  • AGOA

    AGOA, the United States' trade preference program for eligible African countries, lists Côte d'Ivoire as eligible this year, per USTR.

    As of October 30, 2026, Public Law 119-103 extends the program to December 31, 2028, and eligibility is reviewed each year. Rules-based preference, not unconditional market access.

    Source: USTR, Côte d'Ivoire page, AGOA status⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026

4. Steps to export

The main steps, in order, each with the body responsible and its official page.

Exporting from Côte d’Ivoire

  1. Get an importer-exporter code, filing the trade register, tax existence and tax compliance papers and the 30,000 CFA franc fee.Bureau Code Import/Export30,000 CFA francsOfficial page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: Ivorian public service portal, importer-exporter code (in French)⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026

  2. Open an account on the national single window, where export permits, certificates and declarations are submitted online.Guichet Unique du Commerce Extérieur de Côte d'IvoireOfficial page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: Côte d'Ivoire single window, home page (in French)⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026

  3. For cocoa and coffee, get approval from the coffee-cocoa regulator, and arrange the bank guarantee and hedging contract each export sale needs.Conseil du Café-CacaoOfficial page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: Ordinance 2018-756, coffee-cocoa marketing, official copy (in French)⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of November 8, 2018

  4. For cashew and cotton, get approval from the cotton and cashew council, and for cashew a prior authorization for each export.Conseil du Coton et de l'AnacardeOfficial page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: Decree 2013-810, cashew export marketing, official copy (in French)⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of January 30, 2014

Show 9 more export steps
  1. For wood and other forest products, apply to the forests minister for the one-year exporter approval; only processed, dried wood may be exported.Ministère des Eaux et ForêtsOfficial page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: FAOLEX, Decree 2021-587 on forest product exports, 2021 (in French)⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of October 6, 2021

  2. For tobacco products, apply for approval as an exporter to the commerce ministry's tobacco approval commission.Commission d'Agrément pour la Commercialisation du Tabac et des Produits du TabacOfficial page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: Commerce ministry, tobacco exporter approval form (in French)⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026

  3. Request the certificate of origin on the single window; the industry directorate approves it and customs validates it.Guichet Unique du Commerce Extérieur de Côte d'IvoireOfficial page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: Côte d'Ivoire single window, FAQ (in French)⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026

  4. To claim European Union preference, register with customs as a registered exporter and put your registered number on the origin statement.Direction Générale des DouanesOfficial page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: Customs circular 2226, registered exporter system, 2022 (in French)⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of November 16, 2022

  5. Ask CODINORM about Ivorian standards and its certification mark for your product.Côte d'Ivoire Normalisation (CODINORM)Official page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: CODINORM, home page (in French)⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026

  6. For plants and plant products, request the electronic phytosanitary certificate on the single window.Ministère d'Etat, Ministère de l'Agriculture et du Développement RuralOfficial page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: Côte d'Ivoire single window, FAQ (in French)⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026

  7. Lodge the export customs declaration through the single window and customs' SYDAM World system.Direction Générale des DouanesOfficial page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: Customs, digital applications page (in French)⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026

  8. Domicile exports above 20 million CFA francs with an approved bank, and bring proceeds home within one month of the payment due date.Banque Centrale des États de l'Afrique de l'OuestOfficial page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: BCEAO Instruction 03/07/2025/RFE on export domiciliation (in French)⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of July 7, 2025

  9. If you import inputs to make goods for export, ask customs about temporary admission for active processing.Direction Générale des DouanesOfficial page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: Customs, economic customs regimes page (in French)⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026

5. Organizations that help exporters

Start with Côte d'Ivoire Export and Douanes Ivoiriennes. Each card links to the organization’s own site.

Each card says what it can help with:Get adviceFind financeMeet requirementsResearch markets

Export development and market information

Show 7 more organizations

Customs and tax

Show 4 more organizations

Standards and sector requirements

Show 1 more organization

Chambers and industry associations

6. Worth knowing

7. How Promote:Global helps

  • Compare potential export marketsSee which markets import what you sell, ranked on public trade data, and read each country before you commit.
  • Check duties and document requirementsCheck the duty, the origin conditions for a preferential rate and the documents a shipment needs.
  • Find advisors and service firmsAsk an advisory firm a scoped, paid question, or browse firms that list their own services, from legal work to logistics.
  • Organize your next stepsKeep each product and market in a project, with a roadmap of steps you work through.

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Promote:Côte d’Ivoire is an independent guide by Promote:Global, not an official government portal. The organizations named here are independent public and membership bodies, not Promote:Global partners, and every link goes to their own site.

Facts read from public sources, with an editorial cut-off of October 30, 2026. Nothing here is investment, legal, tax or sanctions advice. Check current status with the organization before you rely on it.