Sub-Saharan African Countries

Figure 7.3 Most Common SPS/TBT Measures Imposed on Imports in Sub-Saharan African Countries

Other requirements on production or postproduction processes, 3% Hygienic requirements, 3%

Tolerance limits for residues and restricted use of substances, 4%

Labeling, marking, and packaging requirements related to SPS, 7% Others, 9%

Conformity assessment related to SPS, 25%

Labeling, marking, and packaging requirements related to TBT, 10% Conformity assessment related to TBT, 14%

Prohibitions or restrictions of imports for SPS reasons, 12% Prohibitions or restrictions of imports for objectives set out in the TBT agreement, 13%

Source: Kee and Nicita 2016. Note: The percentages are of the total measures and products in UNCTAD’s Trade Analysis Information System (TRAINS), covering 15 Sub-Saharan African countries for which full nontariff measure data were available (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo). Data are the latest available between 2011 and 2015, varying by country. SPS = sanitary and phytosanitary measures; TBT = technical barriers to trade.

Restrictiveness of African NTMs, by Type and Sector

We find that, for African imports from all countries, the average tariff is higher than the average AVE of the SPS/TBT or non-SPS/TBT measures. The average AVE of SPS/TBT NTMs in the sample ranges from 0 percent in Togo, to 2 percent in Mali and Niger, to about 4 percent in Ghana (figure 7.9). The range for non-SPS/TBT measures is larger, being close to 0 percent in Nigeria and greater than 6 percent in Niger.

An important distinction is that the AVE for agriculture imports is much lower on all importing partners than on African importing partners, which captures the high cost of SPS/TBT measures like labeling, certification, and special treatment in African countries (figures 7.10 and 7.13). Non-SPS/ TBT measures are more common and more restrictive in other sectors, especially in precious stones and metals (figure 7.10).