By means of Decree 002/2021, of 11 January, the President of the Republic put in place a number of measures governing the trade operations at Equatorial Guinea’s land borders with Cameroon and Gabon.

Under the Decree, economic operators are authorized to set up warehouses at the land borders to streamline the trade operations and the access of the population to products, and import-export control offices shall be created at bordering towns with the Cameroon and Gabon.

The Decree also deals with requirements, formalities, customs duties and fees applicable upon import, export and re-export operations, as follows:

§only duly recognized and authorized Groups and Cooperatives holding an import/export certificate may import and export crude products;

§the import and export of sand and/or gravel-related products must be previously authorized by the Ministry of Mines and Hydrocarbons

§Wholesalers’ exports and re-exports are subject to specific controls at the border (including upon the loading of the goods);

§wholesalers are required to hold an export and/or re-export authorization and proper documentation evidencing that they qualify as wholesalers, as well as invoices related with the goods to be exported and/or reexported;

§no customs duties apply on goods imported from third countries that are dispatched to a member State of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central African States (“CEMAC”), provided all customs-related charges are paid upon their entry into Equatorial Guinea (goods subject to exoneration are excluded);

§the commercial fee applicable to the re-export of goods originated from third countries is set in 0%; and

§a 0% rate applies to the export of goods originated from CEMAC member States, as well as to goods received at land borders by a duly authorized actual recipient of the goods located within a CEMAC member State.

Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon and Gabon are all CEMAC member States and share a free movement of goods economic policy, as well as a common Customs Code.

The Decree was enacted in view of Equatorial Guinea’s desire to strengthen its relationships with its neighboring countries and to overcome the difficulties to the trade generated by the adoption of COVID-19 specific policies.