WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 256 - 
 
  ANNEX 4 – GUINEA -BISSAU  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 257 - 
 
  CONTENTS  
1   ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT  ................................ ................................ ......................  260  
1.1   Main features  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  260 
1.2   Recent economic developments  ................................ ................................ ..................  261 
1.3   Trade performance  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 263 
1.4   Foreign direct investment  ................................ ................................ ..........................  265 
2   TRADE AND INVESTMENT  REGIMES ................................ ................................ .........  267  
2.1   Overview  ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  267 
2.2   Trade policy objectives and formulation  ................................ ................................ ....... 269 
2.3   Trade agreements and arrangements  ................................ ................................ ..........  270 
2.3.1    Relations with the World Trade Organization  ................................ .............................  270 
2.3.2    Regional and preferential agreements  ................................ ................................ ...... 270 
2.4   Investment regime  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 270 
3   TRADE POLICIES AND P RACTICES BY MEASURE  ................................ ......................  273  
3.1   Measures directly affecting imports  ................................ ................................ .............  273 
3.1.1    Procedures and requirements  ................................ ................................ ..................  273 
3.1.2    Customs valuation and inspection  ................................ ................................ ............  274 
3.1.3    Rules of origin  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 274 
3.1.4    Tariffs  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  275 
3.1.5    Other taxes  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  276 
3.1.6    Import prohibitions, restrictions and licensing  ................................ ...........................  277 
3.1.7    Anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard measures  ................................ ...............  277 
3.1.8    Other measures  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 277 
3.2   Measures directly affecting exports  ................................ ................................ .............  277 
3.2.1    Procedures and requirements  ................................ ................................ ..................  277 
3.2.2    Export taxes, charges and levies  ................................ ................................ ..............  278 
3.2.3    Export prohibitions, restrictions and licensing  ................................ ............................  278 
3.2.4    Export support and promotion  ................................ ................................ .................  278 
3.2.5    Export financing, insurance and guarantees  ................................ ..............................  279 
3.3   Measures affecting production and trade  ................................ ................................ ..... 279 
3.3.1    Incentives  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  279 
3.3.2    Standards and other technical regulations  ................................ ................................ . 279 
3.3.3    Sanitary and phytosanitary measures  ................................ ................................ ....... 279 
3.3.4    Competition policy and price controls  ................................ ................................ ....... 279 
3.3.5    State trading, State -owned enterprises and privatization  ................................ ............  280 
3.3.6    Government procurement  ................................ ................................ .......................  280 
3.3.7    Intellectual property rights  ................................ ................................ ......................  281 
4   TRADE POLICY BY SECT OR ................................ ................................ ......................  282  
4.1   Agriculture, forestry and fisheries  ................................ ................................ ...............  282 
4.1.1    Overview  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  282 WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 258 - 
 
  4.1.2    Overall agricultural policy  ................................ ................................ .......................  283 
4.1.3    Main subsectors  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 283 
4.1.3.1    Cashew nuts  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 283 
4.1.3. 2   Food crops  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  285 
4.1.3.3    Livestock  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  286 
4.1.3.4    Wood  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  286 
4.1.3.5    Fisheries  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  287 
4.2   Mining and energy  ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 291 
4.2.1   Mining  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  291 
4.2.2    Hydrocarbons  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  293 
4.2.3    Electricity and water  ................................ ................................ ..............................  294 
4.3   Manufacturing  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  295 
4.4   Services  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  295 
4.4.1    Financial services  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 295 
4.4.2    Telecommunications  ................................ ................................ ...............................  296 
4.4.3    Transport services  ................................ ................................ ................................ . 298 
4.4.3.1    Land transport  ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 298 
4.4.3.2    Maritime and river transport and port services  ................................ ........................  299 
4.4.3.3    Air transport  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 299 
4.4.3.4    Tourism  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  300 
5   APPEND IX TABLES  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 302  
 
CHARTS  
 
Chart 1.1 Structure of merchandise trade, 2011 and 2015  ................................ ....................  264 
Chart 1.2 Direction of merchandise trade, 2011 and 2015  ................................ .....................  265 
 
TABLES  
 
Table 1.1 Basic economic indicators, 2011 -2016 ................................ ................................ .. 260 
Table 1.2 Balance of payments, 2011 -2016 ................................ ................................ .........  262 
Table 2.1 Guinea -Bissau's legislative texts relating to trade and investment, 2012  ...................  268 
Table 3.1 Formalities and registration fees, 2017  ................................ ................................ . 273 
Table 3.2 Fiscal revenue according to main source, 2011 -2016 ................................ ..............  275 
Table 3.3 Duty and tax concessions at the customs cordon, 2012 -2015 ................................ .. 276 
Table 3.4 Excise duty ( imposto especial de consumo ), 2017  ................................ ..................  276 
Table 3.5 Import controls, 2017  ................................ ................................ .........................  277 
Table 3.6 Contribuição predial rústica , 2017  ................................ ................................ ........  278 
Table 3.7 Applications forwarded to OAPI, 2011 -2016 ................................ ..........................  281 
Tableau 4.1 Guinea -Bissau's main crops, 2010 -2016 ................................ ............................  282 
Table 4.2 Guinea -Bissau's trade in cashew nuts, 2010 -2015 ................................ ..................  284 
Table 4.3 Fisheries legislation  ................................ ................................ ............................  288 WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 259 - 
 
  APPENDIX TABLES  
 
Table A1.1 Structure of imports, 2011 -2015 ................................ ................................ ........  302 
Table A1.2 Structure of exports, 2011 -2015 ................................ ................................ ........  303 
Table A1.3 Origin of imports, 2011 -2015 ................................ ................................ ............  304 
Table A1.4 Destination of exports, 2011 -2015 ................................ ................................ ..... 305 
 WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 260 - 
 
  1  ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT  
1.1  Main features  
1.1.  Guinea -Bissau's economy remains very poorly diversified and highly vulnerable to exogenous 
shocks, owing to structural weaknesses exacerbated by the socio -political tensions that have been 
persistent since 1998. The long period of socio -political instability led to a slowdown in investment 
and the suspension of economic cooperation with the key development partners. The effects of 
these different problems continue to weigh on the efficiency of public administration, the shortage 
of basic infrastructure, and the business environment. As a result, Guinea -Bissau's poverty and 
social development indicators remain among the lowest in sub -Saharan Africa.1 
1.2.  Economic activity is still essentially depende nt on a single  cash crop,  cashew nut s, grown 
mainly on an artisanal basis and exported unprocessed to India and Viet Nam. Guinea -Bissau is 
also highly dependent on imports for its supply of hydrocarbons, food and manufactured goods, 
and also for transport services. A severe energy deficit – resulting from inadequate and 
undiversified generating capacities (mostly based on imported diesel), an electricity grid that only 
covers the city of Bissau, and the lack of cross -border interconnections – is one of the main 
impediments to the country's development.  
1.3.  Limited access to financial services is another major obstacle to the expansion and 
diversification of the Guinea -Bissau economy (section 1.2). Banking services are still not widely 
used, and competition in fi nancial intermediation is virtually non -existent. Guinea -Bissau continues 
to rely heavily on development aid, particularly to finance public investment.  
1.4.  Despite its advantageous geographical position and membership of both the West African 
Economic and Mon etary Union (WAEMU) and the Economic Community of West African States 
(ECOWAS), Guinea -Bissau does not take full advantage of the potentials of the regional market, 
including international transit trade. Moreover, the limited coverage and obsolescence of i ts basic 
infrastructure (section 4) impose considerable additional costs, and even cause the seasonal 
isolation of certain areas of the country. The expansion of foreign trade is also hindered by the lack 
of operational quality control mechanisms and by su pply constraints, including the weak industrial 
fabric. The total value of trade in goods and services, largely influenced by fluctuations in world 
prices, is estimated at 63.8 % of national gross domestic product (GDP) in 2016, compared to 
60.2% in 2011. M oreover, the performance indicators of the Guinea -Bissau economy are no more 
than estimates, owing to the size of the informal sector (70 % of the economy according to the 
authorities) and weaknesses in statistical data collection.  
1.5.  Agriculture and services continue to dominate Guinea -Bissau's GDP, while the manufacturing 
and construction sectors remain embryonic (Table 1.1). Exploitation of its abundant fishery 
resources does not generate multiplier effects on the national economy, and the high potential of 
its mineral wealth remains virtually untapped. Guinea -Bissau also has major opportunities in 
maritime transport, tourism, agricultural development and fishing.  
Table 1.1 Basic economic indicators, 2011 -2016  
 2011 2012  2013  2014  2015  2016  
Miscellaneous        
GDP at market prices (€  million)a 790.1  770.0  787.7  807.5  916.1  987.6  
Real GDP growth rate (2005 prices, %)  8.1 -1.7 3.3 2.7 4.8 5.6 
Population (million)  1.5 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.6 
Inflation (CPI, % change ) 5.0 2.1 1.2 -1.5 1.4 1.7 
Real effective exchange rate ( % change )b 2.1 -2.5 1.6 -0.9 -2.6 1.9 
Nominal effective exchange rate ( % change )b 0.4 -2.1 2.5 1.2 -3.2 1.5 
National accounts at current pricesc (% du PIB)  
Consumption  99.8 102.8  100.8  103.5  96.3 98.1 
 Private  87.1 89.9 83.0 86.6 81.5 84.8 
 Public  12.7 13.0 17.8 16.9 14.7 13.3 
Gross fixed capital formation (GFCF)  5.3 6.6 5.7 6.6 6.6 6.3 
Variation in inventories  0.1 0.8 1.0 1.0 0.9 0.8 
Net exports  -5.2 -10.2 -7.6 -11.1 -3.8 -5.2 
 Exports of goods and non -factor services  25.7 15.5 18.3 20.0 28.4 27.0 
 Imports of goods and non -factor services  30.9 25.7 25.8 31.2 32.2 32.3 
                                                
1 Republic of Guinea -Bissau, Plan stratégique et opérationnel 2015 -2020 "Terra Ranka" (March  2015).  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 261 - 
 
   2011 2012  2013  2014  2015  2016  
Distribution of GDP at current pricesc (% of GDP)  
Agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing  46.9 48.7 45.6 42.2 40.5 39.7 
Mining and quarrying  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
Manufacturing  11.6 12.7 13.1 13.6 13.0 13.7 
Electricity, gas and water  0.7 0.6 0.5 0.7 0.8 0.8 
Construction and public works  0.6 0.8 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.3 
Services, of which  42.2 39.5 41.4 43.8 46.8 47.4 
 Commerce (wholesale and retail), restaurants, hotels  21.2 19.5 22.3 22.9 26.9 27.5 
 Banking, insurance, real estate activities  5.5 5.8 5.2 5.2 5.5 6.0 
 Transport and communications  5.2 5.4 5.3 5.2 4.8 4.7 
 Public administration and defence  10.3 8.7 8.7 10.5 9.6 9.3 
Financial intermediation services indirectly measured (FISIM)  -2.0 -2.2 -2.0 -1.9 -2.5 -3.0 
Public finance  (% of GDP)  
Total income and grants  12.5 14.7 12.3 20.0 20.8 17.3 
 Total income, excl. grants  10.1 9.1 8.0 12.4 14.1 13.1 
  Tax revenue, of which  7.8 7.7 6.8 8.3 10.3 9.8 
   Direct taxes  2.3 2.5 2.1 2.1 2.9 2.8 
   Indirect taxes  5.5 5.3 4.7 6.2 7.4 7.0 
  Non-tax income  2.4 1.4 1.1 4.0 3.8 3.3 
 Grants  2.4 5.6 4.4 7.6 6.7 4.3 
Expenses and net loans  10.7 17.4 14.8 22.5 23.7 22.3 
 Total expenses, of which  10.7 16.9 14.8 22.5 23.7 22.3 
  Current expenses, of which  10.5 12.4 9.7 14.6 15.2 15.4 
   Wages and allowances  5.6 4.8 4.7 5.9 5.2 4.9 
  Capital expenses  0.1 4.5 5.1 7.6 8.1 6.6 
 Net loans  0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
Overall balance (commitments basis)  1.9 -2.8 -2.5 -2.5 -2.9 -4.9 
Overall balance excluding grants (commitments basis)  -0.5 -8.3 -6.9 -10.2 -9.6 -9.2 
Overall balance, cash basis  2.0 -1.9 -1.6 -2.9 -4.2 -5.3 
Financing, of which  0.4 2.6 2.9 3.0 4.2 5.8 
 Domestic  financing  0.4 1.2 1.8 0.6 2.3 4.2 
 External financing  0.0 1.4 1.1 2.4 1.9 1.7 
Financing gap  2.4 0.7 1.4 0.0 0.1 0.6 
External public debt  21.4 25.4 26.7 30.8 32.2 33.2 
a The CFA franc, which is the common currency of the WAEMU  countries, is pegged to the euro at a 
rate of: €1 = CFAF 655.9 6. 
b A minus sign ( -) indicates a depreciation.  
c Estimates for 2013; projections for 2014 -2016.  
Source:  Data provided by the authorities; Central  Bank of West African States (BCEAO) , Annuaire statistique 
2016; African Development Bank, African Statistical Yearbook, 2017 ; IMF, International Financial 
Statistics , viewed at: http://elibrary -data.imf.org ; and World Bank, World Development Indicators , 
viewed at: 
http://databank.worldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?source=World%20Development%20Indicators . 
1.6.  As a member of WAEMU and ECOWAS, Guinea -Bissau has adopted various of the 
two communities' regulations, which have enabled it to harmonize several policies with the other 
members, including those in the monetary and banking, f oreign exchange  and trade spheres 
(common report, sections 1, 3 and 4).  
1.2  Recent ec onomic developments  
1.7.  Guinea -Bissau's economy has shown resistance to the ongoing socio -political tensions, which 
have resulted in intermittent periods of government paralysis and the suspension of assistance by 
the main development partners. Following a rel atively brief recession, real GDP grew at a generally 
sustained pace in 2013 -2016 (Table 1.1). This performance partly reflects the combination of 
improved net terms of trade and measures to support agricultural inputs.  
1.8.  The long period of political instability has had a negative effect on public finance 
management, resulting in high levels of non -regularized expenditure (1.1 % of GDP in 2016) and a 
recurrence of domestic payment arrears (1 % of GDP).2 Moreover, Guinea -Bissau has not yet been 
able to me et the community target for the ratio of wage bill to tax revenue, recording a figure of 
49.6% in 2016 compared to 71.6 % in 2011 ( common report, section 1). Budget deficits (excluding 
grants) persisted throughout 2012 -2016 and could not be covered by the b udgetary support 
agreed to by its development partners. External debt outstanding relative to GDP has continued to 
                                                
2 IMF (2016), Guinea -Bissau – First and Second Reviews under the Extended Credit Facility 
Arrangement, Request for Rephasing  of Disbursements, Modification of Performance Criteria and Financing 
Assurances Review , IMF Country Report  No. 16/384. Viewed at: 
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/cat/longres.asp x?sk=44476.0 . WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 262 - 
 
  trend upwards. Legislative initiatives are under way to enhance the transparency and management 
of the country's public finances, particularl y with regard to guarantees and government debt.  
1.9.  The economic recovery and decline in informal cashew exports in a context of robust 
international prices helped to bolster tax revenues, which represented about 10 % of GDP in 
2015-2016. Nonetheless, the aver age tax burden remains below the WAEMU target 
(common  report, section 1). As a result, the authorities continued the process of collecting tax 
arrears from S tate-owned enterprises and set up a computerized system to control the tax base 
more effectively in  the telecommunications sector. Other measures currently under way include: 
the introduction of a standard invoice bearing the taxpayer's tax ID number; the requirement for a 
tax certificate (as established by law) for all contracts and payments made by th e State; and the 
introduction of a tax regime for small taxpayers.  
1.10.   Guinea -Bissau applies the monetary and foreign exchange policies that are common to 
WAEMU member States ( common report, section 1). Nonetheless, its financial sector faces 
challenges. In 20 16, bank credit to the private sector was estimated at 11 % of GDP, which is well 
below the averages for WAEMU (25 %) and sub -Saharan Africa (28 %). Non -performing loans 
represented 25.7 % of total credit in December  2014, prompting the Government to adopt 
controversial measures in an attempt to resolve the situation.3 
1.11.   Inflation in the domestic market, largely driven by trends in the international prices of major 
import products (grains and fuels), remained at moderate levels (Table 1.1).  
1.12.   The available prelimin ary data suggest that the current account of the balance of payments 
was in surplus in 2014 -2016 (Table 1.2). This reflects the buoyancy of migrant remittances, the 
collapse of world oil prices and the rise in the price of cashew nuts, Guinea -Bissau's main  export 
product.  
Table 1.2 Balance of payments, 2011 -2016  
(€ million, unless indicated otherwise)  
 2011  2012  2013  2014a 2015a 2016a 
Current account balance  -10.1 -64.8 -39.5 4.7 18.9 0.8 
Goods and services  -41.2 -78.7 -59.6 -88.7 -44.4 -51.7 
Merchandise balance  -1.5 -39.2 -22.6 -36.3 40.9 12.5 
Exports of goods f.o.b.  171.2  102.3  115.1  125.2  227.5  237.8  
Imports of goods f.o.b.  -172.7  -141.5  -137.7  -161.4  -186.6  -225.3  
Imports of goods c.i.f.  -200.9  -164.5  -161.1  -195.9  -226.4  -269.5  
Balance of services trade  -39.6 -39.5 -37.0 -52.4 -85.2 -64.2 
 Credit  32.2 16.9 28.7 35.4 32.8 29.1 
Of which travel  10.1 10.5 7.0 15.7 15.5 11.6 
 Debit  -71.7 -56.4 -65.7 -87.8 -118.0  -93.3 
Of which freight and insurance  0.0 -22.7 -19.5 -28.5 -37.2 -25.2 
Primary income  -13.3 -25.8 -6.1 28.2 23.0 12.3 
Of which debt interest  -1.1 -0.5 -0.2 -2.0 -1.7 -1.8 
Secondary income  44.4 39.6 26.1 65.4 40.2 40.1 
Public administration  26.4 18.1 2.9 36.0 9.9 10.7 
Other sectors  18.0 21.5 23.3 29.4 30.3 29.4 
Of which migrant transfers  22.9 18.9 22.6 29.3 29.6 27.9 
Capital account  41.2 24.2 24.1 41.8 54.0 42.5 
Financial account  -13.3 2.6 -24.2 -55.9 6.3 -20.6 
Direct investment  -17.4 -5.3 -14.8 -19.7 -14.6 -16.3 
Portfolio investment  0.0 0.0 0.0 -14.5 -7.6 -3.8 
Financial derivatives  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
Other investment  4.1 7.9 -9.5 -21.8 28.5 -0.5 
Errors and omissions, net  -3.5 -7.5 7.6 9.3 -11.9 0.0 
Overall balance  40.9 -50.6 16.3 111.7  54.6 63.9 
Memorandum item:        
Current account (% of GDP)  -1.3 -8.4 -5.0 0.6 2.1 0.1 
Gross official reserves (US$  million)  220.0  164.6  186.3  287.0  332.1  n.a. 
In months of imports of goods and services  7.1 6.8 7.8 n.a. n.a. n.a. 
                                                
3 IMF (2016), Guinea -Bissau – First and Second Reviews under the Extended Credit Facility 
Arrangement, Request for Rephasing of Disbursements, Modification of Performance Criteria and Financing 
Assurances Review , IMF Country Report  No. 16/384 . Viewed at: 
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/cat/longres.aspx?sk=44476.0 . WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 263 - 
 
   2011  2012  2013  2014a 2015a 2016a 
Inward FDI (€  million)  18.0 5.2 14.8 21.7 16.5 n.a. 
Percentage of GDP  2.3 0.7 1.9 2.7 1.8 n.a. 
Inward FDI stock (€  million)  60.3 71.8 88.0 97.5 120.8  n.a. 
Percentage of GDP  7.6 9.3 11.2 12.1 13.2 n.a. 
n.a. Not available.  
a Preliminary figures.  
Source:  BCEAO, Annuaire statistique  2016; World Bank, World Development Indicators . Viewed at: 
http://databank.worldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?source=World%20Development%20Indicators ; 
and UNCTADstat. Viewed at: http://unctadstat.unctad.org/FR/Index.html . 
1.13.   The latest IMF forecasts see the economic recovery continuing in 2017 -2018, with real GDP 
growth of about 5 % and budget deficits (including grants) below 3% of GDP. The revival of 
private -sector demand is likely to drive up prices, but inflation is expected to remain at moderate 
levels (2.8 %). The authorities predict a sustained acceleration in nominal economic growth (from 
5.4% in 2017 to 6 % in 2020), with  annual inflation rates fluctuating between 1.5 % and 2 % in 
2017-2020. They also forecast an overall budget deficit of -2.3% of GDP in 2017, followed by 
small surpluses in 2018 -2020.  
1.14.   The outlook for economic growth depends heavily on making a definitive bre ak in the cycle 
of socio -political instability, the performance of the cashew sector and the continuity of reforms to 
improve public administration. The use of external financing, including support from development 
partners, will likely continue to play an  important role in Guinea -Bissau's economic development.  
1.3  Trade performance  
1.15.   The composition and geographic distribution of Guinea -Bissau's foreign trade remains 
difficult to pin down, owing to the importance of informal channels and opportunities for fraud at 
the country's porous land borders and across the many islands. Thus, the extent of the country's 
external trade, in particular its community dimension, is probably not fully reflected in the 
available statistics.  
1.16.   Guinea -Bissau's trade structure has not changed significantly since its last review 
(Tables  A1.1 and A1.2). The main imports include food products (particularly rice), fuels, materials 
and equipment, vehicles, cement and medicines. Fluctuations in the prices of oil and foodstuffs on 
internationa l markets have affected the trend of their respective shares in total import value. The 
European Union, particularly Portugal, remains the main source of merchandise imports, followed 
by Senegal and China (Table A1.3).  
1.17.   Guinea -Bissau's exports remain highly  concentrated in a single product and one main outlet, 
which entails significant risks (Charts 1.1 and 1.2). Unprocessed cashew nuts continue to dominate 
total exports, taking an 82.2 % share in 2015, up from 69.2 % in 2011. The majority of formal 
exports of  this product go to India (70.6 % in 2015), despite some signs of diversification to 
Viet Nam (Table A1.4).  
1.18.   Guinea -Bissau is traditionally a net importer of services, with freight transport and travel 
the largest categories. The authorities report that imports of telecommunications, management 
consulting and IT services are also on the rise.  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 264 - 
 
  Chart 1.1 Structure of merchandise trade, 2011 and 2015  
 
Source:  WTO Secretariat calculations based on data from the UNSD Comtrade database (SITC Rev.3).  
 
2011 2015
(a)    Exports 
Edible nuts
82.2%Frozen fish
7.7%
Wood of
non-coniferous 
species
6.2%
Other 3.9%
Total: €277.2 million Total: €257.2 million
(b)    Imports 
Fuels
13.2%Agriculture  
38.3%Manufactures
47.0%Other
semi-finished 
products
9.0%
Other
1.5%Chemicals
6.4%
Rice, semi -milled
12.2%
Other 
agricultural 
products
26.1%Machinery and 
transport 
equipment
17.2%
Iron and steel
7.6%Other 
manufactures
6.8%
Fuels
14.4%Agriculture  
36.1%Manufactures
48.2%Other
semi-finished 
products
11.0%
Other
1.3%
Chemicals
10.4%Rice,
semi-milled
7.8%
Other 
agricultural 
products
28.3%Machinery and 
transport 
equipment
14.5%
Iron and steel
4.9%Other 
manufactures
7.5%
Total: €234.1 million Total: €264.8 millionEdible nuts
69.2%Frozen fish
2.8%Wood of
non-coniferous 
species
1.1%
Other 26.9%WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 265 - 
 
  Chart 1.2 Direction of merchandise trade, 2011 and 2015  
 
Source:  WTO Secretariat calculations based on data from the UNSD Comtrade database (SITC Rev.3).  
1.4  Foreign direct investment  
1.19.   Private investment in Guinea -Bissau remained well below potential during the review period. 
The climate of socio -political instability has cramped the business environment, both directly and 
through burdensome public administration, deficiencies  in basic infrastructure and constraints on 
access to credit.  
2011 2015
(a)    Exports 
Africa
8.1%Other Asia 0.6%China 6.2%Asia
88.6%India 70.6%Viet Nam
11.2%
Other
3.4%
Total: €277.2 million Total: €257.2 million
(b)    Imports 
EU-28
44.4%China  4.6%
Other Asia
6.9%
America
7.7%Asia
16.4%Africa
27.9%Senegal
19.6%
Other
1.3%Other Africa
8.3%
Middle East
2.4%
India 2.2%Pakistan 2.9%
EU-28
44.1%China  6.6%
Other Asia
6.0%
America
2.4%Asia
21.0%Africa
25.2%Senegal
22.9%
Other 2.0%Other Africa
2.3%
Middle East
5.5%
India 
3.9%Pakistan 
4.4%
Total: €234.1 million Total: €264.8 millionAfrica
3.1%Other Asia 2.9%China 1.1%Asia
91.9%
India 77.3%Viet Nam
10.6%
Other
5.0%WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 266 - 
 
  1.20.   According to the authorities, in 2011 -2015 foreign direct investment (FDI) mainly targeted 
the hotel and retail trade. In contrast, sectors such as agribusiness, commercial fishing, tourism, 
and mining have not yet attracted significant investment, despite their strong potential. FDI comes 
mainly from the European Union (Spain and Portugal) , while investments from the WAEMU area 
accounted for about 2 % of the total stock of direct investment in 20 15. WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 267 - 
 
  2  TRADE AND INVESTMENT  REGIMES  
2.1  Overview  
2.1.  A former Portuguese colony, Guinea -Bissau declared its independence on 
24 September  1973, and was recognized as such by Portugal on 10  September  1974. The 
country's history to date has been one o f almost uninterrupted political instability.  
2.2.  Article 62 of the present 1984 Constitution, which was amended in 1991, 1993 and 1996, 
provides that the President of the Republic is Head of State, guarantor of national independence 
and guardian of the Consti tution, and Commander -in-chief of the Armed Forces. He is elected by 
direct universal suffrage, by a majority of the votes cast. If no candidate obtains an absolute 
majority, a second ballot between the two highest -placed candidates takes place 21 days lat er. 
The President is elected for a five -year term. He may not stand for a third consecutive term, or 
during the five years following the end of his second term (Article 66). The Speaker of the National 
People's Assembly takes over as interim Head of State if the office of president falls vacant 
(Article  71), as was the case following the death of the President in January  2012. In principle, he 
has 60 days within which to organize a new presidential election. The next presidential election is 
set for April  2018. 
2.3.  The President appoints and dismisses the ministers and ratifies international agreements, 
treaties, and conventions. He may legislate by decree (Article 70) and enact decree -laws. The 
latter, which are a means for the Executive to substitute itself fo r the Legislature, must in principle 
be ratified by the Assembly (Article 85); however, if they are not opposed within 30 days 
(Article  92) they are automatically deemed ratified. In the hierarchy of norms, the Constitution 
takes precedence, followed by tr eaties (and international agreements and conventions), laws, 
decree -laws, decrees and orders.  
2.4.  Legislative power is exercised by a unicameral parliament, the National People's Assembly 
(ANP). The legislative term is four years, and the deputies are elected by direct universal suffrage. 
The most recent legislative election took place in May  2014; the next is therefore due to be held in 
May 2018. By virtue of Article 76 et seq., the ANP adopts legislation, motions and resolutions, as 
well as treaties brought b efore it by the Government. Thus, both the WTO Agreements and the 
WAEMU Treaty were adopted by means of legislation. The ANP also adopts, annually in principle, 
the finance laws and the State accounts. Members of the Government may sit, and take the floor,  
in the ANP. According to the authorities, all legislative texts are apparently published in the 
Official  Journal ( Boleti m Oficial ). 
2.5.  The Government is appointed by the President of the Republic based on the outcome of the 
legislative election, and is led b y the Prime Minister (Article 98). The Government is accountable to 
the ANP, and its programme must be approved by the latter.  
2.6.  At the pinnacle of Guinea -Bissau's judicial system is the Supreme Court, followed by the 
regional and sectoral courts and tribuna ls. Its independence is enshrined in the Constitution 
(Article 95). Under Article 92, Supreme Court judges are appointed by the President, as is the 
Public Prosecutor.  
2.7.  According to a recent report on Guinea -Bissau to the Human Rights Coun cil by the 
United  Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers1, "the major issues 
faced by Guinea -Bissau in the area of justice are not normative; rather, they lie in the deficient or 
even absent implementation of existing domestic and international  provisions" . The weakness of 
the judicial system is significantly hampering the country's economic development, as the laws and 
regulatory framework which are a precondition for the confidence of economic operators are not 
being applied effectively, and t he protection of contracts and other economic rights is not assured. 
The country's few tribunals and courts are reportedly overburdened and under -resourced, and 
their rulings, by and large, are not enforced. According to the same report, judges, members of  
the prosecution services and the judicial police as well as lawyers are sometimes subject to 
intimidation. Given the difficulties of access to justice, many citizens turn to the traditional justice 
system and to customary law, the role of which is express ly recognized under the Constitution.  
                                                
1 A/HRC/32/34/Add.1 of 4  April 2016. Viewed at: 
https://uniogbis.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/a_hrc_32_34_add1.pdf . WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 268 - 
 
  2.8.  The weakness of the judicial system partly explains the scale of illicit traffic and helps fuel the 
climate of violence. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is working to 
strengthen the justice system and the rule of law in Guinea -Bissau, in particular by giving judges 
and prosecutors specialist training to deal with cases involving drug trafficking and organized 
crime, and by supporting the creation of a modern penitentiary system and the establishment  of a 
central authority for international cooperation in criminal matters and for mutual legal assistance. 
In December  2010, a Transnational Crime Unit (TCU) was created under the West African Coast 
Initiative (WACI), and extended in 2015 to 2018.2 Guinea -Bissau also participates in the Crimjust 
project, unveiled in October  2016 by UNODC, in partnership with the European Union, Interpol and 
Transparency International. The four -year project (2016 -2020) is designed to undergird criminal 
investigations and cri minal justice cooperation along the cocaine route from South America to 
Europe via West Africa.  
2.9.  Since 2002 Guinea -Bissau's business legal framework has, in principle, been harmonized with 
that of the other countries of the region through the implementation  of the Uniform Acts of the 
Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA). These Acts automatically 
have legal force in Guinea -Bissau, and may in principle be invoked directly before the courts.3 
Guinea -Bissau has a commercial court,  established in 2009 in the OHADA framework. The 
authorities are seeking assistance for the establishment of the OHADA National Commission.  
2.10.   Against the backdrop of the political instability that has so far plagued Guinea -Bissau, trade 
and investment polici es have not been a government priority and the country is lagging behind 
significantly with the modernization of its regulatory framework for trade in general, and for 
customs in particular (section 3). Trade -related legislative activity has been rather li mited since 
the previous TPR in 2012. It is difficult to access the laws regulating trade (Table 2.1).  
Table 2.1 Guinea -Bissau's legislative texts relating to trade and investment, 2012  
Legislation  Area  
Decree No.  19/2011 of 3  May 2011 
Decree No 3/2005 of 16  April 2005 
Decree -Law No.  01/2005  
Order ( despacho ) No. 3/2011 of 8  April 2011 
Decree No.  9 /2012 of 6  November  2012 Regulation of production and exports of raw cashew nuts; creation of a 
development f und 
Decree No.  0017/GMCI/2009 of 21  May 2009 Mandatory weighing of cashew nuts at exportation  
Decree No.  4/99 of 18  August  1999 On plant quarantine  
National Shippers' Council ( Conselho nacional de carregadores da 
Guiné -Bissau ) 
Import minimum values  
Import reference values  
National Shippers' Council ( Conselho nacional de carregadores da 
Guiné -Bissau ) 
Opinion by the State Secretariat for Transport  Cargo tracking note  
Fees ( emolumentos pessoais ) for customs services rendered  
Advance payment of industr ial profits tax ( Adiantamento da contribuição 
industrial ) 
Transhipment ( taxa of baldeaçao ) 
Transit tax (2%)  
Service Order No.  31/GDGA/2011 of 
12 September  2011 Excise duties on imports  
Decree No.  6/2000 of 22  August  2000 Quality controls on foodstuffs  
OHADA Uniform Acts  OHADA Legislation  
Decree -Law No.  1/2005 of 16  April 2005 Single Window ( Centro de formalisação de empresas )  
Law No.  13/2011  Investment Code  
Decree No.  13/2012 of 19  December  2012 Status  of the Investment Promotion Agency,  Guinea -Bissau investmentos 
(GBI)  
Law No.  5/98 of 23  April 1998 Land law  
Decree -Law No.  12/2010 of 25  March  2010 Regime governing commercial companies and traders operating in their 
own name  
Decree -Law No.  8/2011 of 10  May 2011 Limiting the system of licensing of economic activities to some sectors 
and replacing it with activity start -up declarations and a system of tacit 
approval for the remaining sectors  
Decree -Law No.  9/2011 of 7  June 2011 Trade in fishery products  
Order ( despacho ) No. 02/2016 of 23  March  2016  Conditions for access to fisheries resources in the exclusive economic 
zone  
                                                
2 The WACI is a partnership between UNODC, the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA), the 
United Nations Department of Political Affairs, the  United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations, 
ECOWAS and Interpol.  
3 Online information  from OHADA, v iewed at: http://www.ohada.org . WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 269 - 
 
  Legislation  Area  
Decree –Law No.  4/86 of 29  March  1986 
Decree No.  33/87 of 30  December  1987 
Law No.  1/2000 of 24  July 2000 
Decree -Law No.  4/2006 of 26  July 2006 
Decree -Law No.  6/2006 of 26  July 2006 
Law No.  3/2014 of 29  April 2014 Mining Regime  
Law No.  3/95 of 24  May 1995 On the tax identification number  
Law No.  10/2010 of 24  September  2010 Establishing a procedure for the environmental assessment of projects, 
leading to the issuance of an environmental licence  
Source: WTO Secretariat, based on information provided by the authorities.  
2.2  Trade policy objectives and formulation  
2.11.   In principle, the Ministry of Trade takes the leading role in the development and 
administration of Guinea -Bissau's trade policy. Other ministries and agencies help set and 
implement trade policy within the scope of their general or sectoral powers. These include the 
Ministry of Industry and Energy, the Ministry of the Economy and Finan ce, the Ministry of 
Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 
Cooperation and Communities, the State Secretariat for Transport and Communications, the State 
Secretariat for Fisheries and the Maritime Econo my, the Investment Promotion Agency 
(Guinea -Bissau investimentos, GBI), the Foreign Investment Management and Support Board 
(Conselho de Fiscalisaçao e Acompanhamento ), the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) 
and the Business Formalization Centre ( CFE), the National Cashew Agency of Guinea -Bissau 
(ANCA -GB) and the Fund to Promote Industrialization of Agricultural Products (FUNPI).  
2.12.   The Interministerial Committee on Trade (CIC) was established by decree in March  2017, 
but is not yet functioning. It is  chaired by the Minister for Trade and co -chaired by the Minister for 
Finance. Its members are currently being appointed.  
2.13.   The private sector is involved in the formulation of trade policy on an ad hoc basis; the main 
bodies consulted are the Chamber of Com merce, Industry, Agriculture and Services (CCIAS), the 
recently created Chamber of Commerce of Guinea -Bissau (CDC -GB), the Association of 
Transporters (ASTRA), the National Association of Guinean Cashew Nut Producers (ANAG) and the 
agri-food producers asso ciation Agro -Safim. As shown in Table 2.1, the main laws pertaining to 
international trade have been implemented by decree or by decree -law of the President of the 
Republic, the Prime Minister, or the Minister for the Economy and Finance; the latter can ch ange 
rates and suspend or restore all or part of the duties and charg es stipulated in the T ariff. By way 
of example, the recent surcharge on cashew nut exports was introduced by decree.  
2.14.   Guinea -Bissau's trade policy objectives are framed within the country' s global development 
strategy, the "Terra Ranka"  Plan, drawn up in collaboration with UNDP and the European Union 
and adopted in September  2014. The plan covers the period 2015 -2025. It proactively pursues the 
following aims:  
 Diversification of export earn ings, of which 99 % is so far generated by cashew nuts and 
largely concentrated on a single trading partner, namely India, to include other 
agricultural crops such as mangoes, sesame and rice, as well as marine products.  
 Quadrupling earnings from the cashew  nut by improving the quality of production (tree 
spacing and intercropping) and a target of 30 % local processing, as well as accessing 
more efficient distribution channels.  
 Becoming self -sufficient in rice by 2020 and a net rice exporter by 2025, boosting  output 
from 200,000 tonnes in 2015 to 450,000 tonnes by 2020 and 500,000 tonnes by 2025, 
with the creation of storage and distribution capacity as well as funding mechanisms for 
marketing campaigns and processing.  
 Tripling sales in the fishing and aquacul ture sector and creating 100,000 jobs in the 
sector by 2025 through stricter surveillance of territorial waters, methodical collection of 
fees payable by foreign vessels, the setting of rules for sustainable fishery resource 
management , and promotion of  private investment, initially focusing on small -scale 
processing and aquaculture, then on industrial processing in a special economic zone in 
Bissau.  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 270 - 
 
   The development of eco -tourism, recreational fishing and beach tourism especially in the 
Bijagós Archipelago , in the form of a special tourist zone managed by a dedicated 
agency that will implement an urgent infrastructure development programme and create 
a best practice model for responsible ecosystem management and participatory and 
inclusive development that benefits local communities.  
 Developing the mining sector in a new regulatory framework that is guided by the 
sustainable development goals, focusing initially on small -scale mining and construction 
materials, then, as of 2020, on the working of large phosp hate, then bauxite mines. 
Impact and feasibility studies will also be conducted for hydrocarbons.  
2.15.   Against this backdrop, the Enhanced Integrated Framework has funded a new Diagnostic 
Trade Integration Study (DTIS II), the second since 2009. This study was validated in 2016 and 
formed the basis for the design of a national trade strategy , which was adopted on 
9 December  2016. In addition to dependence on export earnings from a single product , cashew 
nuts, and from a single country, India, these documents hig hlight Guinea -Bissau's great reliance 
on food and fuel imports. They advocate the promotion of domestic and foreign investment in 
fields that can eliminate the bottlenecks that are hampering the development of production and 
exports, in particular sanitati on, energy, transport, storage and refrigeration infrastructure, 
quality, distribution and marketing infrastructure and channels, as well as the food processing 
industry, with a view to moving up the value chain. They also recommend administrative capacity  
building, better coordination by establishing an interinstitutional commission on trade with a 
permanent executive secretariat and specific technical sub -commissions, and the acceleration of 
regional integration.  
2.3  Trade agreements and arrangements  
2.3.1   Relation s with the World Trade Organization  
2.16.   A former Contracting Party to the GATT 1947, Guinea -Bissau became an original Member of 
the WTO in 1995. Guinea -Bissau's status and participation in the WTO are presented in the 
common report.  
2.17.   The concessions made by Gui nea-Bissau at the conclusion of the Uruguay Round are 
contained in Schedule CXXX and have been transposed into HS 2007 in document WT/LET/899 as 
regards go ods and in document GATS/SC/110  as regards services.  
2.18.    Guinea -Bissau did not make any notifications to  the WTO during the review period.  
2.3.2   Regional and preferential agreements  
2.19.   Guinea -Bissau, like the other WAEMU members, participates in several trade agreements 
(common report, section 2.4). Along with Gambia, Guinea and Senegal, it also belongs to the 
Gambia  River Basin Development Organization (OMVG), which implements integrated development 
programmes in the four member countries, focusing on the rational and harmonious use of 
common resources of the Gambia, Kayanga -Géba and Koliba -Corubal river basins.  
2.20.   Guinea-Bissau currently exports to the European Union under the "Everything But Arms" 
initiative. Its main exports are cashew nuts and fishery and wood products. Guinea -Bissau's export 
volumes are in fact modest. Negotiations are now in progress on a new fishe ries agreement with 
the EU. 
2.4  Investment regime  
2.21.   Activities that are not open to private investment (domestic or foreign) include the 
transmission and distribution of electricity and water, basic postal services (fields reserved to the 
traditional operator Correios) and fixed telephone services.  
2.22.   The establishment of natural persons is regulated by Decree -Law No.  8/2011 of 
10 May 2011 on licensing procedures for economic activities. The establishment of legal persons WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 271 - 
 
  depends on the Business Formalization Cent re (CFE)  created by Decree -Law No.  18/2010 of 
30 September  2010.  
2.23.   The licensing procedure for establishment is still within the exclusive remit of the 
government departments with technical responsibility, through their respective licensing divisions. 
These sectoral licences cover the following fields: f isheries , forests, pharmaceuticals, banks and 
finance, construction and public works, land, air and maritime transport, marketing of petrol, 
marketing of cashew nuts, production of spirits, catering, hotels, i ndustry, production and sale of 
food products, marketing of pesticides, production and sale of meat, and marketing of arms and 
ammunition.  
2.24.   Law No.  10/2010 of 24  September  2010 created  a procedure for the environmental 
assessment of projects, for the purpos es of issuing an "environmental licence" for projects, 
programmes, plans or policies to be implemented. Applications for environmental licences are 
automatically rejected in the case of projects, programmes, plans or policies to be implemented in 
classifie d/protected zones, wetlands of national or international importance, or zones vulnerable 
and sensitive to natural events, among others. All investment projects must obtain an 
environmental licence.  
2.25.   For the period May  2011 to February  2016, the CFE register ed the establishment of 
2,137  enterprises, of which 217 are public limited companies (SA) and 1,920 limited liability 
companies (SARL), 989 are enterprises set up by locals, 664 by foreign entrepreneurs and 430 
with mixed capital; of these businesses, 1,99 6 have been set up in the realm of commerce, 114 in 
industry and 68 in tourism.  
2.26.   The CFE procedure is independent of the process for verifying fulfilment of the prerequisites 
for establishment in order to engage in different types of activity, as this latte r process falls within 
the purview of the responsible authorities in each sector. It is also independent of the process of 
verification of the prerequisites applicable to natural and legal persons for engaging in an activity 
that is within the scope of the  Trade and Real Estate Credit Register.  
2.27.   Accessing and engaging in industrial activities are regulated by Law No.  1491 of 
26 August  1950, as amended by Joint Order No.  18/GM/2000 of 26  June 2000 of the Ministry of 
the Economy and the State Secretariat for Industry and Tourism. Registration takes place with the 
Business Formalization Centre. The Directorate General of Industry then examines the applications 
and issues the licences, and also conducts the necessary inspections. The cost of the procedure 
varies  according to activity, of which there are four categories:  
 class 4 (craft industry): cottage industry, small -scale activities and micro -industry: 
CFAF 125,000;  
 class 3 (small -scale industry): semi -industrial activities: CFAF 200,000;  
 class 2 (medium -sized industry): CFAF 500,000; and  
 class 1 (large -scale industry); CFAF 1,000,000;  
2.28.   The investment regime is governed by the Investment Code (Decree -Law No.  03/2009 of 
31 December  2009 promulgated in 2011), which was described in detail in the May  2012 
TPR repor t4 and has not changed since then. Specific codes regulate investment in some sectors 
(section 4).  
2.29.   The Investment Promotion Agency – Guinea -Bissau Investments (API -GBI), also called the 
Directorate -General for the Promotion of Private Investment, is a publ ic body established by 
decree in 1991 and operating under the authority of the Ministry responsible for the economy. 
Where investment is concerned, API provides the interface between the Government and the 
private sector. It is administratively and financi ally autonomous, and its purpose is to promote 
private investment in Guinea -Bissau. Its status was reviewed by Decree No.  13/2012 of 
19 December  2012. The DGPI is to merge with the Investment Promotion Agency and the process 
is under way. The Agency's stat utes were published in Official Journal No.  8 on 30  August  2016.  
                                                
4 Document WT/TPR/S/266, Annex 2, Chapter II.4.  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 272 - 
 
  2.30.   By virtue of its participation in the World Bank's Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency 
(MIGA), two projects obtained guarantees in 2016, in the hotel and telecom sectors, respectively.  
2.31.   The strategic development plan "Terra Ranka (2015 -2025)" has a section on "business 
environment", which is focused on three projects. The first is the introduction of an 
incentive -based legal framework by formulating sectoral codes for agriculture, agro -industry, 
tourism, mining and fishing. The second project is the reform of the business framework that 
resulted from public and private sector dialogue, designed to strengthen the Investment Promotion 
Agency and the Business Formalization Centre, develop a co de for small and medium -sized 
enterprises, as well as support actions, and to implement a plan for the development of an 
inclusive financial sector. Lastly, the third project consists of creating "integrated economic 
platforms", in other words, devising a regulatory framework for special economic zones and 
creating a special economic zone in Bissau.  
2.32.   According to indicators from World Bank's Doing Business reports, Guinea -Bissau's ranking 
has shown a slight improvement: 172nd of 190 in 2017, up five places b y comparison with 2016 
and 20 places from the lowest ranking, whereas in 2007 and 2011 the country was classified 
among the bottom  three. Eight of the ten sub -indicators of this ranking outperform the general 
average: protecting minority investors (13 7th), getting credit (139th), transferring property and 
paying taxes  (149th), cross -border trade (153rd), obtaining construction permits (155th), enforcing 
contracts (164th) and resolving insolvency (169th). Only two sub -indicators fall below the general 
averag e, namely starting a business (176th) and getting electricity (182nd). WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 273 - 
 
  3  TRADE POLICIES AND P RACTICES BY MEASURE  
3.1  Measures directly affecting imports  
3.1.1   Procedures and requirements  
3.1.  Prior approval from the Ministry responsible for trade has to be obtained in order to exercise 
any commercial activity in Guinea -Bissau, including foreign trade. Economic operators must obtain 
a business permit (Table 3.1). Import or export of all products must be declared in advance to the 
same Ministry for the purp ose of collecting statistics to monitor the flow of goods and foreign 
exchange. According to the authorities, this prior declaration will be abolished as soon as the 
technical measures needed for internal control are in place.  
Table 3.1 Formalities and registration fees, 2017  
 Cost (CFAF)  Validity  
Business permit    
Importer/exporter  53,384  5 years (renewable)  
Domestic trade    
 wholesale  53,846  5 years (renewable)  
 retail  23,077  5 years (renewable)  
Marketing of cashew nuts    
 Cashew nut collectors  10,000  For the current season  
 Warehouse traders   100,000  For the current season  
 Exporters  800,000  For the current season  
Supporting documents for foreign trade    
 Prior import/export declaration  15,000  Three months  
Source:  Ministry of Trade and Business Promotion . 
3.2.  Guinea -Bissau has a Single Window ( Centro de formalisação de empresas ) enabling economic 
operators (legal persons) to complete certain administrative procedures in one place, for example, 
in order to create a business or to obtain a business permit.1 Natural persons must forward their 
applications for a business permit to the Ministry responsible for trade. In principle, foreign 
nationals are not excluded from any activity but must first obtain a foreign resident's card from the 
Directorate -General of  Immigration against payment of CFAF  17,500.  
3.3.  Imports or exports b y sea require a Cargo Tracking N ote (CTN) to be established immediately 
after loading by the company Antaser Afrique. Any cargo without a CTN or with a CTN issued by 
any other body will be bl ocked at the port of Bissau until this document in proper form has been 
furnished.2 The cost of issuing a CTN includes a flat fee (service costs) of €40 plus a variable fee 
depending on the origin and form of packaging of the goods (a minimum of €50).3 
3.4.  Goods under any customs procedure, whether upon import or export, must be the subject of 
a customs declaration, in conformity with the uniform WAEMU/ECOWAS model. The following 
documents are required in order to draw up  the declaration: tax identification num ber; prior 
declaration; bill of lading; purchase invoice; insurance certificate; freight invoice4; export 
declaration drawn up the country of origin; and, where applicable, a certificate of origin and 
phytosanitary certificate. Guinea -Bissau has not yet in troduced a streamlined customs declaration. 
The WAEMU provisions on clearance credits are not applied either; with authorization from the 
Minister responsible for finance, the goods may be released against deposit of an amount fixed by 
the Minister, with s ubsequent refund or addition al payment . 
3.5.  In general, use of the services of an approved customs clearing agent (or forwarding agent) 
is governed by the community provisions (common report, section 3.1.1.2). Guinea -Bissau does 
not, however, impose the requir ement to take out a general guarantee. In 2017, there were 
                                                
1 Decree -Law No.  1/2005 of 16 April 2005.  
2 Antaser Afrique has been given sole authority to issue CTNs under a concession contract for the period 
2011-2021. Viewed at: https://www.antaser.com/documents/bis sau_confirmation_pt.jpg  [24 October  2016].  
3 Online information  from Antaser Afrique , viewed at: https://www.antaser.com/antaser/pub/tariff  
[24 October  2016].  
4 If there are no supporting documents  for insurance and/or freight costs, the Customs applies a 
coefficient of adjustment of 15 %. WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 274 - 
 
  59 approved customs clearing agents, of whom only three were authorized to operate in the 
interior, most agents being authorized to operate in Bissau. Three companies were authorized to 
make their own declarations. The cost of the services provided by customs clearing agents has not 
been the subject of any formal regulation since 2012.  
3.6.  In September  2011, Guinea -Bissau's Customs transferred its computer system to the 
ASYCUDA  ++ system, enabling the r ange of computerized customs operations to be expanded and 
laying down the foundations for a risk management mechanism. In September  2017, ASYCUDA++ 
(linked to the central server in Bissau) was operating in three customs posts, dealing in all with 
over 90 % of declarations at the national customs cordon. The system's server does not, however, 
accept customs declarations outside the customs administration's working hours and frequent 
power outages also hamper its operation.  
3.7.  The risk management mechanism for p rocessing customs declarations provides for 
three  channels: green (immediate release), yellow (checking of the documents) and red 
(mandatory physical inspection). The principal selection criteria concern the origin of the goods, 
the carrier, and the import er's record. The authorities acknowledge, however, that in practice all 
declarations go through the red channel. The selection criteria have not been revised or updated 
since they were introduced.  
3.8.  Deferred control ( a posteriori ) is only possible with autho rization from the Minister of Finance 
and can only take place at the Customs in Bissau. Guinea -Bissau has not yet introduced 
mechanisms to allow advance decisions to be given or to complete formalities prior to arrival of 
the goods, or streamlined formalit ies for approved operators.  
3.9.  Guinea -Bissau still encounters problems as regards customs controls, particularly at ports 
and land borders, and in assessing trade flows through non -computerized customs posts. 
Up-to-date information on the formalities and proc edures for foreign trade are difficult to find and 
illegal traffic is widespread.  
3.10.   According to the World Bank's report Doing Business 2017 , the average time required for 
export s is 60 hours for documentation requirements and 67 hours for cross -border trade  
procedures; for import s, the time required is 36 hours and 72 hours, respectively.5 According to 
the authorities, the average time required for customs clearance formalities (alone) is around 
three days from the filing of the declaration until the goods a re released.  
3.1.2   Customs valuation and inspection  
3.11.   Guinea -Bissau is supposed to apply the WTO Customs Valuation Agreement, as reproduced 
in WAEMU's  relevant regulations (common report, section 3.1.2). In practice, however, it finds this 
difficult and needs technical assistance in customs valuation and risk management.  
3.12.   Over the period 2014 -2016, the majority of imported goods released for consumption in 
Guinea -Bissau were subject to an inspection -at-destination programme, which was contracted out 
to the company Bissau Link, a subsidiary of Link International Holding.6 Imports of rice, sugar, 
wheat flour, petrol  (gasoline)  and diesel fuel  were exempt fr om this programme, but remain 
subject to reference values. According to the authorities, the reference values for fuel s are 
intended to combat under -invoicing, while those applied to other imports are to maintain prices at 
relatively low and stable levels.  
3.1.3   Rules of origin  
3.13.   The ECOWAS rules of origin reproduce almost entirely those of WAEMU and are, in principle, 
applicable in Guinea -Bissau. However, up until 2016, no producer from Guinea -Bissau had been 
approved under the respective preferential schemes. Since then, one company and ten products 
from Guinea -Bissau have been approved under the ECOWAS scheme. As was the case at the time 
                                                
5 Online information  viewed at: www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploretopics/trading -across -borders . 
6 According to the authorities, the contract with Bissau Link was suspended in November  2016 following 
pressure from econ omic operators.  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 275 - 
 
  of the previous review, this situation reflects the poor industrial fabric in Guinea -Bissau, as well as 
the need to train th e national approval committee's staff.  
3.1.4   Tariffs  
3.14.   International trade remains the main source of fiscal revenue in Guinea -Bissau. The duties 
and taxes levied at the customs cordon accounted for over 50 % of tax revenue over the period 
2011-2016 (Table 3.2).  
Table 3.2 Fiscal revenue according to main source, 2011 -2016  
(%) 
 2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2016  
Direct tax es 29.5 31.8 31.2 25.5 27.9 28.9 
Indirect tax es 70.5 68.2 68.8 74.5 72.1 71.1 
  Customs duties  17.3 17.6 17.4 24.4 19.1 16.8 
  Community solidarity levy (PCS)  8.4 7.3 10.0 8.0 8.6 10.3 
  Statistical levy  (RS) 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 
 ECOWAS community levy (PCC)  1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.0 
  Tax on the export of cashew nuts  0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.6 
  Excise duty (IEC)  5.6 5.4 5.3 6.2 7.4 6.9 
  on imports  5.6 5.4 5.3 6.2 7.4 6.9 
  on local sales  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
  General sales tax (IGV)  32.5 31.2 28.9 29.6 31.6 32.1 
  on imports  19.7 19.3 18.2 19.1 20.3 20.2 
  on local sales  12.8 11.9 10.7 10.5 11.3 11.9 
  Other indirect taxes  3.7 3.6 4.0 3.1 2.4 2.2 
Source:  WTO Secretariat calculations based on data provided by the authorities.  
3.15.   In Guinea -Bissau, migration from the WAEMU CET to that of ECOWAS occurred in 
October  2016.7 Although the national committee following up the CET was established in 
June 2016, its members have not yet been appointed.8 The application of the ECOWAS CET, with 
its fifth band of 35 %, did not lead to any violations of Guinea -Bissau's bindings (common report, 
section 3.1.4.1). Guinea -Bissau also applies other community duties and taxes; imports of goods 
originating in the WAEMU/ECOWAS area receive a community preference (zero duty). 
Guinea -Bissau's authorities state that they have not applied the specia l import tax or the 
degressive protection tax.  
3.16.   In addition to the various duties, taxes and levies imposed at the community level, goods 
crossing the customs cordon are subject to the payment of personal ( emolumentos pessoais ) and 
travel fees ( deslocações ) for customs services rendered. For imports, these fees are calculated on 
the basis of the c.i.f. value, the cumulative rate depending on the goods concerned and not 
exceeding 1.5 %.9 Goods in transit pay a tax ( taxa de tráfego ) amounting to 2 % of the c.i.f . value.  
3.17.   Fuel imports are subject to a levy of 4 % of the c.i.f. value, with part of the revenue being 
set aside for a road fund. The activities of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture are 
said to be financed, among other things, by levies on r ice and cement imports at the rate  of 
CFAF 1/kg.  
3.18.   Guinea -Bissau grants duty and tax reductions and exemptions under the Investment Code 
(section 2.4). Exemptions from customs duties and other duties and taxes at the customs cordon 
also apply to goods import ed by State authorities, public entities, non -governmental organizations 
and diplomatic missions. According to the authorities, the provisions on fiscal concessions have not 
changed since 2005. Throughout virtually the whole period 2012 -2015, the revenue f oregone 
annually as a result of import concessions exceeded 10 % of tax revenue (Table 3.3).  
                                                
7 Service Order No.  28/GDGA/2016 of 18  August  2016.  
8 Order No.  52/MEF/2016 of 22  June 2016.  
9 For some goods, the fees may be specific amounts (for example, CFAF 2,500 on vehicles).  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 276 - 
 
  Table 3.3 Duty and tax concessions at the customs cordon, 2012 -2015  
(% of tax revenue)  
 2012  2013  2014  2015  
Customs  duty 5.4 4.5 6.7 3.8 
Excise duty (IEC)  1.0 1.5 0.9 1.1 
General sales tax (IGV)  7.2 6.3 8.9 4.3 
Total  13.7 12.3 16.4 9.3 
Source:  WTO Secretariat calculations based on data provided by the authorities.  
3.1.5   Other taxes  
3.19.   Guinea -Bissau has not yet replaced the general sales tax (IGV) by value added tax (VAT); 
the principal WAEMU directives for this purpose are therefore not applied (common repor t, 
section  3.1.5). The application of the IGV, whose basic rate was raised from 15 % to 17 % in 2015, 
continues to pose t he problem of cascade taxation. A lower rate (10 %) still applies to some 
products and services.10 Guinea -Bissau's framework allows several exemptions, notably for the 
import and marketing of pharmaceuticals11, as well as for all exports. The IGV levied at th e 
customs cordon is calculated on the basis of the c.i.f. value plus import duties and levies and, 
where applicable, excise duty. For sales on the domestic market, the basis is the transaction value.  
3.20.   Excise duty applies to some products put up for consumpt ion in Guinea -Bissau (Table 3.4). 
The framework is usually consistent with WAEMU's regulations on excise duty, except as regards 
the number of goods concerned and the rates applied to t obacco and hydrocarbons 
(common  report, section 3.1.6.2). Moreover, the  statistics on fiscal revenue do not show any levy 
on domestic production (Table 3.2).  
Table 3.4 Excise duty ( imposto especial de consumo ), 2017  
Description  Rate 
Sparkling mineral water  5% 
Lemonade, flavoured sparkling water  10% 
Other non -alcoholic beverages  15% 
Beer, table wine  30% 
Sparkling wine, champagne  25% 
Vermouth  40% 
Liqueur wine  45% 
Spirits  45% 
Cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos  45% +CFAF 10/unit  
Petrol  40% 
Premium petrol  75% 
Diesel  fuel 15% 
Lubricants, brake fluid  10% 
Passenger vehicles  10% 
Perfumes, cosmetics and depilatories  15% 
Powder and essential oils (cosmetic use)  10% 
Explosives for mining use, fireworks, inflammable materials  15% 
Other explosives and pyrotechnic articles  20% 
Detonators, arms and ammunition, gunpowder  40% 
Plastic bags  10% 
Industrial packaging  5% 
Coffee, tea, wheat flour, edible oil  5% 
Cola nuts  10% 
Source:  Government budget (2015).  
3.21.   A mechanism imposing a fixed levy on international trade is in place in the form of an 
advance payment on industrial and commercial profits tax ( adiantamento da contribuição industrial  
(ACI)). The rate is set at 5 % for imports, including those of community origin.  
                                                
10 The list includes: cereals, rice, flour, bread and simi lar preparations, milk, newspapers and 
publications, firefighting devices, natural gas, petroleum products, fertilizer, live animals, animal feed, seeds, 
tractors and agricultural machinery, computer and solar energy material and equipment, and funeral urn s. 
11 Law No.  3/2015 of 21  April 2015 reproducing Directives No.  02/98/CM/UEMOA and 
No. 02/2009/CM/UEMOA.  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 277 - 
 
  3.1.6   Import prohibitions, restrictions and licensing  
3.22.   Apart from the registration formalities to be completed in order to engage in any 
commercial activity (section 3.1.1), control measures apply, in principle, to imports of certain 
products for security reasons, to protect public health and morality or because of their strategic 
nature (Table  3.5). 
Table 3.5 Import controls, 2017  
Product  Document required  Description  
Animals and animal products  Marketing licence and prior import 
authorization from the Ministry of 
Agriculture (veterinary service); sanitary 
certificate from the country of origin or 
source  Customs clearance requires the involvement 
of a veterinary/sanitary expert in order to 
certify the quality and status of 
conservation of the goods and/or endorse 
the sanitary certificate issued by the country 
of origin or source  
Olive oil and fractions thereof  Quality certificate issued by the country of 
origin or source  In the absence of a certificate, the importer 
must obtain an authorization from the 
National Food Council  
Plants, plant products and 
phytopharmaceuticals  Prior import authorization from the 
Ministry of Agriculture (plant protection 
service); phytosanitary certificate from 
the country of origin or source  Exemptions are allowed for some 
phytopharmaceutical products depending on 
the active substance  
Arms and ammunition  Prior authorization from the Ministry of 
the Interior ( Security P olice General 
Command )  Customs clearance requires the involvement 
of an expert from the general command of 
the security police  
Pharmaceuticals (tariff headings 
2935.0000 to 2941.9000; 001.0000 
to 3006.6000); appliances for 
medical use (tariff headings 
(9022.1100 t o 9022.9000); 
coca leaves and cannabis; 
cannabis  resin and oil  Prior authorization from the Ministry of 
Health   
Ozone -depleting substances 
(Montreal Protocol)  Prior authorization from the 
Directorate -General of the Environment   
Source:  Directorate -General of Customs.  
3.23.   The following may still not be imported: alcoholic beverages with an alcoholic strength of 
more than 60o; distilled beverages containing harmful essences or chemicals (absinthe, benzoic 
aldehyde, salicylic esters, hyssop, etc.); drugs and narcotics; packaging of tin containing products 
other than mineral oils; medicines and foods harmful to health; counterf eit goods; foodstuffs 
containing saccharin; and animals, animal products, plants and plant material from infected areas.  
3.1.7   Anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard measures  
3.24.   Guinea -Bissau does not have any domestic legislation or competent authority for 
anti-dumping, countervailing or safeguard measures. The community provisions should apply to 
these areas (common report, section 3.1.9). According to the authorities, Guinea -Bissau has never 
taken any such measures.  
3.1.8   Other measures  
3.25.   Guinea -Bissau applies the tr ade sanctions decided by the United Nations or by regional 
bodies in which it participates. The authorities state that they have never concluded any 
agreement with foreign governments or enterprises with a view to influencing the quantity or 
value of goods  and services exported to Guinea -Bissau.  
3.2  Measures directly affecting exports  
3.2.1   Procedures and requirements  
3.26.   The registration formalities to be completed in order to import goods for commercial 
purposes also apply to exports. A Cargo Tracking N ote is also required for exports going by sea. 
Some additional criteria apply to the export of cashew nuts, including a special permit only issued 
for the current season ( section 3.1.1).  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 278 - 
 
  3.2.2   Export  taxes , charges  and levies  
3.27.   Exports of some products remain subject to an  ad valorem  rural contribution tax 
(contribuição predial rústica ), whose rate has been determined on a non -ad valorem basis since 
2014 (Table 3.6).  
Table 3.6 Contribuição predial rústica , 2017  
Description  Rate 
Wood in logs, depending on species  CFAF 28,000 -650,000/m3 
Sawn wood, depending on species  CFAF 14,000 -450,000/m3 
Coconuts, rubber, sand  CFAF 5/kg  
Groundnuts, shelled, rice, sweet potatoes, palm oil, crushed stone  CFAF 10/kg or litre  
Groundnuts, not shelled, cashew nuts, hides o f bovine animals, gravel, 
other  natural products  CFAF 15/kg  
Sesame, miscellaneous hides and skins  CFAF 20/kg  
Charcoal, dried fish  CFAF 50/kg  
Firewood, fresh fish  CFAF 100/kg  
Heavy sand  CFAF 150/kg  
Crocodile skins  CFAF 7,000/kg  
Hides and skins of other wild animals  CFAF 10,000/kg  
Otter skins  CFAF 15,000/kg  
Source:  Directorate -General of Customs.  
3.28.   A "special" tax of 6 % has been imposed on exports of raw cashew nuts and, since 2014, on 
exports of logs. The tax bases for these products are the reference values determined by the State 
solely for taxation purposes (section 4.1.3). The amount levied is independent of the val ue of the 
export transaction. In addition, exports of cashew nuts are still subject to various additional taxes, 
charges and levies (section 4.1.3).  
3.29.   In the same way as imports (section 3.1.4), goods exported, re -exported or in transit are 
subject to paymen t of fees for the customs services rendered. Depending on the goods, these fees 
either apply at an ad valorem rate (not exceeding 1 % of the f.o.b. value) or at a specific rate. The 
advance on industrial and commercial profits tax applies to all goods expor ted for commercial 
purposes (section 3.1.5); since 2013, the advance on exports has been 3 %. 
3.30.   A tax amounting to 2 % of the c.i.f. value applies to goods in transit. According to the 
authorities, Guinea -Bissau's transit procedure does not provide for the lodging of security; in 
principle, the relevant WAEMU and ECOWAS provisions apply (common report, section 3.1.1.8). 
International transit only plays a relatively minor role in Guinea -Bissau's trade because of the 
infrastructure's serious  shortcomings.  
3.2.3    Export  prohibitions, restrictions and licensing  
3.31.   In general, Guinea -Bissau prohibits the export of wood in logs felled in dubious 
circumstances in order to combat the illegal and abusive felling of forests. An exception was made 
in 2015, however, for a stock of 8 3,000m3 of wood already felled.  
3.32.   In principle, cashew nuts can only be exported by sea through the port of Bissau. In 
practice, however, large volumes are exported informally to neighbouring countries. Exports of raw 
cashew nuts must be accompanied by a cer tificate indicating their weight and, since 2014, by a 
quality certificate (percentage of humidity and calibration). Quality is certified by the 
Guinea -Bissau National Cashew Agency  (ANCA -GB) against payment of CFAF  3/kg.12 Special 
marking must be placed on  the packaging of cashew nuts for export indicating the year of their 
harvest and the origin as Guinea -Bissau.  
3.2.4   Export support and promotion  
3.33.   According to the authorities, Guinea -Bissau's businesses do not receive any benefits 
dependent on their export perfo rmance. Guinea -Bissau has not introduced a regulatory framework 
                                                
12 Order No.  26/2014 of the Prime Minister.  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 279 - 
 
  for the creation of free zones or free export enterprises. The creati on of a unit to promote exports  
and support and develop small and medium -sized enterprises is under way within the Ministry  
responsible for trade.  
3.2.5   Export financing, insurance and guarantees  
3.34.   According to the authorities, Guinea -Bissau has not introduced any official  mechanisms for 
export insurance, guarantees or financing.  
3.3  Measures affecting production and trade  
3.3.1   Incentives  
3.35.   Some  incentives, particularly fiscal incentives, are available under the Investment Code 
(section 2.4) and sectoral codes (section 4).  
3.3.2   Standards and other technical regulations  
3.36.   Guinea -Bissau does not yet have any legislative framework governing standardization  and 
transposing the relevant community provisions. The Directorate of Standardization and Quality 
Promotion Services ( Direcçao de serviços de normalização e promoção da qualidade  (DSNPQ)) is 
the national enquiry point for the purposes of technical barrier s to trade.13 In principle, the 
standards and technical regulations approved at the WAEMU level, as well as the community 
accreditation system, apply in Guinea -Bissau.  
3.3.3   Sanitary and phytosanitary measures  
3.37.   Guinea -Bissau does not have any operational SPS enqui ry point. It is still encountering 
problems as regards SPS protection, both at the legislative and institutional levels and in relation 
to human and material resources. According to the authorities, the legislative framework has not 
changed for the past si x years. It would appear that efforts have been made since 2016 to create 
a national SPS committee under the aegis of the Ministry of Agriculture.  
3.38.   In general, in addition to prior authorization (section 3.1.6), imports must be accompanied 
by an SPS certifi cate from the country of origin or source and are subject to organoleptic 
inspection. If there is any doubt regarding the conformity of a product, samples are taken and sent 
to a laboratory for analysis. According to the authorities, in practice the contro l mechanisms are 
not operating in all customs posts owing to lack of capacity to implement them. Imports or exports 
are mostly inspected at the port and airport in Bissau.  
3.39.   Guinea -Bissau has four analytical laboratories, which have not been accredited. More over, 
their operations are often interrupted because of the lack of equipment and reagents, which means 
turning to foreign laboratories. Upgrading of national reference laboratories remains one of the 
priorities which would help to resolve the problem of t rust that hampers exports.  
3.3.4   Competition policy and price controls  
3.40.   Guinea -Bissau does not have any national competition regime in addition to the relevant 
WAEMU provisions, which are, in principle, directly applicable in all member States. A legislative 
framework governing protection of consumers has not yet been adopted. The Ministry responsible 
for trade, through the Directorate for Internal Trade and Competition is supposed to define, 
coordinate and implement government policy on competition and price cont rols. 
3.41.   Some products sold on the domestic market are subject to price controls. Maximum profit 
margins apply to pharmaceuticals14, while for fuels the regulatory framework specifies the 
maximum price at the pump determined by an interministerial commission.15 The authorities are 
                                                
13 The DSNPQ was established by Order No.  30/2003 of 12  December  2003, but a framework law 
governing standard ization activities has not yet been adopted.  
14 Order No.  11/99 of 19  April 1999.  
15 Service Order No.  42/DGA/2011 of 13  December  2011.  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 280 - 
 
  planning to fix maximum prices for certain staple goods such as rice, edible oil, wheat flour and 
sugar.  
3.42.   Water and electricity rates, as well as postal tariffs, are determined by the State because of 
its de facto/de jure  monopoly of th ese activities. In addition, the rate at which electricity is 
purchased from independent producers is also determined by the Government.  
3.3.5   State trading, State -owned enterprises and privatization  
3.43.   There has been no progress in the State's withdrawal from econ omic activities over the past 
six years. According to the authorities, during this period the  privatization commission focus ed on 
the question of settling the debts of enterprises already privatized with their employees.  
3.44.   State -owned enterprises have a mono poly, inter alia, of the supply of port services, the 
water supply, transmission and distribution of electricity and television broadcasting by terrestrial 
transmission. Moreover, several State -owned enterprises operate in various areas, including 
agro-industry, fishing, telecommunications, the media, river transport and hotels and restaurants.  
3.3.6   Government procurement  
3.45.   In 2012, Guinea -Bissau adopted a new Government Procurement Code, transposing the 
relevant community directives (common report, section 3.3.6) .16 Its scope covers contracts signed 
by: the State, local authorities, public institutions, organizations and associations under public law 
receiving financial support or guarantees from the State, State -owned companies, companies in 
which the State has a majority holding and legal persons under private law acting on behalf of the 
aforementioned bodies or receiving financial support or guarantees from the State. Entities given 
special or exclusive rights to provide a public service must also comply with the  Code's 
provisions.17 
3.46.   The threshold for contracts is CFAF  5 million for the supply of goods or services and 
CFAF 10 million for works. The Code specifies that open invitations to tender (with or without 
pre-selection) must be the rule. Exceptionally, the co ntracting authority may hold a restricted 
competition or conclude a direct contract (negotiation). Below these thresholds, the contracting 
authority may ask for quotations, provided that the procedures followed comply with the principles 
in the Code. Contr acts for intellectual services are awarded following consultation and the 
submission of proposals.  
3.47.   Invitations to tender and notices of pre -selection must be forwarded to the WAEMU 
Commission for publication within 12 working days of their receipt.18 After this period, notices 
must also be published in the Official Journal ( Boletim Oficial ), national newspapers with wide 
circulation and/or international publications. Publication in electronic format, in conformity with the 
community model, is also allowed. O nly notices in one of WAEMU's official languages is accepted. 
Depending on the nature of the contract, bidders must deposit a guarantee ranging from 1 % to 
3% of the estimated amount of the contract. A person awarded a contract must deposit a 
performance gu arantee, but it may not exceed 5 % of the basic amount of the contract.  
3.48.   Pursuant to the WAEMU provisions, bids from community companies receive a preference 
margin of 15 % of the amount bid and this must be indicated in the call for bids. For contracts with 
a local authority or public institution, bids that envisage subcontracting at least 30 % of the overall 
amount to a national company may receive an additional preference margin of at least 5 %, 
cumulative with the 15 % margin. According to the authorities, Guinea -Bissau has not yet applied 
the provisions on preference margins when awarding government procurement contracts.  
3.49.   All contracting authorities must draw up an annual procurement plan, based on its work 
programme, to be incorporated into the State's budget. Only contracts appearing in the annual 
                                                
16 Decree -Law No.  2/2012 of 20  August  2012.  
17 The Code does not apply to contracts for which publicity would be contrary to  protection of the State's 
essential interests, particularly in the case of national defence or security. Administrative contracts, individual 
employment contracts, deeds of gift  of movable property  and the real estate purchase contracts are also 
excluded.  
18 In emergencies, this time -limit may be reduced to five working days.  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 281 - 
 
  plan may be concluded. Guinea -Bissau has a national government purchasing agency (previously 
called the Central Government Procurement Unit), supervised by the Ministry resp onsible for trade, 
which centralizes the award of government procurement contracts on behalf of the Government's 
contracting authorities.19 According to the authorities, in practice, several contracting authorities 
do not comply with the obligation to entru st the national government purchasing agency with 
awarding their contracts. Statistics on government procurement during the review period are not 
available.  
3.50.   The Directorate -General of Government Procurement, supervised by the Ministry 
responsible for finan ce, controls contracting procedures and the performance of government 
procurement contracts and public service concessions a priori .20 In accordance with community 
requirements, regulatory functions are entrusted to a separate structure, the Regulatory Auth ority 
for Government Procurement, which is still in the process of being set up.  
3.3.7   Intellectual property rights  
3.51.   Guinea -Bissau has signed the Bangui Agreement (1977) creating the African Intellectual 
Property Organization (OAPI), but has not yet ratified the revised Bangui Agreement (1999) 
(common report, section 3.3.4). Guinea -Bissau's framework for the protection of intellectual 
property rights has not yet been reviewed  by the TRIPS Council because of the lack of notifications 
on the part of Guinea -Bissau.  
3.52.   The Directorate -General of Industrial Property, within the Ministry of Energy, Industry and 
Natural Resources, acts as the national liaison structure (SNL) with OAPI. Its main task is to 
forward applications for registering industrial property titles filed in Guinea -Bissau to OAPI 
(Table  3.7). It also coordinates activities to draw attention to the importance of registering 
industrial property rights in Guinea -Bissau. It is still facing financial difficulties in organizing its 
awareness -raising  activities an d in strengthening its cooperation links.  
Table 3.7 Applications forwarded to OAPI, 2011 -2016  
Title 2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2016  
Industrial designs  1 1 9 10 14 6 
Trademarks  11 12 14 29 15 26 
Trade names  69 185 200 174 240 187 
Patents  0 0 0 0 0 0 
Utility models  0 0 0 0 0 0 
Requests for renewal  0 0 0 0 0 0 
Requests for prior search  5 7 4 6 3 6 
Source:  Directorate -General of Industrial Property, Ministry of Energy, Industry and Natural Resources of 
Guinea -Bissau, OAPI -GB. 
3.53.   The Guinean Copyright Society ( Sociedade Guineense de Autores  (SGA)), which has the 
status of a private company, is responsible for administering copyright and related rights. It has 
around 400 members, mostly musicians.  The long period of social and political instability in 
Guinea -Bissau undermined the effective protection of copyright. According to the authorities, 
during the review period no action to combat piracy was taken. The SGA's activities have been 
confined to providing information and efforts to promote awareness of copyright issues.
                                                
19 Decree No.  2/2012 of 26  June 2012.  
20 Decree No.  1/2012 of 26  June 2012.  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 282 - 
 
  4  TRADE POLICY BY SECT OR 
4.1   Agriculture, forestry and fisheries  
4.1.1   Overview  
4.1.  Guinea -Bissau's economy continues to depend on agriculture ( section 1). The country has a 
strong potential in t his sector owing to the variety of its soils that are suitable for all types of food 
and cash crops (cereals, fruit, vegetables and tubers). Nevertheless, only two crops predominate, 
cashew nuts  and irrigated rice, and therefore diversification is necessar y and should be easily 
obtainable thanks to the country's assets in this field (Table 4.1).  
4.2.  Farming in Guiney -Bissau is of two kinds. There are an estimated 120,000 small village 
farmers ("tabancas"), who account for 90% of production on farms of less tha n 5 hectares. The 
other producers ("ponteiros")", estimated to number 2,200, are generally modern producers 
working leased farms with an average size of 136 hectares.  
4.3.  Pursuant to Law No. 5/98 of 19981, the State owns the land in Guinea -Bissau. The Law 
provides for two types of concessions: urban concessions, which grant definitive title; and 90 -year 
rural leases which are automatically renewable in the absence of opposition. Both nationals and 
foreigners may acquire land in Guinea -Bissau, but an authorizat ion from the Council of Ministers is 
required  in cases exceeding 100 hectares for natural persons and 500 hectares for legal persons. 
The law provides for concession and transfer fees as well as an annual land concession tax, the 
amounts of which are set b y the Government. There is an exemption from the annual land 
concession tax for areas of less than 50 hectares, which means that the majority of the rural 
population is exempted.  
Tableau 4.1 Guinea -Bissau's m ain crops, 2010 -2016  
(Thousands of tonnes, unless otherwise specified)  
Producta 2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2016  Annual 
growth rate 
2005 -2014 
(%) 
Cashew nuts, not hulled  52.3 139.7 94 131.8 136.5 175.2 187 6.4 
Paddy rice  209.2 175.2 198.5 209.7 133.0 170.2 186.3 3.4 
Roots and tubers, n.e.s.  110.2 94.4 110.2 111.8 45.3 71.6 76.5 3.0 
Palm oil  18.3 18.5 18.7 18.7 18.9 19 19.1 0.1 
Plantain bananas  48.5 49.5 51.0 51.4 52.4 n.a. n.a. 2.2 
Cassava  68.3 60.3 68.3 23.0 45.4 40.8 43.6 1.6 
Coconuts  42.1 42.2 42.2 42.9 42.6 n.a. n.a. -0.7 
Groundnuts, not hulled  36.2 35.4 45.2 41.3 41.1 83.4 94.7 6.0 
Fresh vegetables, n.e.s.  12.3 12.6 12.9 13.2 13.5 13.8 14.1 2.7 
Other fresh fruit, n.e.s.  58.8 60.0 61.2 62.5 63.8 65.1 66.4 1.8 
Sorghum  20.2 18.9 23.5 26.9 14.0 16.2 16.9 -5.5 
Millet  15.0 13.9 17.0 18.1 10.0 14 14.9 -15.8 
Groundnut oil  8.6 8.5 10.8 10.8 14.2 19.8 22.5 8.1 
Mangoes, mangosteens and guavas  6.8 7.4 8.2 8.5 9.0 n.a. n.a. 6.3 
Palm kernels  46.3 46.7 47.1 47.3 47.7 48 48.3 0.7 
n.a. Not available.  
a The main products are identified by output volume in 2014.  
Source:  FAO Statistical Database (viewed at: http://faostat3.fao.org/home/E ), and Guinea -Bissau  National 
Statistical Institute.  
4.4.  Small producers have  difficulty in obtaining financing for their farming activities owing to the 
absence of any agricultural development banks. In this connection, the Government has included 
in its National Agricultural Investment Programme (PNIA) the adoption of regulations  on land 
tenure including small farmers; standardized land management arrangements for regulating land 
tenure by "tabancas"; and the strengthening of land registry services. Implementation of these 
measures should also encourage foreign investment, still l acking in the country's agricultural 
sector. The draft land code that was being prepared at the time of the previous review has not yet 
                                                
1 Law No. 5/98 of 23 April, published in Official Journal No. 17 of 28 April 1998.  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 283 - 
 
  been completed; meanwhile, new texts relating to land, in such regions as the islands, continue to 
be adopted.  
4.1.2   Overall a gricultural policy  
4.5.  Guinea -Bissau's agricultural policy is still based on the PNIA  adopted in 2009 under the 
auspices of ECOWAS. The PNIA follows the guidelines of the NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa's 
Development) and the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture  Development Programme (CAADP) which 
provides for the allocation of at least 10% of the national budget to agriculture. The aims of the 
PNIA are to boost agricultural growth, reduce poverty and attain food and nutrition security. To 
that end, it provides f or an investment plan of over CFAF 167 billion. Implementation of the Plan 
should generate agricultural growth of at least 6% annually. A first phase of implementation of the 
PNIA was launched in 2012 for a five -year period. The PNIA i s supposed to lead to  food 
self-sufficiency by 2020.  
4.6.  Guinea -Bissau has drawn up several policy, strategy and programme documents: the 
Agricultural Development Policy Paper  (LPDA) of 2002; Livestock Development Policy Paper (LPDE) 
and Plan of Action of 2010; National Medium -Term Investment Programme (PNIMT); National Food 
Security Programme (PNSA 2008 -2013); Strategic Sectoral Plan for small -scale fisheries of 2007; 
and implementing regulations of the Land Tenure Code.   
4.7.  The Country Programming Framework (CPF 2014 -2017), based on a multi -sectoral approach 
to rural development, is the reference framework for medium -term planning and programming of 
cooperation between the Government and FAO. In the long term, implementation of the CPF 
should contribute to the food and  nutritional security of the population, in line with the PNIA 
objective. To this end, the CPF identifies three priority areas: (a) performance, sustainability and 
efficiency of family agriculture systems; (b) resilience and nutrition of the population wit h regard 
to stresses, climate changes, food crises and natural disasters; and (c) governance in the areas of 
food security and nutrition and protection of natural resources. The total cost of the CPF is 
estimated at about CFAF 5 billion.  
4.8.  Following the ret urn to political stability, in 2014 the Government adopted its vision 
"Guinea -Bissau 2025 – Terra Ranka", covering the period 2015 -2025, accompanied by a strategic 
and operational Plan. The latter is currently being implemented, and identifies agriculture and 
agri-business as one of the four drivers of growth.  
4.9.  The agri -food sector lies at the heart of Guinea -Bissau's development strategy. The "Second 
National Poverty Reduction Strategy document - DENARP  II - 2011-2015" is accordingly based on 
four strategic  themes, including sustainable economic development through the development of 
cereals (including rice), cashew nuts, horticulture, fisheries and livestock.  
4.1.3   Main subsectors  
4.1.3.1   Cashew nuts  
4.10.   Raw cashew nuts from Guinea -Bissau  are highly competitive on the inter national market, 
with a KOR (Kernel Output Ratio, the quality measurement unit for raw cashews) which is one of 
the best of the world, and remain the main cash crop.  Guinea -Bissau is the fifth largest world 
producer but only receives 1% of the sector's va lue added whereas the potential of installed 
capacity is 10%. Cashew nuts account for three quarters of export earnings and about a fifth of 
State revenues. India is the main export market for Guinea -Bissau’s cashew nuts.2 
4.11.   Cashew nut exports have grown sig nificantly3 (Table 4.2), as has production, with an 
average annual growth rate of 6% since 1995. This performance was achieved over the period 
despite the fall in cashew nut prices from US$1,350/tonne i n 2011 to US$800  /tonne in 2013. 
                                                
2 AfDB, OECD, UNDP (2016), African Economic Outlook 2016: Sustainable Cities and Structural 
Transformation , OECD Publications, Paris. Viewed at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/aeo -2016-fr. 
3 Walter Cont and Guido Porto (2014), Measuri ng the Impact of a Change in the Price of Cashew 
Received by Exporters on Farmgate Prices and Poverty in Guinea -Bissau, Policy Research Working Paper 
WPS7036, the World Bank Group.  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 284 - 
 
  In 2012, a government  decree slashed a number of taxes, in particular export taxes, by 50% so as 
to facilitate the disposal and export of the estimated 50,000 tonnes of cashew nut stocks.4 
Table 4.2 Guinea -Bissau's trade in cashew  nuts, 2010 -2015  
 2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  
Volume exported (thousands of tonnes)  52.3 139.7 94.0 131.8 136.5 175.2 
Value of exports (€ billions)  56.9 85.1 76.8 95.2 87.3 138.1 
Export of cashew nuts (f.o.b. value in CFAF)  37,327.6 55,793.9 50,360.7 62,357,6  57,242.6 90,488.2 
Average export price f.o.b. (US$/tonne)  1,004.3 1,458.2 1,199.4 899.6 1,001 1,190 
Average export price f.o.b. (CFAF/kg)  497.4 688.1 612.3 444.4 650 420 
Producer price announced by the Government 
(CFAF/kg)  n.a. 250 250 250 300 300 
Average price paid to the producer (CFAF/kg)  272 333 300 275 275 525 
Basic price for export taxation  600 750 850 850 850 900 
n.a. Not available.  
Source : FAO Statistical Database (viewed at: http://faostat3.fao.org/home/E ) and Guinea -Bissau authorities.  
4.12.   In 2015, the cashew nut crop season was exceptional thanks to very good rainfall, a 
favourable political and social context and rising international demand. Exports totalled 
180,679 tonnes as a gainst 136,000 in 2014, with an average farm gate price of CFAF 520/ kg, a 
weighing price between CFAF 500 and 635/ kg, a price ranging from CFAF 450 and 850/kg on the 
domestic market and a reference price of CFAF 300/kg. The f.o.b. export price was  CFAF 650/kg 
as against CFAF 420/kg in 2014.5 For marketing year 2016, exports amounted to 193,000  tonnes  
with an average farm gate price of CFAF 600/ kg, and a reference price of  CFAF 350/kg; the f.o.b. 
(export) price was  CFAF 1,120/kg. The basic price for expo rt taxation was set at 
CFAF 563,359/tonne in 2016.  
4.13.   There are 16 processing units with an annual capacity totalling 22,470 tonnes. However, 
most of these do not have sufficient financial capacity (working capital) to buy the raw material 
and build up stock s that would enable them to operate year  round and thus are idle or 
non-operational. In order to attain a local processing rate of 30% and final value added of 29%, 
the Government intends to allocate CFAF 4.15 billion to the cashe w nut industry under its 
"Terra  Ranka" Plan.  
4.14.   In 2012, the National Cashew Nuts Commission was replaced by the National Cashew 
Agency (ANCA -GB), which has legal personality and administrative and financial autonomy and 
reports to the Prime Minister. It is responsible for following up the policies prepared jointly with the 
Ministry of Trade (for marketing) and the Ministry of Agriculture (for production). The Agency 
controls export quantities; the quality of raw products (humidity rate, size etc.), for which it issues 
a certificate w hich has been mandatory since 2014 and costs CFAF 3/kg6; and the prices charged 
at every stage by the economic operators or agents in the industry.  
4.15.   In order to improve cashew nut exports, the Government has also set up various structures: 
the Interministe rial Commission for oversight of the cashew nut marketing and export campaign; 
the Multidisciplinary Commission for export licensing, set up in 2011 and headed by the Ministry of 
Trade; and the Single Window, set up by customs in May 2014 for the administr ative procedures 
linked to cashew nut exports.  
4.16.   Exporters of cashew nuts must buy a licence ( section  3.1.1). Local traders must pay an 
annual fee of CFAF 100,000 to the Ministry of Trade for approval. At end -June 2017, a total of 
900 traders were approved t o buy from producers at a negotiated price with a minimum price set 
by the Government (CFAF 350 in 2016 and CFAF 500 in 2017).  
4.17.   Cashew nuts continue to bear a heavy burden of taxes, charges, levies and "contributions" 
from harvest through to export. These i nclude a levy of CFAF 10,000 for the certificate of origin 
issued by the Ministry of Trade; 3% of the f.o.b. reference price as an advance payment on 
industrial profits (export); and up to 8% of the f.o.b. reference price for other taxes and charges 
(inclu ding the 6% special tax; a rural property contribution of CFAF 15/kg; a levy of CFAF 4 .65/kg 
                                                
4 Decree No. 9/2012, published in Off icial Journal No. 45 of 6 November 2012.  
5 ANCA -GB (2015), Relatório da campanha de comercializaçaõ e exportaçaõ 2015 . 
6 Decree No. 26/2014.  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 285 - 
 
  paid to the Guinea -Bissau Ports Administration (APGB); a levy of CFAF 1 .5/kg paid to the Chamber 
of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture; a levy of CFAF 1/kg paid to  the National Shippers 
Council); not to mention the charges for disinfection of the cashew nut storage warehouse (carried 
out by the Ministry of Agriculture), and charges relating to the obtention  of the phytosanitary 
certificate from the Ministry of Agric ulture.7 The taxation of cashew nuts has risen significantly 
over the years. There used to be a levy of CFAF 50/kg paid into the industrialization promotion 
Fund (FUNPI)8 but this Fund was suspended in 2013, along with the levy.  
4.18.   The heavy taxation of the i ndustry encourages smuggling, in particular informal exports 
estimated at 6,000 tonnes in 2016.9 These informal exports mainly go through the ports of 
Ziguinchor (Senegal) and Banjul (Gambia), and in 2016 the Government therefore announced that 
it was step ping up border surveillance, with confiscation of the cashew nuts and the means of 
transport used for smuggling.10 
4.19.   In order to support the quality of Guinea -Bissau cashew nuts, the plant quarantine law and 
regulations on imports of phytosanitary products we re drawn up under the PNIA and are in force. 
The PNIA also provides for the adoption of a Master Plan for the industriali zation of the cashew nut 
subsector and the establishment of an early warning and phytosanitary monitoring system 
throughout the territory.   
4.1.3.2   Food crops  
4.20.   Rice is the main food crop in Guinea -Bissau, and the staple food of the population.11 The 
Government estimates that total gross cereal production increased by 27.8% between the  
2014/2015 and 2015/2016 seasons thanks to better rainfal l and the subsidization of 
(non-imported) agricultural inputs and phytosanitary products.  
4.21.   The subsector suffers from inadequate infrastructure, with dilapidated traditional 
waterworks. The country has a net shortfall of cereals, equivalent to 36% of domest ic demand, 
which is covered by imports ( section 1).12 The country regularly has to import over half its rice 
needs13, which exposes it to world price fluctuations. The Government has identified rice as one of 
the priority growth sources in its " Terra Ranka" Plan.  
4.22.   Guinea -Bissau's  PNIA includes investment to achieve cereal self -sufficiency by 2020 through 
better productivity, research to improve cereal quality, and the development of rice production in 
mangroves and paddy rice to palliate climatic hazards.14 The investment plan for this purpose 
covers: the supply of various phytosanitary products, fertilizers and improved seeds; acquisition 
by producers of tillers, tractors, motor pumps and accessories for the development of small -scale 
irrigation; and access by  farmers to draft animal powered mechanical chains. The PNIA also 
provides for the development of a credit system geared to small farmers.   
4.23.   The rice industry is open to private capital and some foreign companies are present, in 
particular Agrogeba (a Spani sh production, processing and marke ting company), and Agrosafim 
(a Portuguese production company).  
                                                
7 The f.o.b. reference price is set by the Government for each export campaign . 
8 Decree No. 19/11 of 3 May 2011.  
9 AGOP (2014), "Banco Mundial e gove rno da Guiné -Bissau defenderam fim de imposto sobre caju ", 
23 September. Viewed at: http://www.angop.ao/angola/pt_pt/noticias/africa/2014/8/39/Banco -Mundial -
governo -Guine -Bissau -defenderam -fim-imposto -sobre -caju,87421d44 -e388-4786-b5d8-815cc9dcbfda.html . 
10 Commodafrica, "Hausse de 16,6% du prix au producteur de cajou en Guin ée-Bissau". Viewed at: 
http://www.commodafrica.com/18 -04-2016-hausse -de-166-du-prix-au-producteur -de-cajou -en-guinee -bissau . 
11 Steven Kyle (2015), Rice Sector Policy Options in Guinea -Bissau , Working Paper WP 2015 -01. Viewed 
at: http://publications.dyson.cornell.edu/research/researchpdf/wp/2015/Cornell -Dyson -wp1501.pdf . 
12 AfDB (2016), African Statistical Yearbook . Viewed at: 
https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Publications/African_Statistical_Yearbook_2016.pdf . 
13 The Government controls rice imports by means of import licensing. It sets a retail price, which is the 
same throughout the country, o n the basis of world prices, in consultation with importers. It may thus decide 
to hold down prices by reducing import duties or other costs affecting products.  
14 Second National Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (2011 -2015) – DENARP II.  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 286 - 
 
  4.1.3.3   Livestock  
4.24.   Traditional animal husbandry is the second activity of the rural population, after crop 
growing. However, production remains marginal, self -consum ed and therefore not exported. 
Guinea -Bissau  has a chronic shortfall in animal products, and is therefore obliged to import almost 
all milk, eggs and meat supply for urban centres.   
4.25.   The 2010 Livestock Development Policy Paper and Plan of Action lay down th e strategic 
guidelines, namely: promotion of good governance in the industry; improvement of animal health 
and sanitary safety of foodstuffs of animal origin; rational management of agro -sylvo-pastoral 
resources; development of animal production; revival o f veterinary and zootechnical research; 
capacity building for stakeholders; and development of private enterprise. The " Terra Ranka" Plan 
sets out the development strategy for family farm livestock production  (including poultry, sheep, 
goats and pigs).  
4.26.   In practice, credit terms (short repayment periods of six months and high interest rates) are 
too harsh for livestock subsector farmers who therefore rarely and with difficulty resort to bank 
loans to finance their activities. Moreover, the private sector is  almost entirely absent, with the 
exception of a few small intensive poultry farms that are beginning to develop.15  
4.27.   The Government and organi zations such as FAO are forming partnerships to grant rolling 
loans to small farmers. Cooperatives sponsored by the  European Union also finance a number of 
producers, and some livestock farmers benefit from loans granted by NGOs. A genetic 
improvement programme in the WAEMU framework is in place, together with animal vaccination 
financing. Thanks to these various sourc es of financing, the herd has improved and the number of 
head increased.  
4.28.   Guinea -Bissau is also heavily dependent on the exterior for all livestock farming inputs. 
However, there is a recurrent problem of quality of imported inputs, and Guinea -Bissau does n ot 
have the capacity to control them. In addition, the domestic legislation in this field is obsolete and 
does not conform to the OIE international zoosanitary code or the WAEMU regulations in this field. 
A new livestock code, updated in 2009 by the Govern ment, has not yet been adopted.   
4.1.3.4   Wood  
4.29.   Although Guinea -Bissau 's forest ecosystems are very diversified, its forest resources and 
their potential contribution to the national economy are insufficiently known; reserves are 
estimated at 48 million m3.16 
4.30.   The "Terra Ranka" Plan provides for capacity building for the Directorate General of Forests 
and Hunting and in particular its capacities for guidance and planning of forest exploitation. The 
PNIA envisages the adjustment of forest taxes as well as taxes o n wildlife exploitation; revision of 
the forestry code to improve forest resource management on a community basis; and the 
introduction of a wood charcoal tax as part of the reorganization of the wood and charcoal 
industry.   
4.31.   In 2011 the Government adopted a new Forestry Law No. 5/2011 to govern felling and 
reforestation (currently being revised). The Law includes a provision aimed at promoting local 
value added by a ban on all exports of unworked wood. To obtain a licence, operators must 
undertake to carry out an environmental and social impact study and establish a reforestation 
plan. The number of licences granted in 2014 was 61, compared with 15 in 2012 -2013.17  
4.32.   In conformity with the CITES and following the intensification of wood trafficking in the 
wake of the coup d'Etat, Guinea -Bissau has banned exports of some wood species. In order to 
curb the extinction of a rare species ( Pterocarpus erinaceus , a West African rosewood  species ) that 
                                                
15 FAO (2016), Revue  des filières bétail/viande et lait et des politiques qui les influencent en 
Guinée -Bissau , Florentino Correia. Viewed at: http://www.fao.org/3/a -i5267f.pdf . 
16 FAO (2013), Cadre de programmation pays (CPP) 2014-2017 de la Guinée -Bissau . 
17 Yannis Arvanitis (2014),  "Natural Resources in Guinea -Bissau: Getting it right from the start ". 
Viewed  at: https://www.afdb.org/fr/blogs/measuring -the-pulse-of-economic -transformation -in-west-
africa/post/natural -resources -in-guinea -bissau -getting -it-right-from-the-start-13630 . WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 287 - 
 
  is present in Guinea -Bissau, in April 2015 the Government decided to impose a five -year ban on 
the felling and export of all wood, in particular the threatened species. The existing stock of felled 
wood should suffice for local demand according to the authorities.  
4.33.   In addition to the community provisions, the country impose s taxes according to the 
species, wood quality (two classes are recognized) and cubic volume. They range from US$25/m3 
to US$100/m3 (for Pterocarpus erinaceus ) for first -class wood; and US$20/m3 for all second -class 
wood. In addition, taxes of 25% and 5% o f the f.o.b. price are applied respectively to exports of 
wood planks and panels; and a "special" tax of 6% of the f.o.b. value per cubic metre has also 
been applied since 2014.18  
4.34.   The Government has set up a working group for a technical assessment of the wood export 
ban, review of the wood marketing tax and licensing arrangements.  
4.1.3.5   Fisheries  
4.35.   Guinea -Bissau has a 274 -km coastline stretching from the border with Senegal to the North 
to the border with Guinea to the South. Its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is  one of the biggest on 
the West African coast, with abundant fishery resources. However, fishing is not well developed 
(section 1)19, although fisheries remain the country's second source of foreign exchange 
(CFAF  12 billion in 2016), owing in particular to  bilateral fishing agreements – above all with the 
EU, licences and the various taxes and levies.20 The factors hindering fisher y development in 
Guinea -Bissau include: fishery management and port service supply shortcomings; obsolete cold 
storage infrastruc ture; the panoply of charges and taxes; and the requirement to employ 
nationals. Processing activities are embryonic and with the exception of a private industrial unit 
(Afripêche) are gradually disappearing owing to the difficulties.  
4.36.   Guinea -Bissau does no t have an industrial fishing fleet and the domestic small -scale fishing 
remains undeveloped. Small -scale fishing is for the most part carried out by an African fleet 
(Guinean, Senegalese, Gambian, Ghanaian and Sierra -Leonean); these fleets generally unload  
most of their catch in their ports of origin. Industrial fishing is still in the hands of international 
freezer vessels and joint companies operating under the licensing regime for "chartered foreign 
vessels" or under fishing agreements. Industrial fishin g is carried out in various forms: by 
chartering or under fishing partnership agreements with other countries, or through private 
agreements between Guinea -Bissau and private shipowners. The number of vessels operating in 
the EEZ has increased slightly, fr om 122 in 2010 to 148 in 2014.21 In 2015, almost 70% of these 
vessels were operating under fisheries agreements.22 
4.37.   The lack of ship maintenance and refuelling services, as well as of capacity for processing 
catches and creating local value added, obliges industrial fleets to unload in Dakar, Abidjan and 
Las Palmas before products are sent on to the subregional internat ional markets. Domestic fish 
production is essentially (70%) for export. Only 5,000 tonnes of industrial fish are unloaded 
annually at Bissau and then sent on to the port of Dakar, whose proximity and service quality, 
especially as regards electricity and water supply and transport, attract many vessels fishing in 
Guinea -Bissau's territorial waters.  
4.38.   In order to address this situation and enable vessels to unload their catches to supply the 
domestic market with fresh and frozen fish, the Government has sign ed an agreement with the 
West African Development Bank (BOAD) for a loan of CFAF 8 billion to rehabilitate the port of 
Bissau in 2013. In addition, the Alto Bandim fishing port was built with funds from the African 
                                                
18 Decree No. 1 0/2014.  
19 Secretaria de Estado das Pescas e Economia Marítima (2014), Plano Estratégico de Desenvolvimento 
das Pescas da Guiné -Bissau  (2015 –2020), October.  
20 AfDB, OECD, UNDP (2016),  African Economic Outlook 2016: Sustainable Cities and Structural 
Transfor mation , OECD Publications, Paris. Viewed at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/aeo -2016-fr. COFREPECHE, 
MRAG, NFDS and POSEIDON (2016), Évaluation rétrospective et prospective du protocole de l'accord de 
partenariat dans le secteur de la pêche entre l'Union européenne et la République de Guinée -Bissau . Contrat 
cadre MARE/2011/01 - Lot 3, Contrat spécifique n° 17. Brussels, 231 p. Viewed at: 
http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/sites/fisheries/files/docs/body/report -guinea -bissau -november -2016_fr.pdf . 
21 Data from the Directorate -General of small -scale fisheries. Viewed at: http://www.minpesca -
gw.org/apresentacao.html . 
22 Online information from the CSRP.  Viewed at: http://www.spcsrp.org/pt/guin%C3%A9 -bissau . WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 288 - 
 
  Development Bank (AfDB) and the EU. Never theless, because of the lack of suitable infrastructure 
all industrial vessels continue to use the port of Bissau, and only the Senegalese canoes use the 
port of Alto Bandim.23 In 2016 Guinea -Bissau signed a memorandum of understanding with China 
Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC), which is to build several infrastructure works including 
a port in Pikil in the north of the country and a deep water port at Buba.24 
4.39.   The Ministry responsible for fisheries implements government policy on: development and 
exploitation of aquatic natural resources; control and surveillance of fisheries in waters under 
national sovereignty and jurisdiction; scientific marine research; negotiation of fisheries 
agreements in cooperation with the Ministry responsible for foreign af fairs; and the issuing of 
access licences25 for fishery resources. Decree Law No. 10/2011 (Table 4.3 ) and its implementing 
regulations of 2011 define the arrangements for access to and management of fishery resources 
under national jurisdiction. Investments  in the fisheries industry are governed by the General 
Investment Code.  
Table 4.3 Fisheries legislation  
Legislation  Subject  
Presidential Decree No.  03/2016  
 
Decree -Law No. 10/2011 
(amended version awaiting 
promulgation)  Creation of the Ministry of Fisheries  
 
Fisheries  
Decree No. 4/1996  Licences and royalties  
Decree -Law No. 9/2011  Trade in fisheries products  
Decree -Law No. 24/2011  Small -scale fishing  
Decree -Law No. 04/2004  Creation of the Centre for Applied Fisheries Research  
Decree No. 07/98  (Criação do Centro de Investigação Pesqueira Aplicada  (CIPA))  
Joint Order No. 02/2016  
 
Protocol  Conditions of access to fisheries resources for fishing enterprises working with national 
and foreign vessels  
Subregional Fisheries Commission ( http://www.csrpsp.org ) 
Protocol of agreement  Partnership agreement for sustainable fisheries with the European Union 
https://publications.europa.eu/fr/publication -detail /-/publication/ef861c6c -5a73-11e4-
a0cb-01aa75ed71a1/language -fr 
Protocol of implementation  Fisheries agreement with Senegal  
Protocol of agreement  
 
Protocol of agreement  
 
 
 
Protocol of agreement  Framework agreement with Russia  
 
Fisheries agreement with the A.G.A.C (Association of Large Tuna Freezers)  and the 
A.N.A.B.A.C (National Association of Tuna Freezer Vessels Shipowners 
(http://www.minpesca -gw.org/r gb-anabac%20e%20agac%202014.pdf )) 
 
Fisheries agreement with the ZHONGYU Global Seafood Corp. (ZGSC)  
Source:  WTO Secretariat.  
4.40.   The Government considers the industry as strategic for the country's development and, in 
addition to the "Terra Ranka" Plan, has adopted a Fisheries D evelopment Strategic Plan 
(2015 -2020). The two Plans cover maritime fiscalization, research and development of maritime 
and small -scale fisheries, and aquaculture.26 The Plans also provided for the restructuring of the 
port of Bissau; u pdating of the Fisheries Code; multiply ing fisheries production by two -and-a-half 
times between 2013 and 2025; creation of fisheries infrastructure and a favourable environment 
for private investment (through the reform of the 2011 Investment Code); and th e development of 
                                                
23 COFREPECHE, MRAG, NFD S et POSEIDON (2016), Évaluation rétrospective et prospective du 
protocole de l'accord de partenariat dans le secteur de la pêche entre l'Union européenne et la République de 
Guinée -Bissau . Contrat cadre MARE/2011/01 - Lot 3, Contrat spécifique n° 17. Brus sels, 231 p. Viewed at: 
http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/sites/fisheries/files/docs/body/report -guinea -bissau -november -2016_fr.pdf . 
24 Chine se company to build new airport in Guinea -Bissau, Forum Macao. Viewed at: 
http://www.forumchinaplp.org.mo/portugues -empresa -chinesa -vai-construir -novo-aeroporto -na-guine -bissau . 
See also COFREPECHE, MRAG, NFDS et POSEIDON (2016), Évaluation rétrospective et prospective du protocole 
de l'accord de partenariat dans le secteur de la pêche entre l'Union européenne et la République de Guinée -
Bissau. Contrat cadre MARE/2011/01 - Lot 3, Contrat spécifique n° 17. Brussels, 231 p. Viewed at: 
http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/sites/fish eries/files/docs/body/report -guinea -bissau -november -2016_fr.pdf . 
25 The Directorate -General of Industrial Fisheries (DGPI) issues fishing licences for foreign industrial 
vessels and manages the fisheries agreements; and the Directorate -General of Small -Scale Fisheries (DGPA) 
issues the licences for small -scale fishing by domestic and foreign vessels. An Applied Fisheries Research 
Centre (CIPA) has been set up but the decree defining its scope of work has still not been adopted.  
26 An annual fisheries resource s management plan for 2015 has also been adopted. Secretaria de Estado 
das Pescas e Economia Marítima (2014), Plano de Gestão das Pescas para o Ano 2015, December.  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 289 - 
 
  industrial processing of fisheries products in a special economic zone to be established at Bissau 
with a view to tripling the industry turnover by 2025. The new fisheries law, drafted in 2014 and 
still awaiting promulgation, should streng then Guinea -Bissau's powers in terms of its prerogatives 
as a coastal state with respect to flag and port matters, as well as regulations in the industry.  
4.41.   In 2016 the conditions of access to the resources of the EEZ by enterprises carrying on 
fishery activ ities were updated by Government Order. Accordingly, licences may be granted to 
national enterprises or companies subject to the condition, inter alia , that they have their 
headquarters in the national territory and possess a gross tonnage capacity not exc eeding 
5,000 tonnes for pelagic fishing.27 Moreover, national enterprises that have a fishing licence for a 
chartered vessel must unload part of their catch in order to supply the domestic market.28 
Royalties for the fishing licences range, in the case of na tional vessels, from CFAF 28,500/GT/year 
to CFAF 145,000/GT/year (and from CFAF 1.95  million to 3.5 million per vessel per year for tuna 
vessels) and for chartered foreign vessels, from CFAF 40,500/GT/year to CFAF 174,000/GT/year 
(and from CFAF 3 to 5 mill ion per tuna vessel per year).  
4.42.   The vessels covered by the Order must also pay a contribution to a Fisheries Resources 
Conservation and Protection Management Fund. These contributions  range from 
CFAF 12,000/GT/year to CFAF 123,990/GT/year for shrimps, cepha lopod, demersal and pelagic 
fishing vessels; and CFAF 456,103 per tuna vessel per year. Finally, there is also a charge on 
fisheries -related operations, ranging from CFAF 60,000 /GT/year for transport of fuel for fishing 
vessels; CFAF  30,600/GT/year for the transport of fisheries products; CFAF 23,000/GT/year for the 
transport of fishing equipment and provisions; and CFAF 50,000/GT/year for fishing vessels.   
4.43.   Guinea -Bissau has signed two types of bilateral fisheries agreement: public se ctor 
agreements with other countries (EU, Senegal, China) and specific chartering agreements with 
shipowner groups (Chinese and Spanish).29 Over the period 2008 -2013, about 180 licences were 
issued per year for industrial fishing vessels, together with 22 a uthorizations for fisheries -related 
operations for periods ranging from 3 to 12 months.30 In 2015 and 2016, 188 and 197 licences 
were issued, respectively, for industrial fishing vessels, of which 52 for th e EU, 22 for Senegal, 
6 for the Union of Russian Sh ipowners, 16 for the National Association of Tuna Freezer Vessels 
Shipowners (ANABAC/AGAC), and 23 for ZHONGYU Global Seafood Corp (ZGSC).   
4.44.   The agreement between Guinea -Bissau and the European Union is the third largest source 
of revenue for the public fin ances after customs revenues and taxes. There have been several 
successive agreements since 1980. In February 2012, a new three -year Protocol of Agreement was 
negotiated between the parties and initialled but its adoption was suspended following the milita ry 
coup d’état in that year. The Protocol finally entered into force on 24 November 2014 for a period 
of three years, which enables EU vessels to resume their fishing activities in January 2015.31  
4.45.   Bearing the title of Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agre ement (SFPA)32, this Protocol 
authorizes up to 40 European Union vessels to fish for tuna, shrimps, cephalopods and demersal 
species in Guinea -Bissau's territorial waters against annual compensation (right of access for 
vessels to the EEZ, and support for s ustainable fisheries and compliance with sanitary standards) 
of €9.2 million over the period 2014 -2017.33 A laboratory has been built and equipped with 
EU financing, but it still lacks the equipment for microbiological analysis. In addition, 
                                                
27 Gross tonnage (GT) is the reference unit for a vessel's tonnage in Guinea -Bissau pursuant to 
Articles  64(g) and 18(2) of Decree -Law No. 10/11. Viewed at: http://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/gbs116923.pdf . 
28 40 kg/GT of fish or 5 kg of shellfish quarterly for shellfish fishing; 70 kg of fis h or 20 kg/GT of 
cephalopods in the case of cephalopod fishing; 50 kg of fish/GT quarterly for pelagic fishing; and 100 kg of 
fish/GT quarterly for demersal fishing.  
29 With the exception of the agreement with the Chinese enterprise ZGSC, the texts of these  
agreements was viewed at: http://www.minpesca -gw.org/Acordos.html . 
30 Plano Estratégico de Desenvolvimento das Pescas da Guiné -Bissau  (2015 –2020).  
31 Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries 
Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Guinea -Bissau, OJEU No. L/328 
of 13 November  2014.  
32 While the current Fisheri es Partnership Agreement is not strictly speaking called an SFPA, the Basic 
Regulation of the Common Fisheries Policy, in force since 2014, provides that eventually all fisheries 
partnership agreements will be of this kind.  
33 "EU–Guinea -Bissau renew sustainable fisheries cooperation", press release of 24 November 2014. 
Viewed at: https://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/e u-%E2%80%93 -guinea -bissau -renew -sustainable -fisheries -
cooperation_en . WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 290 - 
 
  Guinea -Bissau r eceives a levy based on the gross registered tonnage (GRT) of the authorized 
vessels34, and on the total tonnage of the fleet authorized to operate.  
4.46.   Community vessels are not obliged to unload their catches in Guinea -Bissau under the 
SFPA. Consequently, the y mainly unload their catches elsewhere on the West African coast, for 
example Dakar in the case of freezer trawlers whose catches are processed on board prior to 
shipment to the EU (for shrimps and noble fish), and other African countries for lesser -value  
catches.  
4.47.   In 2015, European vessels operating under the SFPA caught 17,983 tonnes of fish for a total 
value of €52.4 million.35 The (estimated) revenues from the SFPA in 2015 amounted to 
€6.2 million in compensation, €1.27 million  in royalties under the l icences, and €3 million paid 
directly to the administration responsible for fisheries as the first sectoral support instalment, for a 
total of €10.47 million.   
4.48.   On 16 December 2013 Guinea -Bissau signed a one -year protocol with ANABAC/AGAC, a 
Spanish associa tion employing vessels flying other countries' flags.36 The protocol was renewed in 
November 2014, increasing from 13 to 15 the number of tuna vessels authorized to access the 
EEZ and not under an EU Member State flag. The price of the fishing licence to be  paid to the 
public treasury rose from €8,000 to €12,000/year/vessel, and the contribution to the Fisheries 
Resources Management Fund, paid to the Ministry of Fisheries, was increased from €6 ,500 to 
€7,000/year/vessel. Unlike most other agreements, the pro tocol does not specify a reference 
tonnage for vessels, nor the number of Guinea -Bissau seamen to be taken on board. Nor does the 
protocol specify the operating conditions for vessels under a charter contract.37  
4.49.   The agreement signed with the Union of Russi an Shipowners (URS) in 2014 for a two -year 
period authorizes direct access for vessels not exceeding 5,000 GRT to the fisheries resources in 
the EEZ, with a total annual catch ceiling of 50,000 tonnes of small pelagic species and an annual 
licence price se t at CFAF 25,000/tonne of catch. An advance contribution to the Fisheries 
Resources Management Fund of CFAF 15 million/year/vessel is required. The Russian shipowners 
undertake to annual surveys to evaluate pelagic species resources; to unload 10% of their  catch at 
the port of Bissau for local marketing by a national enterprise; and to invest, on the basis of a plan 
approved by the Government, in the development of processing industries. Each vessel must 
employ at least 12 Guinea -Bissau seamen for a wage of  US$700/month. This agreement has not 
been renewed.  
4.50.   The 2010 implementing protocol of the Bilateral Fisheries Agreement with China of 1974 
allowed the company China International Fisheries Cooperation (CNFC)  to fish a specified 
maximum tonnage of shrimp, c ephalopods and demersal in the Guinea -Bissau EEZ for four years. 
Under this protocol, the compensation paid by the CNFC has essentially taken the form of 
investment in the fisheries sector in Guinea -Bissau. The protocol expired in June 201438 and was 
direct ly renewed in February 2015 with the Chinese company ZGSC, a subsidiary of CNFC, for a 
five-year period (2015 -2019). ZGSC under takes to make a payment of 
CFAF 12 million/vessel/year into the Fisheries Resources Management Fund prior to any 
application for a licence; to provide free of charge for two months five tonnes of fish to the officials 
                                                
34 Gross registered tonnage is the reference unit for a vessel's capacity under Decree -Law No. 10/11.  
35 COFREPECHE, MRAG, NFDS and POSEIDON (2016), Évaluation rétrospective et prospective  du 
protocole de l'accord de partenariat dans le secteur de la pêche entre l'Union européenne et la République de 
Guinée -Bissau . Contrat cadre MARE/2011/01 - Lot 3, Contrat spécifique n° 17. Brussels, 231 p. Viewed at: 
http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/sites/fisheries/files/docs/body/report -guinea -bissau -november -2016_fr.pdf . 
36 The association's vessels have the flags of Ecuador, Curacao, le P anama, Kiribati, El  Salvador, 
Guatemala, Seychelles and Cabo Verde. See COFREPECHE, MRAG, NFDS et POSEIDON (2016), Évaluation 
rétrospective et prospective du protocole de l'accord de partenariat dans le secteur de la pêche entre l'Union 
européenne et la Ré publique de Guinée -Bissau . Contrat cadre MARE/2011/01 - Lot 3, Contrat spécifique n° 17. 
Brussels, 231 p. Viewed at: http://ec.europa.eu /fisheries/sites/fisheries/files/docs/body/report -guinea -bissau -
november -2016_fr.pdf . 
37 These vessels do not appear to catch tuna. COFREPECHE, MRAG, NFDS et POSEIDON (2016), 
Évaluation rétrospective et prospective du protocole de l'accord de partenariat da ns le secteur de la pêche 
entre l'Union européenne et la République de Guinée -Bissau . Contrat cadre MARE/2011/01 - Lot 3, Contrat 
spécifique n° 17. Brussels, 231 p. Viewed at: 
http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/sites/fisheries/files/docs/body/report -guinea -bissau -november -2016_fr.pdf . 
38 Document published by the Ministry of Fisheries. Viewed at: http://www.minpesca -gw.org/RGB -
CNFC.pdf . WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 291 - 
 
  of the fisheries administration by way of compensation in kind; and to ma ke a certain number of 
"tax exempt" investments in the fisheries sector. A fine of US$1 million/year is provided for if the 
above -mentioned investments are not initiated within 12 months.  
4.51.   Since 2014,  other Chinese vessels are also operating in Guinea -Bissau's waters under 
chartering agreements for a value of about €100,000.39 Specifically, there are four vessels of the 
Shi Hai Company for demersal fishing.  The purpose of these agreements appears to be to supply 
the domestic market in demersal and pelagic f ish, and the construction of infrastructure for 
domestic fishing.40  
4.52.   Finally, a Maritime Fisheries Agreement with Senegal has been in force since 1978 and has 
allowed for the creation of a joint management maritime area. The fisheries resources are shared 
and managed by a Joint Management Agency under a Management and Cooperation Agreement.41 
The latest implementing protocol of this Convention, signed on 1 April 2016 for a two -year period, 
sets the possibilities and the price of the fishing licence for small -scale and industrial fishing 
vessels. The protocol provides that the issuance of industrial fishing licences is subject to the prior 
payment of a contribution to the Fisheries Resources Management Fund. The contributions range 
from CFAF 2.5 million/vessel/ year to CFAF 10 million/vessel/year according to the type of vessel. 
The creation of joint fisheries enterprises by economic operators of the two countries is likewise 
envisaged. In December 2015 Guinea -Bissau denounced this agreement and suspended its 
participation in the Joint Management Agency. A new agreement should be signed, following the 
renegotiation talks held between the two countries in 2015 and 2016, but  this had not been done 
at the time of writing of this report.  
4.53.   The renegotiations have genera lly enabled Guinea -Bissau to improve its gains under its 
fisheries agreements: through the creation of joint ventures aimed at better  integrating the 
off-shore fleet into the domestic economy; through the requirement to employ national seamen42 
and also by increasing the price of licences. An additional charge of 5% on the value of the licence 
introduced by the Ministry responsible for finance was included in the latest agreements with China 
in 2015 and Senegal in 2016.   
4.2  Mining and energy  
4.2.1   Mining  
4.54.   The Ministry  responsible for mining supervises various bodies in this sector as well as the 
State -owned enterprise Petróleo da Guiné  (Petroguin) and the national drilling company ( Empresa 
Nacional de Furos  (ENAFUR )). The hydrocarbon infrastructure is the responsibilit y of the fuel 
logistics company ( Companhia Logística de Combustível (CLC)) under the authority of the Ministry 
of Energy and Industry, which formulates the country's energy policy.   
4.55.   The Development Plan DENARP II (2011 -2015) envisaged for 2012 the revision  of the 
Mining and Petroleum Codes to bring them into line with community and international standards. 
In particular the revision was supposed to oblige operators to undertake environmental impact 
studies and improve the investment framework. To this end t he Decree -Law of 1986 and the Law 
of 2000 governing the activities of the extractive industry were replaced in 2014 by a Mining and 
Minerals Code (Law No.  3/2014 of 29 April 2014), for which the implementing regulations have not 
yet been adopted. DENARP II  also provided for Guinea -Bissau's joining the Extractive Industries 
Transparency Initiative; this process is under way, but Guinea -Bissau is still not a member.  
4.56.   The Government identified the mining sector as the fourth priority growth source in its 
"Terra Ranka" Plan. Currently there is no mine in operation. However, some small -scale gold 
mining activities have been noted.43 A few small quarrying units are also ope rating to extract 
                                                
39 Agritrade, "La Guinée -Bissau et l'UE relancent la procédure pour un APPD" , 18 Septembe r 2014.  
Viewed at: http://agritrade.cta.int/fr/Peche/Sujets/Relations -ACP-UE-APP/La -Guinee -Bissau -et-l-UE-relancent -
la-procedure -pour-un-APPD . 
40 Online information from the CSRP . Viewed at: http://www.spcsrp.org/pt/guin%C3%A9 -bissau . 
41 The fishing licences issued by each of the two countries authorize vessels to operate in the joint zone.  
42 This is one of the strategies of the Fisheries  Development Strategic Plan (2015 -2020).  
43 OECD  (2013), Guin ea-Bissau – African Economic Outlook 2013: Structural Transformation and 
Natural Resources , OECD Publications, Paris.  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 292 - 
 
  building materials ( quartzite, laterite, dolerite, clay and sand). At present, only dolerite is 
exported.  
4.57.   According to the World Bank, the exploitation of phosphates at Farim (deposits discovered 
in 1978) and bauxite at Boé could contribu te more than 15% of GDP.44 The reserves of the 
five bauxite deposits identified at Boé are estimated at 110 million tonnes, with an alumina (AlO3) 
and silica (SiO2) content evaluated at 44% and 3 .7%, respectively. Since 2007, Bauxite Angola 
has had an explo itation licence for these deposits; the Governments of Angola and Guinea -Bissau 
hold 20% and 10%, respectively, of the company's capital. After having updated the 
environmental and social impact study paving the way for exploitation operations, in 2016 Bau xite 
Angola was at the technical, economic and financial viability study phase. Bauxite Angola has 
announced investment of up to US$500 million, also covering rehabilitation of the necessary road 
network for exports and the first stages of construction of the deep -water port of Buba.45  
4.58.   The geological reserves of the Farim phosphate deposit are estimated at 105.6  million 
tonnes, with a phosphate (PTO5) content evaluated at 28.41%; industrial reserves are estimated 
at 34 million tonnes, with a phosphate conte nt of 34%. In May 2009, the Government granted 
exclusive rights for prospection, extraction, exploitation, transport and sale to GB  Minerals AG for 
a 25-year period renewable for 25 years. GB Minerals AG is exempted from taxes and charges and 
licence fees in connection with the construction of the infrastructure (roads, ports , etc.) linked with 
the Farim project, within and beyond the concession area covering 30,625  ha. The planned 
exploitation of 44 million dry tonnes over 25 years, averaging 1.75 million tonnes per year, has 
not yet begun.46 
4.59.   A deposit of heavy mineral sands (ilmenite, rutile and zirconium) has been found in the 
coastal area at Nhiquim/Varela. Potential industrial reserves are estimated at 780,000 tonnes of 
concentrated heavy sands. The comp any PORTO SARL obtained an exploitation and environmental 
compliance licence in 2012, but exploitation has been suspended by the authorities on the grounds 
of certain irregularities.  
4.60.   The Government's objective is the sustainable development of the mining potential and the 
products of small mines and quarries (for public works and construction) through the development 
of a phosphate and bauxite mine by 2025; the creation of a supportive framework for small -scale 
mining and quarrying; and the creation of 10 ,000 jobs in extraction – all within a framework of 
compliance with environmental standards. The aim is thus to triple the sector's value added (from 
CFAF 12 billion in 2013 to CFAF 36 billion in 2025).47 
4.61.   The 2014 Code provides inter alia for: the generaliza tion of royalties for all products 
extracted from the soil, subsoil and waters under Guinea -Bissau's jurisdiction; the establishment of 
a Mining Convention to accompany all mining titles, as of the exploration phase; the carrying out 
of an environmental im pact study for every type of exploitation, and, for large -scale projects, the 
holding of public consultations; and the implementation of the ECOWAS Directive48 on 
harmonization of mining sector guiding principles and policies. The Code provides for seven ty pes 
of titles available to both nationals and foreigners: prospection authorizations; exploration licence; 
small -scale exploitation licence; large -scale exploitation licence; exploration authorization for inert 
materials; licence for industrial quarrying; and licence for the purchase/sale/processing of mineral 
ores. One of the criteria of eligibility is that there should be a branch office or legal representative 
in Guinea -Bissau. The holders of mining titles must have recourse to the services of national 
suppliers and to products sold on the national territory or within the community area when they 
are available and competitive.  
                                                
44 AfDB, OECD, UNDP (2016),  African Economic Outlook 2016: Sustainable Cities a nd Structural 
Transformation , OECD Publications, Paris. Viewed at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/aeo -2016-fr. 
45 Yannis Arvanitis (2014), "Natural Resources in Guinea -Bissau: Getting it right from the start ". 
Viewed  at: https://www.afdb.org/fr/blogs/measuring -the-pulse-of-economic -transformation -in-west-
africa/post/natural -resources -in-guinea -bissau -getting -it-right-from-the-start-13630 . 
46 NI 43 -101 Technical Report on the Farim Phosphate Project, Guinea -Bissau , Report n°  5036GB 
Minerals Limited, September 2015. Viewed at: http://gbminerals.com/_resources/NI_43 -
101_Technical_Report_on_the_Farim_Phosphate_Project_09_14_15.pdf . 
47 Guinea -Bissau (2015), Plan Guin ée-Bissau 2025 - Terra Ranka , Presentation given at the Donors 
Round Table, Brussels, 26 March.  
48 Directive C/DIR3/05/Q9.  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 293 - 
 
  4.62.   Mining titles are transferable with the prior authorization of the Ministry and against 
payment of a tax. The State must obtain fr ee of charge a maximum participation of 10% in the 
capital of any enterprise holding a large -scale licence, and this share cannot be diluted in the event 
of a capital increase. Any national or foreign investor may apply to the Ministry for the right to 
process the extracted mineral products. The holders of exploration and exploitation licences are 
authorized to open and maintain foreign currency accounts in the commercial banks operating on 
the national territory. The quarrying authorization allows the hold ers in principle to sell and export 
output.  
4.63.   A charge of between 2% and 10% is levied on all pro ducts extracted from the 
Guinea -Bissau soil and subsoil depending on their nature; it is 5% for quarrying products. The 
profits tax applies at the standard rate of 25%. The Code provides for exemption from the export 
tax on mining products after they have been certified by the Directorat e-General of geology and 
mining. In the prospection and exploration phase, operators may enjoy exemption from customs 
duties, with the exception of the WAEMU and ECOWAS community levies. At the mine construction 
phase too, exemption from customs duties is also provided for, with the exception of the 
community levies on imports of equipment, fuel and lubricants for energy production. Finally, at 
the production phase, customs duties are reduced to 7.5% on imports of materials, fuel and 
lubricants intended for  energy production and the operation of vehicles and equipment.49  
4.2.2   Hydrocarbons  
4.64.   The 1982 Hydrocarbons Law, as amended in 1985, is the main legislation in this sector. A 
Decree -Law No. 4/2006 also governs the granting of concessions for exploration and produ ction of 
hydrocarbons on the offshore shelf. The Law requires the establishment of joint ventures (between 
foreign firms and the national company Petroguin) for exploration activities, as well as 
profit -sharing contracts under which Petroguin is the owner of any deposit discovered. The 
updating of the 1982 Petroleum Code was finally undertaken and a new l aw was adopted in 2014 
(Law No.  04/2014) but the implementing texts have not yet been adopted.  
4.65.   In Guinea -Bissau, the presence of offshore hydrocarbon rese rves has been mentioned but 
exploration of deposits has not yet yielded any significant results. Petroguin has signed several 
petroleum and gas prospection contracts with foreign companies covering 14 offshore blocks. 
Preliminary studies indicate that the reserves of these 14 offshore blocks could have been 
economically exploitable50 to the tune of almost 1.2 billion barrels in  2013.51 
4.66.   Two licences have been issued for exploration of two blocks (with an area of 4,800 and 
5,500 km2 respectively) in the Mauritania -Senegal -Guinea -Bissau -Conakry sedimentary basin 
(MSGBC basin), in the area jointly managed by Senegal and Guinea -Bissau. During the exploration 
phase, Petroguin is the partner of the company Cap Energy which acquired 85.7% of the capital of 
Sphere Petroleum Corporation (BVI), which holds a 35% participation in these two exploration 
licences.  
4.67.   In 2014, an agreement was signed between Petroguin and GeoPartners, in partnership with 
the Dutch company MGGS, for a 2D seismic campa ign covering three blocks that may hold large 
petroleum and gas deposits; these companies have the right of first refusal for the negotiation of 
exploration and production rights.52  
                                                
49 If the materials and equipment are not re -exported, the holder must pay the customs duties 
applicable to temporary import of goods, unless they obtain reductions in the case of permanent import.  
50 Yannis Arvanitis (2014), "Natural Resources in Guinea -Bissau: Getting it right from the start ". Viewed 
at: https://www.afdb.org /fr/blogs/measuring -the-pulse -of-economic -transformation -in-west-
africa/post/natural -resources -in-guinea -bissau -getting -it-right-from-the-start-13630 . 
51 Logistics and Supply Chain Management. Viewed at: http://gb.lscmltd.com/fr/zone -franche -
lscm.html . 
52 Online information viewed at: http://www.energy -pedia.com/news/guinea -bissau/new -158533 . WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 294 - 
 
  4.68.   In 2015, Petroguin signed two contracts with the Nigerian petroleum compan y Portplus for 
the prospection and, potentially, exploration and development of offshore petroleum resources. 
The process for the granting of an exploration permit was underway in the Council of Ministers.53  
4.69.   For the time being, Guinea -Bissau's hydrocarbon needs are covered entirely by imports. 
Information is not available on the organization of imports, storage of products, their marketing 
and the price structure and price -setting mechanism.  
4.2.3   Electricity and water  
4.70.   Under the Ministry of Energy and Industry, t he National Electricity and Water Company 
(Empresa da Electricidade e Águas da Guiné -Bissau  (EAGB )) has a monopoly in the transmission 
and distribution of electricity. The sector is open to self -production and independent producers, 
who must, however, sell  their production or surpluses to EAGB.  
4.71.   Electricity production is low and the supply is virtually confined to the capital Bissau. Total 
installed capacity for electricity is 15 megawatts (MW), but given the decrepit infrastructure (with 
very high loss rat es) actual capacity is only 8 MW for estimated needs of 30 MW for the city of 
Bissau; only 5  MW are possibly available 24 hours a day owing to lack of network maintenance and 
EAGB’s financial inability to procure the necessary fuel. A private company, AGRE KO, supplies 
EAGB with the electricity for Bissau. Electricity pilfering and non -payment of bills are also 
problems.54 Some localities are partially supplied by private producers.   
4.72.   The restoration of a minimum electricity service is included among the Gover nment's 
immediate priorities under the DENARP II for the period 2014 -2018. The financing of a 15 MW 
power station by the West African Development Bank (BOAD) in 2017 is planned, as well as a 
project under the Gambia River Basin Development Organization (OM VG), with AfDB 
participation .55 The OMVG  aims at better integration of member States through the interconnection 
of their electricity grids and development of the resources of their basins. In this framework, in 
2015 Guinea -Bissau obtained a subsidy of US$7 8 million from the World Bank for the 
establishment of a 218 km electricity transmission line linking it to the Kaléta dam, as  well as 
two transformer stations in the strategic distribution sites of Saltinho and Bambadinca, for an 
estimated total cost of U S$109  million. This project should enable Guinea -Bissau to cover 40% of 
its energy needs and save the roughly US$22 million used each year to purchase diesel and diesel 
products.56  
4.73.   Thanks to the better operation of EAGB, as a result of World Bank technical  assistance and 
an emergency programme including the purchase of fuel for the existing power station, it was 
possible to extend water and electricity supply by 39.2% in 2014 and 15% in 2015. As a result of 
structural investments (such as the OMVG interconn ection) and support from partners to ensure 
production, the situation should continue to improve in 2017.57 In the longer term the installation 
of pre -payment meters is planned.58 Tariffs are set by the EAGB and the Ministry of Finance and 
submitted to the C ouncil of Ministers for approval.  
4.74.   With respect to water, EAGB has 11 boreholes with an average production of 19,000 m3/day 
and seven reservoirs with a total storage capacity of 1,520 m3. EAGB’s total distribution network 
amounts to 230 km, (of which 72.5 km of asbestos cement pipes and 157.5 km of PVC pipes). 
                                                
53 Guinée -Bissau : Portplus et P etroguin signent pour l’exploration sur deux blocs au large , 
25 November  2015. Viewed at: http://www.a genceecofin.com/exploration/2511 -34092 -guinee -bissau -
portplus -et-petroguin -signent -pour-l-exploration -sur-deux-blocs-au-large. 
54 African Development Bank (2015), Guinea -Bissau – Country strategy paper 2015 -2019, ORWA/SNFO. 
Viewed at: https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Project -and-Operations/Guin%c3%a9e -
Bissau___Document_de_strat%c3 %a9gie_pays_2015 -2019.pdf . 
55 Online i nformation viewed at: http://www.omvg.org/index.php/widgetkit . 
56 La Banque mondiale octroie 78 millions de dollars EU au réseau électrique de la Guinée -Bissau , 
23 March  2015. Viewed at : http://www.agenceecofin.com/hydroelectricite/2303 -27546 -la-banque -mondiale -
octroie -78-millions -au-reseau -electrique -de-la-guinee -bissau . 
57 AfDB, OECD, UNDP (2016), African Economic Outlook 2016: Sustain able Cities and Structural 
Transformation , OECD Publications, Paris. Viewed at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/aeo -2016-fr. 
58 African Development Bank (2015), Guinea -Bissau – Country strategy paper 2015 -2019, ORWA/SNFO. 
Viewed at: https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Project -and-Operat ions/Guin%c3%a9e -
Bissau___Document_de_strat%c3%a9gie_pays_2015 -2019.pdf . WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 295 - 
 
  Owing to the dilapidated state of the infrastructure, the efficiency ratio of the water distribution 
network is extremely low (around 50%). It could be significantly improved rapidly by repairing the 
biggest leaks, but EAGB is currently unable to supply the materials and equipment required for the 
repairs.  
4.3  Manufacturing  
4.75.   Industrial activity is virtually non -existent in Guinea -Bissau , apart from a small -scale 
agro-industry essentially concerned with cashew nut processing. According to the World Bank 
Doing business  2017 report, the main difficulties faced by investors in Guinea -Bissau in 2016 were 
linked in particular to high transport costs, solvency problems, and t he lack of skilled manpower. 
Credit to the private sector also remains below what it should be, bearing in mind the country's 
fundamentals and the inadequate access to financial services.59 Accordingly, despite a slight 
improvement the business environment is one of the worst in the world ( section 2.4).  
4.76.   The Strategic and Operational Plan 2015 -2020 provides for the establishment of a legal 
framework providing incentives for the private sector, in particular through the creation of 
integrated industrial platfo rms, including a multisectoral special economic zone ( ZES) in Bissau by 
2025. The ZES should house industrial and agro -industrial activities (processing of cashew nuts 
and fisheries products) and offer, in addition to administrative incentives and traditio nal fiscal 
advantages, a comprehensive package of infrastructure and services (buildings, energy, water, 
transport, high -speed internet , etc.).  
4.77.   The 2016 -2018 work plan of the Directorate -General of Industry provides for the 
preparation of an industrial se ctor policy paper, new legislation and a number of initiatives aimed 
at promoting industrial development in all regions of the country.  
4.78.   In addition to the community commercial measures, including protection ( section 3), 
Guinea -Bissau offers the possibility  of obtaining State -subsidized land in industrial parks that have 
already been identified and exemption from duties and charges on imports of raw material and 
equipment. Moreover, advantages are granted under agreements signed by the State with 
investors, or under some projects included among the priorities of the national strategic plan.  
4.4  Services  
4.79.   In 2015, the tertiary sector's share of GDP amounted to some 38%, the main activity being 
wholesale and retail commerce, restaurants and hotels; the banking, insu rance and real estate 
subsector accounted for only 3.7% of GDP.  
4.4.1    Financial services  
4.80.   The regimes for financial services have been harmonized under WAEMU in the case of bank 
and micro -finance services, under the Inter -African Conference on Insurance Markets  (CIMA), as 
Guinea -Bissau belongs to these two institutions. Some elements have also been harmonized under 
the regimes governing other services (common report, section 4.4.4).  
4.81.   Guinea -Bissau has three insurance companies, all private (NSIA, GUINÉ BIS, ALLI ANCE), a 
semi-independent public pension fund (the National Social Security Institute), and one broker. In 
addition to the compulsory motor -vehicle civil liability insurance required under the CIMA Code, 
Guinea -Bissau has also imposed mandatory insurance f or goods imports and for public works. The 
mandatory insurance premiums are set by the State; the premiums for other types of insurance 
are set by the companies, but must be above a fixed minimum threshold. The fees on insurance 
services vary by type of pr oduct (type of insurance); for example, they amounted to 7% for motor 
vehicles and 5% for imported goods.  
4.82.   Banks play a small part in financing the economy60 owing to the its highly informal 
character , the weakness of the private sector, difficulties in the realization of collateral, and the 
                                                
59 AfDB, OECD, UNDP (2016),  African Economic Outlook 2016: Sustainable Cities and Structural 
Transformation , OECD Publications , Paris. Viewed at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/aeo -2016-fr. 
60 Idem.  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 296 - 
 
  fragility of debt -collection institutions. The bank penetration rate was about 1% in 2015.61 Most 
lending to the economy is short term and concentrated in the cashew nut industry, which is a 
constraint on performance but k eeps banks' profit margins high in Guinea -Bissau.  
4.83.   Guinea -Bissau's banking system is confined to five banks62, including the Banque Atlantique 
established at the end of 2016, and 18 decentralized financial institutions (SFDs) registered with 
the BCEAO (of w hich 6 were active and 12 inactive at the end of September  2015) . In March  2016, 
Guinea -Bissau had 30 bank counters compared with 22 in March 2015. The number of bank 
account holders also increased, to 97,689 at the end of March  2016, compared with 78,685 at end 
March 2015, an increase of 24.5%.63 A salient aspect of the Guinea -Bissau banking system during 
the period under review is the rise in debt in arrears as from 2014, and the disputes arising from 
the solutions put forward by the State  (section 1.2).  
4.84.   Microfinance activities remain undeveloped and the institutions (concentrated in Bissau, with 
a few establishments in the rest of the country) are all private sector, in the form of savings and 
loans cooperatives. None of the SFDs has the form of a limited  company (SA) or limited liability 
company (SARL). Two applications for approval have been made to set up SFDs in the form of 
limited companies: one request for approval is awaiting the opinion of the Central Bank of West 
African States (BCEAO) and the sec ond is being studied. The SFDs are grouped in the Professional 
Association of Decentralized Financial Systems of Guinea -Bissau (AP -SFD GB).64  
4.85.   Microfinance establishments offer limited financial services to low -income households. In 
2015, outstanding credit amounted to CFAF  84.2 million, deposit -taking amounted to 
CFAF 173.3  million, and delinquent loans and losses on loans amo unted to CFAF 47 mi llion and 
CFAF 30 million respectively.65 In order to improve microfinance performance, in 2014 the 
Government adopted a master plan for the professionalization of microfinance based on the 
community rules, but the plan has not yet been implemented.66 
4.4.2   Teleco mmunications  
4.86.   Telecommunication services have posted remarkable growth in recent years thanks to the 
opening up of the sector to several operators and the adoption of a number of legislative texts. 
The Framework Law of 2010 and its four implementing decree s govern inter alia  interconnection 
and network access, and the supply of information and communication services and networks. The 
institution regulating this sector is still the National Regulatory Agency ( Autoridade Reguladora 
Nacional  das Tecnologias de  Informação e Comunicação  (ARN)).67  
4.87.   The Ministry responsible for communications formulates national policy in this field. The ARN 
defines with the Government the national strategies for promoting the development of 
telecommunication services; it regulates them, studies licence applications and advises the 
Government in this area, while ensuring effective competition in the subsector. The ARN approves 
the tariffs for wholesale services and interconnection services negotiated among operators.68 For 
domestic ca lls, the private operators set tariffs for prices of telephone services and submit them to 
the ARN for approval. For international calls, tariffs are subject to the rules of the International 
Telecommunication Union (ITU). In 2015, the ARN began a public c onsultation concerning draft 
regulations on radio communications charges;69 the regulations have not yet been adopted.  
                                                
61 African Development Bank (2015), Guinea -Bissau – Country strategy paper 2015 -2019, ORWA/SNFO. 
Viewed at: https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Project -and-Operations/Guin%c3%a9e -
Bissau___ Document_de_strat%c3%a9gie_pays_2015 -2019.pdf . 
62 Banco da Uniāo (BDU -SA), Ecobank -GB, Banco da Africa Ocidental (BAO -SA), Orabank (which has 
replaced the Regional Solidarity Bank (BRS)).  
63 BCEAO (2016), Évaluation du système bancaire: bancarisation, emploi s, ressources et conditions des 
banques, Direction nationale pour la Guinée -Bissau . 
64 In accordance with the Law regulating SFDs, adopted on 6 April 2007 by the Council of Ministers of 
the Union.  
65 AfDB, OECD, UNDP (2016),  African Economic Outlook 2016: Su stainable Cities and Structural 
Transformation , OECD Publications, Paris. Viewed at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/aeo -2016-fr. 
66 Idem.  
67 The tariffs applied by the various operators are available on the ARN website  at: www.arn.gw . 
68 ARN website: www.arn.gw . 
69 The text of th is project was viewed on the following site: http://arn.gw/consulta -publica . WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 297 - 
 
  4.88.   In accordance with the existing provisions, operators must be established on the national 
territory (or have duly established representatives there) in order to obtain from ARN the 
individual licences lasting ten years (with possibility of renewal) for: ne twork operation; supply of 
telecommunication service; utilization of the public domain resources (in particular radio 
frequencies and numbers). The public specifications are prepared by the ARN in consultation with 
operators and then submitted to the Gover nment for approval. The assigning of rights to use 
resources such as frequencies, numbering and domain names and addresses, is subject to the 
payment of fees set by the Council of Ministers on the proposal of the Ministry responsible for 
telecommunications , depending on the costs associated with the administrative tariffs and on the 
basis of the Law of 2010.   
4.89.   A Decree on the construction and exploitation of submarine cable systems and terminals 
and related installations was adopted in October 2012.70 Guinea -Bissau has still not been able to 
link up, as it had hoped, to the Africa Coast to Europe  (ACE) fibre -optic submarine cable project, 
12,000 km of which came into service at the end of 2012.71 In 2013, a technical viability study 
was carried out for the inst allation of submarine cables in Guinea -Bissau. Following approval of the 
project by the World Bank, the Government approved the creation of a public -private sector 
consortium to manage the ACE project with a 25.5% participation for each of the two operator s, 
Orange and MTN, and 49% for the State.  
4.90.   A decree of July 2013 authorizes national and foreign enterprises to register domains for 
periods of one to ten consecutive years; in return they undertake to establish their activities in the 
national territory d efinitively within a period of 12 months. The names of subdomains may be 
registered by the providers of services that hold authorizations granted by the ARN.  
4.91.   The companies that have a licence for the mobile network are MTN Guinea -Bissau 
(previously Spacete l Guinea -Bissau), whose licence was renewed in June 2014; Orange Bissau, 
whose licence was renewed in January 2017; and Guiné Telecom Fixa, which has had a lease 
contract for the fixed -line network since 2004. Guinétel – GTM's licence expired in 2013 and h as 
not been renewed. The licences of Orange Bissau and MTN were renewed, with a new licence to 
exploit the 3G and 4G service. The privatization of the historic operator Guiné Telecom 
(Companhia de Telecomunicações da Guiné -Bissau ) and its mobile subsidiary , Guinetel, which are 
both bankrupt and held in a proportion of 40% by the State and 60% by the l'APGB – 
Guinea -Bissau Ports Administration – has still not taken place. The State is considering buying the 
APGB's 60% holding so as to become the sole shareho lder. The Government has obtained 
financing from the World Bank for the restructuring of Guiné Telecom.  
4.92.   Despite its monopoly on the fixed -line network, Guin é Telecom has steadily lost clients with 
the development of mobile telephony since 2000, above all o wing to the very poor state of the 
infrastructure.72 According to the authorities, it takes about a month and CFAF 30,000 to obtain a 
fixed telephone line from Guiné Telecom. At the end of December  2012, the number of subscribers 
to the fixed  telephone netw ork was 3,860, far below the nominal installed capacity in terms of 
subscribers and lower than in 2011 (4,775).  
4.93.   Subscribers have switched to mobile telephony whose share has grown steadily (with a 
penetration rate of 83.24% in 2016) and in particular the two main competing operators: the 
South African company MTN and the Franco -Senegalese company Orange Bissau. In 2016, Orange 
Bissau and MTN shared the market of 1,285 million subscribers almost equally, with 46.69% and 
53.31% of the market, respectively. I n 2015, these two companies made annual investments of 
CFAF 11.5 billion for MTN and CFAF 5.9 billion for Orange Bissau.  
4.94.   There has been an open market for Internet access since 2015. The current providers are:  
Guiné Telecom, Orange Bissau, MTN, and  Net Sem Fios (since 2015); the licence of Eguitel 
                                                
70 Decree No. 8/2012. Viewed at: http://arn. gw/activeapp/wp -content/uploads/2015/03/BOLETIM -sup-
nº43.pdf . 
71 "France Télécom Orange annonce la mise en service du câble sous -marin ACE pour les 13 premiers 
pays" , 19 December 2012. Viewed at: https://www.ace -
submarinecable.com/ace/media/ace_fr/UPL389171684192165237_CP_Orange_ACE_FR_191212.pdf . 
72 "Africa: Guinea -Bissau seeks to privatise Guiné Telecom", The Economist Intelligence Unit, 
22 November 2013. Viewed at: http://www.eiu.com/industry/article/61266790/africa -guinea -bissau -seeks -to-
privatise -guine -telecom/2014 -01-16. WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 298 - 
 
  Comunicações was not renewed. Operators already active do not need to have a prior 
authorization for GSM (mobile) to provide Internet access; only new operators must apply to the 
ARN for authorization. The numb er of Internet subscribers was 886 at end -2015: 165 for a speed 
over 256 kbps and the remaining 721  for a speed of between 128 and 256 kbps.  The high -speed 
wireles s supplier, Net Sem Fios, a consortium consisting of the Portuguese firms Elmafe and Wifi 
Antena, began wireless Internet services in Bissau in April 2015. This supplier has apparently 
expanded from an initial coverage of 30% to a full coverage of all Bissau at the beginning of 2016, 
and is preparing to expand its services to the rest of the count ry.73 After having launched 
high-speed Internet in 2009, Orange Bissau put its 4G LTE network into service in December 2015, 
initially only in Bissau before extending it to other more distant localities. This operation was 
facilitated by the purchase of a j oint 3G/4G licence for CFAF 2 billion (about US$3.33 million), 
making Orange Bissau the first subsidiary of Sonatel (of Senegal) to inaugurate the commercial 
offer of 4G.74 
4.95.   A decree of 2011 created a Universal Access Fund for telecommunication services in o rder 
to promote the development of rural telephony. The Fund is financed by the operators MTN and 
Orange Bissau who pay in 1% of their turnover.75 The ARN contributes a third of the profits from 
its operations to the Fund. The management committee of the Fu nd consists of a representative of 
the Ministry responsible for telecommunications, representatives of the private operators, a 
representative of the Fund’s Executive Secretariat and the President of the ARN. The function of 
the committee is to approve the  financing of projects submitted to the Fund. The independent 
Executive Secretariat is responsible for management of the Fund. The Fund's resources have made 
it possible to finance cybercafés in Bissau and the regions.  
4.96.   Information on the regulations govern ing the provision of postal services are not available.  
4.4.3   Transport services  
4.4.3.1   Land transport  
4.97.   Road transport remains the main means of access to most of the towns and rural 
communities in Guinea -Bissau and accounts for 60% of the traffic of persons and good s. 
4.98.   The road network is still not dense (12.3 km of roads per 100 km²), almost entirely situated 
on the continental part of the country, of which only 28% are paved. The main road network is 
very deteriorated, as are the secondary and rural networks, owing to lack of maintenance and 
frequent overloading of axles. This dilapidation is particularly noticeable in the South of the 
country, where access is difficult during the rainy season, which complicates the movement of 
agricultural products in the high produ ction areas to the consumption and export areas (in 
particular Bissau).   
4.99.   The DENARP II Plan provides for the improvement of access to the country's production 
areas through the rehabilitation of rural roads (in the southern regions as a matter of priority) ; 
maintenance and/or construction of roads and crossing infrastructure; and ongoing efforts relating 
to interconnection with Senegal ( Farim -Tanaff axis)  and Guinea (Conakry)  (Boké -Québo route), as 
these regional interconnections, like the secondary road ne twork, are a bottleneck for the 
agricultural sector.76 
                                                
73 Agência de Notícias da Guiné, " Guiné -Bissau – Empresa "Net sem Fios" já cobre toda a capital 
domingo ", Baía da Lusofonia, 3 January 2016. Viewed at : http://baiadalusofonia.blogspot.ch/2016/01/guine -
bissau -empresa -net-sem-fios-ja.html . 
74 "Orange switches on LTE network in  Guinea -Bissau", Telegeography, 4 January 2016. Viewed at: 
https://www.telegeography.com/products/commsupdate/articles/2016/01/04/orange -switches -on-lte-network -
in-guinea -bissau . 
75 Decree No. 17/2011 of 25 February 2011 transposing the provisions in the ECOWAS Supplementary 
Act A/SA 6/01/07 on Universal Access/Ser vice, and WAE MU Directive No. 04/2006/CM/UEMOA relating to 
universal service.  
76 African Development Bank (2015), Guinea -Bissau – Country strategy paper 2015 -2019, ORWA/SNFO. 
Viewed at: https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Project -and-Operations/Guin%c3%a9e -
Bissau___Document_de_strat%c3%a9gie_pays_2015 -2019.pdf . WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 299 - 
 
  4.100.   Licences for the provision of road transport services are issued by the Directorate -General 
of Transport to foreigners and nationals who have formed companies for the purpose. According to 
the authoriti es, cabotage by foreign transporters is not banned.  
4.4.3.2   Maritime and river transport and port services  
4.101.   Guinea -Bissau does not have an international transport fleet flying the national flag. In 
order to operate services between Guinea -Bissau and other countries , it is necessary to form a 
Guinea -Bissau enterprise or have a representative office on Guinea -Bissau territory.  Four shipping 
companies provide such services: Maersk line, Port line, Agemar and Transmar. However, 
cabotage by foreign fleets is not allowed . Antaser Afrique BVBA is responsible for issuing Cargo 
Tracking Notes (CTNs) under the supervision of the National Shippers Council, against payment 
(section 3.1.1).  
4.102.   Guinea -Bissau has ten ports (one at Bissau and nine in other regions ), but does not yet  
have a deep -water port; the construction of one at Buba is at the project stage. The port of Bissau 
is of strategic economic importance, in particular for cashew nut export operations. It is the 
country’s only port that offers all the necessary operating conditions, and handles 85% of exports 
and 90% of imports. However, it is inefficient and provides limited services; it has supply problems 
for water, fuel, electricity, and suffers from burdensome administrative red tape.77 
4.103.   The port was originally scaled for 5,000 containers per year, and exceeds its annual 
capacity by 300%; its facilities are old and over -used, which in practice necessarily leads to long 
waiting times. Access to the port is also hindered by the lack of maint enance, dredging of channels 
and adequate tools. In addition, port operation costs at Bissau are among the highest in the 
subregion. The West African Development Bank has approved a loan of CFAF 8 billon for the 
Guinea -Bissau Ports Administration in June 2 012, in particular to cover the costs of dredging the 
port access channel and basin, which must be done before it is put out to concession. The loan 
should also allow the rehabilitation of structures and upgrading of the equipment so as to improve 
the qual ity of port services, increase port traffic and container storage capacity, and reduce ship 
stays from five to two days.78 
4.104.   The port of Bissau is still managed by the APGB, a State company under the Ministry 
responsible for transport, which has legal, admini strative and f inancial autonomy. A new 
decree -law of 2011 was to have transformed the APGP into a service provider with a view to its 
services being put out to concession.79 Following a decision of the Council of Ministers, an 
international public competiti on was opened in July 2015 in order to establish a public/private 
partnership with the APGB for the management of the commercial port of Bissau.  
4.105.   Port services are provided by the APGB. Various levies and charges are applied for, 
inter alia, mooring, berth ing, port use (according to the goods), storage of goods and containers, 
docking and undocking, loading and unloading of sacks, and use of equipment. They are fixed by 
the APGB and approved by the Ministry.  
4.106.   According to the authorities, the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS), 
adopted by the International Maritime Organization to improve the security of ships and port 
facilities to prevent their use for terrorism purposes, is applied by Guinea -Bissau.  
4.107.   With respect to river transport, a Spanish private company (Consulmar)  has two boats that 
provide inter -island services between Bissau/Bolama/Bubaque; a national enterprise (Sotramar) 
has three boats but currently only two are operational, and provide a service between 
Bissau/Bolama/Bubaq ue.  
4.4.3.3   Air transport  
4.108.   Bissau has the country's main transport infrastructures, and in particular the only 
international airport (Osvaldo Vieira). In other regions, the aerodromes of Gabú, Cufaro, and the 
                                                
77 Plano Estratégico de  Desenvolvimento das Pescas da Guiné -Bissau (2015 –2020).  
78 BOAD, Press release. Viewed at: http://www.boad.org/sites/default/files/cpbissau120712_1.pdf . 
79 A Port Maritime Institut e, under the State Secretariat for Transport and Communications, was set up 
in 2011.  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 300 - 
 
  airstrips of Bolama, Cacine  and Varela are in a poor state and not commercially exploitable. Only 
the airport of Bubaque is commercially exploited for domestic flights. The country does not have a 
national airline.  
4.109.   The Civil Aviation Agency of Guinea -Bissau (AAC -GB), which is financ ially independent 
under the Ministry responsible for transport, has since 2005 been the Government body 
responsible for the sector.80 The AAC -GB issues authorizations to operate air transport services. 
Operation of the airport has been entrusted to the Agen cy for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa 
(ASECNA) since December 2011.  
4.110.   Guinea -Bissau applies the WAEMU provisions and those in the Yamoussoukro Declaration 
on air transport (common report, section 4.4.2.1). Air transport services have been the subject of  
a number of bilateral agreements, essentially dealing with third and fourth freedom of rights. 
Ground services at Bissau airport (passengers and freight) are provided solely by a State -owned 
company, the SAA ( Serviço de Assistência Aeroportuária), which s ets its rates following approval 
by the AAC.   
4.111.   A revision of the Guinea -Bissau Air Code has been drafted in order to update the legislation 
which dates from 1985.81 The draft code was drawn up in 2015 and is awaiting adoption by 
Parliament. The AAC prepared a first edition of the Guinea -Bissau technical air navigation 
regulations in April 2016.82 The traffic rights of companies not party to the Yamoussoukro 
agreement are granted on the basis of agreements between the airline's headquarters country an d 
Guinea -Bissau. The " Terra Ranka" Plan envisages upgrading the airport infrastructure, in particular 
the modernization of Bubaque and Bissau airports (including standardization of the air navigation 
system) in order to meet international standards.  In 20 15, Orabank bank financed rehabilitation 
works for the aircraft parking area at Osvaldo Vieira international airport of Bissau.  
4.112.   Since September 2013, the Togolese airline Asky Airlines has operated a service to Bissau, 
in addition to the existing Royal Ai r Maroc flight from Casablanca; Transair flight from Dakar; TACV 
flight from Praia in Cape Verde and Dakar; and since 1 December 2016, TAP Portugal from Lisbon, 
after an interruption of three years for security reasons.  
4.4.3.4   Tourism  
4.113.   Guinea -Bissau has great tour ism potential, centred on the  Bijagós archipelago and its 
88 islands, and network of national parks covering 23.7% of the country’s territory.83 It has 16 
hotels, five of which are two star, two are three star, two four star, and the rest unclassified.84 The 
number of tourist entries to Guinea -Bissau has risen steadily since the previous PPR, rising from 
22,300 in 2010 to 45,199 in 2016 according to official statistics. Data on distribution of tourists by 
origin are not available.  
4.114.   The tourism subsector is one  of the five priority growth sources identified by the 
Government in its "Terra Ranka" Plan. The Plan envisages: a numerus clausus of 25 ,000 tourists in 
2020 and 40, 000 in 2025 in order to promote the country's positioning as an upmarket 
destination; the c reation of 15 tourist zones, including a special tourist zone in the Bolama -Bijagós 
archipelago; and the development of intra - and inter -island transport (currently provided by a few 
boats) in partnership with the hotel resorts.85 However, the legal texts f or tourism establishments 
                                                
80 Decree No. 3 -A/2005 creating the Civil Aviation Agency of Guinea -Bissau. This decree transports the 
provisions in Directive No.  1/2004/CMUEMOA (common report, section 4. 4.2.1).  
81 This revision was viewed on the AAC -GB website  at: http://www.aacgb.gw/wp -content/themes/aac -
gb/docs/Proposta_de_revisao_do_ Codigo_Aereo_da_Guine -Bissau.pdf . 
82 Online information viewed at: 
http://www.icao .int/safety/scan/PlansOfAction/Bissau_%20plan%20daction%20Revised%2018 -02-
13_RD_Final%20_26%20February%202013.pdf#search=Guin%C3%A9e%20Bissau . 
83 Fiche technique Guinée -Bissau , Joana Benzinho, Marta Rosa, December 2015. Viewed at: 
http://eeas.europa.eu/archives/delegations/guinea_bissau/documents/press_corner/20160215_guide_guinee -
bissau_union_europeenne _afectos_fr.pdf . 
84 Plano Director de Turismo e Zonamento Turístico . 
85 The Internet site created for this purpose is: www.discoverbijagos.org . WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 301 - 
 
  and the creation of a fund for the promotion of the subsector still date from 1989 and 1992.86 The 
Tourism Law has been revised but is awaiting adoption by Parliament.  
4.115.   The conditions for investment in tourism are governed by the 20 11 Investment Code 
(section 2). A Tourism Fund has been established for the promotion and coordination of public and 
private initiatives directly relating to tourism. Its finances stem in particular from the taxes relating 
to the issue of titles for hotel establishments, and taxes on tourism activities. In 2013, a draft law 
revising the regulations of the Tourism Fund was prepared by the State Secretariat for the 
Environment and Tourism. It has not yet been adopted. In 2014 the Government had planned an 
audit of the Tourism Fund, which was not carried out. The tourist tax is included in the prices of 
hotel, restaurant and other tourist and other tourist establishment services. The rates are: 3% of 
turnover for bars, "maquis" and popular restaurants; 6% in th e case of restaurants, grills and 
discotheques; and 8% of turnover for hotels. The proceeds of the tourism tax go to the Tourism 
Fund. Nevertheless, operators may choose a flat -rate regime based on an annual estimate. A 
charge of CFAF 1,000 per night is al so levied.  
                                                
86 Decrees Nos 33/89 of 27 December 1989; 62 -C/92 of December 1 992; and 62 -D/92 of 
30 December  1992.  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 302 - 
 
  5  APPENDIX TABL ES 
Table  A1.1 Structure of imports , 2011 -2015  
 2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  
World (US$ million)  325.4  309.7  322.7  412.5  293.6  
World (€ million)  234.1  241.0  243.0  310.9  264.8  
 (Percentage  share)  
Total primary products  51.7 50.7 59.1 62.4 51.0 
 Agriculture  38.3 32.5 40.2 32.5 36.1 
 Food 36.9 30.7 38.9 31.7 35.3 
 0423 - Rice, semi -milled or wholly milled, whether or not 
polished, glazed, parboiled or converted  12.2 9.6 7.8 5.6 7.8 
 0989 - Food preparations, n.e.s.  1.8 1.9 5.4 3.3 4.8 
 0985 - Soups and broths and preparations therefor  0.6 1.3 1.8 2.8 3.5 
 4222 - Palm oil and its fractions  1.3 1.7 2.8 1.6 3.3 
 Agricultural raw materials  1.4 1.9 1.3 0.8 0.8 
 Mining  13.5 18.1 18.9 29.9 14.9 
 Ores and other minerals  0.1 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 
 Non-ferrous metals  0.2 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.5 
 Fuels 13.2 17.8 18.7 29.7 14.4 
Manufactures  47.0 48.3 40.3 37.0 48.2 
 Iron and steel  7.6 10.9 6.4 5.0 4.9 
 Chemicals  6.4 5.6 7.3 6.3 10.4 
 5751 - Polymers of propylene or of other olefins  0.3 0.3 0.5 0.2 2.9 
 Other semi -manufactures  9.0 8.2 8.2 6.8 11.0 
 6612 - Portland cement, aluminous cement, slag cement, 
supersulphate cement and similar hydraulic cements, whether 
or not coloured  4.0 3.6 3.8 2.2 2.7 
 6911 - Structures and parts of structures  0.6 0.6 1.0 1.0 2.1 
 Machinery and transport equipment  17.2 17.6 12.6 11.7 14.5 
 Power -generating machinery  2.4 1.8 0.7 0.8 0.5 
 Other non -electrical machinery  4.0 5.5 3.7 3.0 3.3 
  Agricultural machinery and tractors  0.3 0.4 0.2 0.4 0.6 
 Office machines and telecommunications equipment  4.2 2.9 2.5 3.0 4.0 
 Other electrical machinery  2.0 2.8 1.7 2.0 2.5 
 Automotive products  3.8 3.6 2.9 2.3 3.6 
 Other transport equipment  0.9 1.0 1.1 0.6 0.6 
 Textiles  1.8 1.5 0.6 1.3 1.6 
 Articles of apparel and clothing accessories  0.4 0.6 0.3 0.5 0.5 
 Other consumer goods  4.6 4.0 5.0 5.3 5.3 
Other  1.2 1.0 0.7 0.6 0.8 
Source:  WTO Secretariat calculations based on mirror data from Comtrade, UNSD (SITC Rev.3).  WT/TPR/S/ 362/Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 303 - 
 
  Table  A1.2 Structure of exports , 2011 -2015  
 2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  
World (US$ million)  385.4  180.9  303.4  265.2  285.2  
World (€ million)  277.2  140.8  228.5  199.9  257.2  
 (Percentage share)  
Total primary products  97.8 96.8 97.5 98.3 98.3 
 Agriculture  78.0 95.1 94.6 97.7 98.0 
 Food 75.3 87.1 90.7 78.6 91.8 
 0577 - Edible nuts, fresh or dried  69.2 82.8 65.2 71.3 82.2 
 0342 - Fish, frozen  2.8 3.5 22.9 6.5 7.7 
 Agricultural raw materials  2.7 8.0 3.9 19.1 6.2 
 2475 - Wood of non-coniferous species, in the rough or 
roughly squared, but not treated with paint  1.1 3.4 3.3 18.8 6.2 
 Mining  19.8 1.7 2.9 0.6 0.2 
 Ores and other minerals  6.4 1.3 2.9 0.6 0.2 
 Non-ferrous metals  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
 Fuels 13.3 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 
Manufactures  2.2 0.8 1.2 1.6 0.3 
 Iron and steel  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
 Chemicals  1.4 0.2 0.0 1.2 0.0 
 Other semi -manufactures  0.2 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.0 
 Machinery and transport equipment  0.5 0.4 0.1 0.2 0.2 
 Power -generating machinery  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
 Other non -electrical machinery  0.3 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 
 Office machines and telecommunications equipment  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
 Other electrical machinery  0.1 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 
 Automotive products  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 
 Other transport equipment  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
 Textiles  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
 Articles of apparel and clothing accessories  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
 Other consumer goods  0.1 0.1 1.0 0.0 0.0 
Other  0.0 2.4 1.3 0.1 1.5 
   9710 - Gold, non -monetary (excluding gold ores and 
concentrates)  0.0 2.3 0.0 0.0 1.4 
Source:  WTO Secretariat calculations based on mirror data from Comtrade, UNSD (SITC  Rev.3 ).  WT/TPR/S/362 /Rev.1 • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 304 - 
 
  Table A1.3 Origin of imports , 2011 -2015  
 2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  
World (US$ million)  325.4  309.7  322.7  412.5  293.6  
World (€ million)  234.1  241.0  243.0  310.9  264.8  
 (Percentage share)  
America  7.7 8.9 3.9 2.1 2.4 
 United States  3.6 6.8 2.1 0.7 0.7 
 Other America  4.0 2.1 1.8 1.4 1.7 
   Brazil  2.7 0.9 1.5 0.6 1.0 
Europe  45.6 44.6 44.2 53.3 46.0 
 EU-28 44.4 43.1 42.1 51.7 44.1 
   Portugal  27.5 29.7 28.7 20.9 27.8 
   Spain  2.8 2.6 3.8 4.3 5.6 
   Netherlands  3.4 2.8 3.2 2.3 3.2 
   France  3.0 2.6 2.3 3.0 2.5 
   Belgium  1.8 1.9 1.0 2.1 1.1 
   Germany  2.1 0.6 0.7 0.8 1.0 
   Sweden  1.0 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.9 
   Poland  0.9 0.4 0.7 0.8 0.8 
 EFTA 0.4 0.8 0.5 0.1 0.1 
 Other Europe  0.8 0.7 1.7 1.5 1.8 
   Turkey  0.8 0.7 1.7 1.5 1.8 
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)  0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
Africa  27.9 29.0 32.6 26.2 25.2 
   Senegal  19.6 22.5 28.3 21.9 22.9 
   Morocco  2.0 1.6 1.4 1.1 0.9 
Middle East  2.4 2.2 2.8 2.9 5.5 
   Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of  0.6 0.4 0.5 0.6 3.5 
   United Arab Emirates  1.6 1.5 2.0 2.0 1.7 
Asia 16.4 15.3 16.5 15.4 21.0 
 China  4.6 5.1 3.7 4.2 6.6 
 Japan  0.3 0.1 0.0 0.6 0.1 
 Other Asia  11.6 10.1 12.8 10.6 14.3 
   Pakistan  2.9 3.2 1.5 2.7 4.4 
   India 2.2 3.6 5.2 4.3 3.9 
   Malaysia  1.4 0.7 1.5 1.2 1.5 
   Indonesia  0.4 0.6 1.5 1.2 1.4 
   Thailand  1.1 0.3 0.1 0.3 1.3 
   Viet Nam  2.3 1.3 2.6 0.5 0.8 
Memorandum:       
WAEMU  19.9 23.0 28.4 22.1 23.8 
ECOWASa 23.8 26.6 30.1 24.2 23.9 
a Including  WAEMU member States . 
Source:  WTO Secretariat calculations based on mirror data from Comtrade, UNSD (SITC Rev.3 ). 
 WT/TPR/S/ 362/Rev.1  • Guinea -Bissau  
 
- 305 - 
 
  Table  A1.4 Destination of exports , 2011 -2015  
 2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  
World (US$ million)  385.4  180.9  303.4  265.2  285.2  
World (€ million)  277.2  140.8  228.5  199.9  257.2  
 (Percentage share)  
America  3.3 2.8 1.1 0.2 0.2 
 United States  0.1 0.0 1.1 0.0 0.0 
 Other America  3.3 2.7 0.0 0.2 0.2 
   Brazil  3.2 2.7 0.0 0.0 0.2 
Europe  1.6 6.9 0.7 1.9 1.4 
 EU-28 1.6 4.2 0.7 1.7 0.8 
   Italy 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.4 
   Netherlands  0.0 0.0 0.0 1.2 0.2 
   Portugal  0.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 
   Spain  1.1 3.2 0.4 0.0 0.1 
   France  0.0 0.7 0.0 0.2 0.0 
 EFTA 0.0 2.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 
 Other Europe  0.0 0.3 0.0 0.2 0.6 
   Turkey  0.0 0.3 0.0 0.2 0.5 
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)  0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 
Africa  3.1 3.7 26.7 6.5 8.1 
   Togo 2.4 3.1 5.0 5.1 4.9 
   Côte d'Ivoire  0.4 0.3 1.7 0.0 1.0 
   Angola  0.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 1.0 
   Benin  0.0 0.0 0.6 0.2 0.6 
   Cameroon  0.0 0.0 2.0 0.9 0.6 
   Senegal  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
   Cabo Verde  0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 
Middle East  0.1 0.1 0.0 0.2 1.8 
   United Arab Emirates  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.4 
   Jordan  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 
Asia 91.9 86.5 71.4 91.1 88.6 
 China  1.1 3.7 5.5 18.8 6.2 
 Japan  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.2 
 Other Asia  90.8 82.8 65.9 72.1 82.1 
   India 77.3 68.5 45.0 60.6 70.6 
   Viet Nam  10.6 13.8 20.5 10.7 11.2 
   Singapore  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 
   Korea, Republic of  0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 
Memorandum:        
WAEMU  2.8 3.4 7.3 5.3 6.4 
ECOWASa 3.0 3.6 24.6 5.3 6.5 
a Including WAEMU member States . 
Source:  WTO Secretariat calculations based on mirror data from Comtrade, UNSD (SITC Rev.3 ).