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  ANNEX 6 – NIGER  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  CONTENTS  
1   ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT  ................................ ................................ ......................  365  
1.1   Main features  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  365 
1.2   Recent economic developments  ................................ ................................ ..................  367 
1.3   Trade performance  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 369 
1.4   Foreign direct investment  ................................ ................................ ..........................  371 
2   TRADE AND INVESTMENT  REGIMES ................................ ................................ .........  373  
2.1   Overview  ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  373 
2.2   Trade policy formu lation and objectives  ................................ ................................ ....... 374 
2.3   Trade agreements and arrangements  ................................ ................................ ..........  374 
2.4   Investment regime  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 375 
3   TRADE POLICIES AND P RACTICES BY MEASURE  ................................ ......................  378  
3.1   Measures directly affecting imports  ................................ ................................ .............  378 
3.1.1    Procedures  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  378 
3.1.1.1    Transparency and computerization of procedures  ................................ ....................  378 
3.1.1.2    Inspection of goods by private com panies  ................................ ..............................  379 
3.1.1.3    Cargo tracking note  ................................ ................................ .............................  380 
3.1.2    Levies at the border  ................................ ................................ ...............................  380 
3.1.2.1    Customs duty and other levies  ................................ ................................ ..............  381 
3.1.2.2    Internal taxes  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 381 
3.1.2.3    Duty and tax exemptions and con cessions  ................................ .............................  382 
3.1.3    Import prohibitions and licensing  ................................ ................................ .............  382 
3.1.4    Anti-dumping, countervailing or safeguard measures  ................................ .................  383 
3.2   Measures directly affecting exports  ................................ ................................ .............  383 
3.2.1    Customs procedures and export taxes  ................................ ................................ ...... 383 
3.2.2    Export prohibitions, quantitative restrictions and licensing  ................................ ..........  384 
3.3   Measures affecting production and trade  ................................ ................................ ..... 384 
3.3.1    Incentives  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  384 
3.3.2    Standards, technical regulations and accreditation procedures ................................ ..... 384 
3.3.3    Sanitary and phytosanitary measures  ................................ ................................ ....... 385 
3.3.4    Competition policy and price controls  ................................ ................................ ....... 386 
3.3.5    State trading, State -owned enterpr ises and privatization  ................................ ............  386 
3.3.6    Government procurement  ................................ ................................ .......................  387 
3.3.7    Protection of intellectual property rights  ................................ ................................ ... 387 
4   TRADE POLICIES BY SE CTOR  ................................ ................................ ...................  389  
4.1   Agriculture, livestock and related activities  ................................ ................................ .. 389 
4.1.1    Overview  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  389 
4.1.2    General agricultural policy  ................................ ................................ ......................  389 
4.2   Energy, mining products and water  ................................ ................................ .............  391 
4.2.1    Overview  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  391 WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  4.2.2    Hydrocarbons  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  392 
4.2.2.1    Crude oil and gas  production  ................................ ................................ ................  392 
4.2.2.2    Petroleum and gas products  ................................ ................................ .................  393 
4.2.3    Uranium and other principal mining products  ................................ ............................  394 
4.2.4    Electricity  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  396 
4.2.5    Water  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  397 
4.3   Manufacturing and craft sector  ................................ ................................ ...................  398 
4.4   Services  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  399 
4.4.1    Telecommunications and postal services  ................................ ................................ ... 399 
4.4.2    Transport  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  400 
4.4.2.1    Road transport  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 400 
4.4.2.2    Rail transport  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 402 
4.4.2.3    Air transport  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 402 
4.4.3    Tourism  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  402 
4.4.4    Financial services  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 403 
5   APPENDIX TABLES  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 404  
CHARTS  
 
Chart 1.1 Official development assistance (ODA) 2009 -2015 ................................ .................  367 
Chart 1.2 World uranium and oil prices, 2009 -2016 ................................ ..............................  368 
Chart 1.3 Structure of merchandise trade, 2009 and 2016  ................................ ....................  370 
Chart 1.4 Direction of merchandise trade, 2009 and 2016  ................................ .....................  372 
Chart 3.1 Amount of exemptions granted at the border, 2013 -2015 ................................ ....... 382 
Chart 4.1 Niger petroleum products market, 2017  ................................ ...............................  394 
Chart 4.2 Trend in uranium exports, 2009 -2016 ................................ ................................ .. 395 
 
TABLES  
 
Table 1.1 Macroeconomic indicators, 2009, 2010 and 2013 -2016 ................................ ...........  365 
Table 1.2 Balance of payments, 2010 -2016 ................................ ................................ .........  369 
Table 2.1 Niger's trade -related laws and regulations, 2009 -2017 ................................ ...........  373 
Table 3.1 Revenue collected at the border, 2005, 2010 and 2013 -2015 ................................ .. 380 
Table 3.2 Sanitary and phytosanitary laws and regulations  ................................ ....................  386 
Table 4.1 Telecommunication services indicators, 2009 -2015 ................................ ................  400 
Table 4.2 Selection of the road transport legislation in force in Niger, 2017  .............................  401 WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  BOXES  
 
Box 4.1 Petroleum legislation in Niger  ................................ ................................ ................  393 
APPENDIX TABLES  
 
Table A1. 1 Structure of exports, 2009 -2016 ................................ ................................ ....... 404 
Table A1. 2 Destination of exports, 2009 -2016 ................................ ................................ .... 406 
Table A1. 3 Structure of imports, 2009 -2016 ................................ ................................ ....... 407 
Table A1. 4 Origin of imports, 2009 -2016 ................................ ................................ ...........  409 
 
 WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  1  ECON OMIC ENVIRONMENT  
1.1  Main features  
1.1.  Niger is a huge West African country, three -quarters desert and with no direct access to the 
sea. Over the last thirty years it has experienced population growth of nearly 4 % per year, one of 
the fastest rates in the world, s urging from 7  million inhabitants in 1985 to almost 19  million. At 
this rate, its population could reach 41  million by 2035. This situation reflects the fact that the 
country is in a phase of demographic transition characterized by an increase in the ferti lity rate 
and a decrease in mortality thanks to major health progress.1 
1.2.  Despite its relative lack of resources, Niger has managed to double its agri -food production 
since 2000, thanks to better irrigation. This is essential because, apart from being one of  the top 
five uranium producers in the world and, recently, a modest gold and oil producer, Niger is 
predominantly a pastoral and agricultural country (Table 1.1). Drought and locust invasions 
continue to cause serious and recurrent problems. Most of the p opulation live in rural areas and 
engage in subsistence farming – mainly millet, sorghum, rice and groundnut cropping, and 
livestock activities.  
Table 1.1 Macroeconomic indicators, 2009, 2010 and 2013 -2016  
 2009 2010  2013  2014  2015  2016  
Miscellaneous        
GDP at market prices (€  million)a 3,885  4,318  5,775  6,215  6,466  6,821  
Real GDP growth rate (%)  -0.7 8.4 5.3 7.0 3.5 4.6 
Nominal GDP per capita (€)  248 265 315 325 325 343 
Population (million)  15.7 16.3 18.4 19.1 19.9 19.9 
In rural areas (% of total pop ulation)  82.6 82.4 81.8 81.5 81.3 83.8 
Inflation (CPI, variation %)  0.6 0.8 2.3 -0.9 1.0 0.2 
Interest rate, deposits, annual %  5.4 5.5 5.9 5.8 6.2 n.a. 
Interest rate, loans, annual %  12.0 9.9 9.0 10.2 9.1 n.a. 
GDP by type of expenditure, at constant 20 06 prices (% change)  
GDP -0.7 8.4 5.3 7.0 3.5 4.6 
Final consumption expenditure  6.6 2.9 4.1 7.4 8.1 4.1 
Private  5.8 5.2 4.1 4.6 7.0 3.4 
Public  10.6 -7.5 4.6 21.7 12.8 5.3 
Gross fixed capital formation  9.6 17.1 6.7 11.6 5.2 -20.4 
Private  8.1 28.6 2.3 14.8 5.0 -15.5 
Public  14.7 -19.2 17.2 5.0 5.7 -31.4 
Net exports  47.5 4.4 1.0 17.4 27.2 -37.3 
Exports of goods and services  18.0 19.7 8.9 -0.9 -13.0 4.0 
Imports of goods and services  32.2 11.5 5.7 6.2 4.3 -17.7 
GDP by type of expenditure, at current p rices (% of GDP)  
Final consumption expenditure  91.8 86.9 80.3 80.4 84.2 85.2 
Private  75.6 73.3 67.2 65.5 67.9 65.6 
Public  16.2 13.6 13.1 15.0 16.3 19.6 
Gross fixed capital formation  34.7 38.9 36.0 37.7 38.3 29.1 
Private  27.1 33.1 24.6 26.6 27.0 21.7 
Public  7.6 5.8 11.4 11.1 11.3 7.4 
Net exports  -26.5 -26.9 -16.4 -18.2 -22.6 -14.3 
Exports of goods and services  20.3 22.2 22.6 21.0 17.6 17.1 
Imports of goods and services  -46.9 -49.1 -39.1 -39.2 -40.2 -31.5 
GDP by economic activity, at constant price s (% change)  
Agriculture, livestock, forestry and fishing  -9.5 15.8 -0.5 9.0 1.4 7.1 
Agriculture  -17.6 27.1 -3.0 11.9 1.2 8.9 
Livestock and hunting  4.4 -4.6 4.1 3.2 4.2 3.8 
Forestry and logging  3.3 3.4 1.7 2.9 2.3 2.3 
Fishing, fish farming, aquacultur e 19.4 19.4 9.2 6.9 -10.0 3.3 
Mining and quarrying  39.5 17.2 12.3 -5.5 -6.9 7.5 
Manufacturing  4.4 3.3 16.5 -1.6 0.3 4.8 
Production and distribution of electricity, gas and water  8.4 9.7 8.8 6.3 -5.3 7.0 
Construction  7.9 9.5 6.2 5.8 6.6 6.3 
Services  5.5 1.3 6.7 8.6 5.8 4.4 
Commerce, automobile and motorcycle repair  5.9 1.4 4.6 3.0 4.3 4.5 
Transport and storage  3.9 -1.0 4.7 3.7 3.7 4.2 
Hotel and restaurant activities  4.7 2.7 4.7 4.3 4.3 6.0 
Communications  8.0 19.7 20.4 11.5 5.0 8.0 
                                                
1 Ministry of the Economy and Finance and National Institute of St atistics (2016), Projections 
démographiques 2012 -2035, March  2016.  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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   2009 2010  2013  2014  2015  2016  
Financial and insurance activities  20.9 5.1 3.5 6.2 8.9 n.a. 
Real estate activities and business services  -23.8 1.2 1.9 4.5 7.4 n.a. 
Public administration  8.2 -3.3 12.2 22.8 7.1 n.a. 
Distribution of GDP at current basic prices (% GDP)  
Agriculture, livestock, forestr y and fishing  42.3 44.1 38.4 39.2 39.3 39.8 
Agriculture  24.7 28.1 24.4 25.6 25.6 26.4 
Livestock and hunting  12.9 11.2 9.9 9.6 9.8 9.7 
Forestry and logging  2.7 2.5 2.1 2.0 2.1 2 
Fishing, fish farming, aquaculture  2.0 2.3 2.0 2.0 1.8 1.7 
Mining and quar rying 6.9 7.8 11.6 10.0 8.4 8.3 
Manufacturing  5.4 5.1 7.1 6.8 6.6 6.3 
Production and distribution of electricity, gas and water  1.2 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.3 
Construction  2.7 2.7 3.1 3.3 3.4 3.5 
Services  41.5 38.9 38.3 39.4 41.0 40.7 
Commerce, automobile and motorcycle repair  14.8 14.0 12.8 12.5 12.9 12.8 
Transport and storage  4.9 4.5 4.1 4.0 4.1 4 
Hotels and restaurants  1.4 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 
Communications  1.7 2.1 2.6 2.8 2.9 3 
Financial and insurance activities  1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.4 n.a. 
Real estat e activities and business services  3.3 3.1 3.1 3.0 3.2 n.a. 
Public administration  9.5 8.2 9.4 11.0 11.6 n.a. 
Activities, other services  4.5 4.3 3.7 3.6 3.7 n.a. 
Public finance (% of GDP)  
Total income incl. grants  19.2 18.2 24.6 22.9 23.6 19.9 
 Total i ncome, of which:  14.3 13.6 16.6 17.5 18.1 14.4 
 Tax revenue  13.5 12.8 15.2 15.5 16.1 13.6 
 Non-tax income  0.7 0.7 1.2 1.9 1.8 0.6 
 Grants  5.0 4.6 8.0 5.4 5.5 5.5 
Total expenditure and net loans, of which:  24.9 20.6 27.2 31.0 32.3 25.3 
 Current expendi ture 10.6 11.8 13.1 14.2 15.0 13.6 
 Capital expenditure  13.1 7.7 13.7 16.4 16.7 11.2 
Overall balance excl. grants  -10.6 -7.0 -10.6 -13.5 -14.2 -11 
Overall balance  -5.6 -2.4 -2.6 -8.1 -8.7 -5.5 
External public debt (start of period)  15.5 16.8 14.9 16.7 17.8 n.a. 
External sector  
CFAF per US$ (annual average)  472.2  495.3  471.9  510.5  494.0  591.4  
FDI inflow ( € million)  569.2  710.0  541.6  619.5  473.4  242.1  
 Percentage of GDP  14.7 16.4 9.4 10.0 7.3 3.5 
Inward FDI stock (€  million)  1 011  1 700  3 789  3 905  4 654  4 908  
 Percentage of GDP  26.0 39.4 65.6 62.8 72.0 72.0 
a The CFA franc, which is the common currenc y of the WAEMU countries, is pegged to the euro at a 
rate of: € 1 = CFAF 655.97.  
n.a. Not available.  
Source:  Central  Bank of West African States (BCEAO) , Annuaire statistique 2015 ; BCEAO, database , viewed 
at: http://www.bceao.int/Bases -de-donnes.html ; National Institute of Statistics, National Accounts, 
2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015; IMF, International Financial Statistics , viewed at: http://elibrary -
data.imf.or g/; IMF, Regional Economic Outlook, Sub -Saharan Africa , October  2014 and 2016; 
World  Bank, World Development Indicators , viewed at: 
http://databank.wor ldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?source=World%20Development  
%20Indicators ; and UNCTADstat , viewed at: http://unctadstat.unctad.org/FR/Index.html . All 
databases consulted in June  2017.  
1.3.  Niger remains a least developed country (LDC); in March  2017 it was ranked 187th among 
188 countries on the Human Development Index published by the United Nations Development 
Programme (UNDP)2; and it has a very low per capita GDP (Table 1.1). Food insecurity is a 
permane nt problem, aggravated in recent years by political conflicts and terrorism in the region. 
These have triggered large refugee flows, including into Niger, requiring additional public 
expenditure to deal with them and seriously undermining trade in the regi ons concerned.  
1.4.  As a result, Niger has remained heavily reliant on official development assistance (ODA) from 
abroad, which financed about 75 % of its public investment in 2009 -2015. This accounted for 18 % 
of total annual government expenditure and made Nige r one of the main ODA beneficiaries in  
sub-Saharan Africa. This aid has grown not only in value (€760  million in 2015) but also as a 
percentage of GDP (Chart 1.1). ODA in Niger is primarily channelled into the social sectors; in rural 
                                                
2 Online information from UNDP , viewed at: http://hdr.undp.org/fr/content/indice -de-
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  areas, over half of t he population still lives below the poverty line, and the average level of 
schooling is barely 1.4 years, which represents a serious impediment to economic development. 
Moreover, the share of Aid for Trade has dwindled to just a small fraction of total ass istance.  
Chart 1.1 Official development assistance (ODA) 2009 -2015  
(€ million at constant 2014 prices)  
 
7.0%9.0%11.0%13.0%15.0%17.0%19.0%21.0%
 200 300 400 500 600 700 800
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015All multilateral and bilateral donors ( €million)
All multilateral and bilateral donors as a percentage of GDP
Aid for Trade as a percentage of total bilateral and multilateral ODA (%)
 
Note:  The Aid for Trade categories are identified on the basis of explanat ory notes available on the 
OECD  website. The figures correspond to net disbursement.  
Source:  WTO Secretariat calculations based on OECD data. Vi ewed at: http://www.oecd.org/trade/aft/aid -
for-tradestatisticalqueries.htm ; and World Bank,  World Development Indicators . 
1.5.  Its location at the confluence of the main routes tra versing Africa makes Niger a natural hub 
for goods and services trade. The country shares borders with Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, 
Cameroon, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, and Chad. Nonetheless, the share of imports and exports of goods 
and services in Niger's GD P fell during the period (Table 1.1). Agriculture is practised by the 
overwhelming majority of the population and has a significant impact on economic growth in Niger. 
Thus, any strategy to improve the productivity and competitiveness of the agricultural s ector and 
facilitate trade in agri -food products can be expected to have a favourable  impact in terms of 
economic expansion . In the short -to-medium term, policies to open up rural areas (rural roads and 
tracks), should be encouraged for their positive exte rnalities on the agricultural sector, and hence 
on economic growth.  
1.6.  As a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), Niger participates 
in the franc zone and shares a common currency with the other member countries. It has 
harmonized va rious components  of its trade policy with the other WAEMU members and those of 
the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ( common report, section 3). It has 
also harmonized other sectoral policy elements with its regional partners ( common report, 
section  4). 
1.2  Recent economic developments  
1.7.  Since 2011, the Government has targeted its public investment policy on upgrading 
infrastructure in the energy, transport and communications sectors. This policy was defined in the 
Niger Renaissance Programme, a second component of which was launched in 2016.3 This 
programme prioritizes water management and the development of irrigation to reduce the 
dependence of agricultural production on weather conditions, notably through the implementation 
of the 3N Initiativ e (Niger Feeds Niger). The second Economic and Social Development Plan 
(PDES) 2017 -2021 aims to maintain  these priorities.  
                                                
3 Online information from Niger Inter, v iewed at: http://www.nigerinter.com/programme -de-
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  1.8.  As noted above, Niger's economic performance since its last trade policy review in 2009 has 
continued to depend mainly on very uneven  crop harvests  (Table 1.1). Thanks to advances  made 
in agricultural production, Niger managed to maintain average GDP growth at over 6 % per year 
between 2010 and 2015, despite a sharp drop in uranium and oil prices (Chart 1.2).  
Chart 1.2 World uranium and oil prices, 2009 -2016  
20.030.040.050.060.070.080.090.0100.0110.0
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016Crude oil (US$ per barrel) Price of uranium (US$ per pound)
 
Source:  IMF, Primary Commodity Prices. Viewed at: 
http://www.imf.org/external/np/res/commod/index.aspx . 
1.9.  Overall, Nige r is finding it difficult to meet the convergence criteria set by the WAEMU 
community framework ( common report, section 1), and fiscal policy proved strongly expansionary 
in 2014 and 2015 (Table 1.1). Niger was supported by the IMF's Extended Credit Facili ty (ECF) 
from 2012 to 2016, with the aims of strengthening public finance and debt management and 
developing its financial sector. This facility was renewed in 2017 as part of a program me to help 
improve public financial management and the efficiency of sp ending, to facilitate the attainment of 
Niger's development goals, in particular to finance infrastructure and social spending.4 Public 
expenditure (especially that relating to the PDES, payroll and strengthening of the security 
system) had increased in 20 13-2015.  
1.10.   Total revenue growth did not keep pace with expenditure during the period, hence the 
upward trend in the fiscal deficit, especially between 2010 and 2015 (Table 1.1). The growth of the 
overall deficit (including grants), to over 8 % of GDP in 2014 and 2015, reflected operations to 
secure the territory and combat terrorism, with a consequent increase in the defence budget as 
from 2012. Nonetheless, although full application of the provisions of the 2006 Mining Law has 
helped to increase tax revenues,  particularly from value -added tax (VAT) ( section 4.2.3), its effect 
has remained limited. Reforms appear to be  under way to broaden the tax base, reduce 
exemptions and strengthen regional tax coverage.  
1.11.   Government revenues were hardly affected by the fall in oil prices, as the country produces 
barely 20,000 barrels per day. However, one of Niger's main problems is its heavy reliance on 
import duties for tax revenue, yet these are undermined by the scale of its informal trade. The 
effect of the government de ficit on inflation was contained by the BCEAO's strict common 
monetary policy ( common report, section 1).  
1.12.   Niger is experiencing (significant and lasting) structural difficulties in relation to its external 
financial situation, particularly its external current account deficit. The latter partly reflects 
large-scale imports of food products, equipment and raw materials, plus the attendant freight 
                                                
4 Online information from the IMF, viewed at: 
https://www.imf.org/fr/News/Articles/2017/01/24/PR1718 -Niger -IMF-Executive -Board -Approves -US-134-04-
Million -under -ECF-Arrangement . WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  charges (Table  1.2). The resumption of remittances from Niger's  emigrant workers, following their 
sharp decline i n 2012 owing to worsening security situations  in the workers' host countries, was 
unable to bridge this gap, nor was the significant improvement in the financial account following its 
deterioration in 2013. The latter was caused by a slowdown in uranium mi ning activity, delays in 
construction work at the Imouraren site and the repayment of loans related to the oil project 
(section 4.2).  
Table 1.2 Balance of payments, 2010 -2016  
(€ million)  
 2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2016  
Current account balance  -854.6  -1,029.5  -795.3  -866.4  -983.8  -1,339.5  -843.5  
 Goods and services  -1,159.9  -1,239.5  -945.7  -949.8  -1,132.4  -1,469.3  -977.2  
 Merchandise balance  -613.6  -663.2  -358.6  -323.6  -560.9 -801.0  -518.3  
 Exports of goods f.o.b., of which:  869.2  913.8  1,122.6  1,196.1  1,090.2  980.5  946.7  
 Uranium  369.3  483.4  516.4  461.6  366.7  367.0  321.1  
 Cattle  88.6 98.6 99.6 102.4  115.3  103.3  94.1 
 Onions  60.6 54.0 57.8 84.9 99.4 92.6 111.3  
 Refined petroleum  0.0 0.0 177.8  303.2  218.3  135.3  150.3  
 Cowpeas  80.5 66.7 50.8 53.8 50.8 57.4 64 
 Non-monetary gold  70.8 70.2 69.1 45.3 33.1 37.9 51.2 
 Other  199.4  141.0  151.1  144.9  206.7  187.0  154.7  
 of which: Re -exports  69.7 70.8 98.4 109.7  160.5  149.3  146.4 
 Memorandum item: intra-WAEMU  55.9 64.6 138.5  189.6  220.5  114.6  130.6  
 Imports of goods f.o.b.  -1,482.7  -1,577.1  -1,481.2  -1,519.7  -1,651.1  -1,781.5  -1,465.0  
 Imports of goods c.i.f., of which:  -1,953.4  -2,009.7  -1,863.1  -1,911.6  -2,080.8  -2,245.1  -1,846.3  
 Food products  -321.7  -350.5  -433.9  -357.2  -364.7  -425.9  -378.9  
 Other consumer goods  -319.8  -340.0  -358.6  -392.3  -336.5  -354.0  -349.6  
 Oil and energy products  -235.3  -249.1  -48.2 -69.0 -80.6 -116.6  -105.3  
 Raw materials/intermediate goods  -443.7  -480.7  -471.1  -496.3  -516.6  -542.5  -402.2  
 Capital goods  -450.8  -483.0  -410.5  -485.5  -631.1  -647.5  -467.9  
 Memorandum item: intra-WAEMU  -153.9  -203.8  -247.0  270.6  276.0  319.5  -245.2  
  Services balance  -546.3  -576.3  -587.1  -626.2  -571.6  -668.3  -458.9 
  Credit  90.1 49.8 58.7 111.1  213.6  208.7  222.1  
  of which: Travel  55.6 36.9 38.8 43.5 67.5 66.6 70.9 
  Debit  -636.4  -626.1  -645.8  -737.3  -785.2  -877.0  -681 
  of which: Freight and insurance  -401.9  -412.0  -365.6  -390.4  -425.3  -462.6  -381.3  
  Primary income  -33.3 -36.7 -105.3  -139.1  -114.4  -137.9  -146.7  
  of which: Debt interest  -5.8 -10.5 -10.4 -43.7 -46.2 -56.0 n.a. 
Secondary income  338.6  246.8  255.8  222.5  263.0  267.7  280.4  
  Public administration  238.9  120.5  179.7  120.0  139.9  144.1  140.9  
  Other sectors  99.6 126.3  76.1 102.5  123.1  123.6  139.5  
   of which: Migrant transfers  65.5 51.0 27.4 25.3 40.5 48.8 55.1 
Capital account  147.8  104.5  212.2  430.0  280.6  265.1  271.7  
Financial account  -865.2  -889.7  -838.8  -598.7  -988.3  -880.1  -552.3  
 Direct investment  -755.1  -760.0  -653.1  -465.8  -552.7  -446.4  -237.1  
 Portfolio investment  -14.6 -13.3 -7.5 14.4 -94.2 -128.0  -48 
 Other investment  -95.5 -116.3  -178.2  -147.3  -341.4  -305.6  -267.2  
Overall balance  147.2  -42.8 248.0  150.9  276.5  -202.2  -19.5 
n.a. Not available.  
Source:  Information provided by the authorities.  
1.3  Trade performance  
1.13.   Petroleum products have changed the structure of Niger's exports since 2009 (Tables A1.1, 
A1.2 and A1.3, and Chart 1.3); hydrocarbon exports were worth  €130 million in 2015, accounting 
for nearly one fifth of the total. The fact that Niger is no longer wholly dependent on imports to 
meet its oil needs has generated considerable savings, with imports of petroleum products 
reaching the equivalent of €316  million in 2011, before dropping below €180  million in 2015. Due 
to the increase in volumes extracted, uranium revenues grew from €183  million to €360  million 
between 2011 and 2015 despite the fall in prices. Re -exports, mainly cigarettes, second -hand 
clothing, cotton fabrics, vehicles and machinery, and foodstuffs (rice, pasta, vegetable oils, etc.) to 
neighbouring countries, mainly Nigeria, also tripled in value (Table 1.2).  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  Chart 1.3 Structure of merchandise trade, 2009 and 201 6 
2009 2016
(a)    Exports (f.o.b.)
Food products
37.3%Uranium ores
32.2%
Agriculture
38.4%Manufactures
9.0%
Non-monetary 
gold
3.8%
Agricultural
raw materials
1.1%Fuels
16,5%
Total:   €452.1 million Total:   €838.3 million
(b)    Imports (c.i.f.)
Agriculture  
18.8%Manufactures
67.7%Non-electrical 
machinery
16.0%
Other semi -
finished products
9.2%Other
1.6%
Chemicals
9.0%Other manufactures
12.0%
Iron and steel
5.2%Electrical 
machinery
6.4%Transport equipment
9.9%
Fuels
11.9%Food products
15.5%
Agricultural raw 
materials
3.3%Agriculture  
26.1%Manufactures
68.6%
Non-electrical 
machinery
7.5%
Other semi -
finished products
7.8%Other
1.8%
Chemicals
7.0%Other 
manufactures
6.3%
Iron and 
steel
2.1%Electrical 
machinery
7.0%Transport equipment
30.8%
Fuels
3.6%Food 
products
25.1%
Agricultural raw 
materials
1.0%
Total:   €1,171.3 million Total:   €1,682.1 millionFood products
30.0%Uranium ores
55.5%
Agriculture
31.8%Manufactures
4.5%
Non-monetary 
gold
7.0%
Agricultural
raw materials
1.8%Fuels
1.2%
 
Source:  WTO Secretariat calculations based on data from the UNSD Comtrade database (SITC Rev.3).  
1.14.   Uranium remains Niger's leading export product, although its share of total exports has 
declined since 2009 as the price has fallen ( Chart 1.3 and section 4.2.3). Most of the production is 
exported to France and the United States. Gold generates about €40 million in annual exports, 
although sales have stagnated. The other important export hub consists of food products (cereals, 
horticultur al products, onions, cowpeas), and in particular live cattle transported to Nigeria 
(section 4.1). Cattle  exports grew from €77  million in 2009 to over €100  million in 2015. Onion 
exports also increased by nearly one third (Table 1.2). In contrast, cowpea exports have declined 
sharply in value terms owing to attacks by insects and other predators. Agricultural export 
constraints include taxes and red tape, and the poor quality of road infrastructure and means of 
transport ( sections 3.2 and 4.4.2).  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  1.15.   Niger's  merchandise imports doubled in value between 2009 and 2015, outweighing exports 
threefold. Imports of food products have increased sharply since 2009, as have those of raw 
materials and intermediate goods. The European Union, particularly France, remains th e main 
source of Niger's merchandise imports, followed by China and Nigeria (Table A1.4 and Chart  1.4). 
1.16.   Niger is also a net importer of services valued at almost €700  million per year (Table 1.2). 
Half of this amount represents freight and insurance on imported goods. The other  services trade 
items are  telecommunications, information technology, research and development, management 
consulting, and repair and construction work.  
1.4  Foreign direct investment  
1.17.   Foreign direct investment (FDI) flows have maintained a  level of around €500 million per 
year since 2009, and are supported by portfolio investment and other investments in the form of 
loans, deposits, trade credits or advances (Table 1.2). Projects under way include the construction 
of the Kandadji Dam, which aims to make the  country energy -sufficient , but  implementation 
seems to have suffered from a serious lack of governance.5 The range of projects also includes the 
rehabilitation and development of irrigation systems to support the agriculture sector and protect 
it from wea ther vagaries; the construction of a third bridge in Niamey, following inauguration of 
the second bridge in March  2011; a 140 -km stretch of railway; and a new refrigerated 
slaughterhouse in Niamey. In the mining sector, the Imouraren project ( section 4.2.3 ) was 
expected to make Niger the world's second largest uranium producer, but it was shut down in 
May 2017 owing to the commodity's low price on the world market.  
                                                
5 See, for example, "Affaire du barrage de Kandadji: De la poudre aux yeux des bailleurs de fonds", 
Niger Diaspora, 19  January  2017. Viewed at: http://nigerdiaspora.net/les -infos-du-pays/politique -
niger/politique -niger/item/76550 -affaire -du-barrage -de-kandadji -de-la-poudre -aux-yeux-des-bailleurs -de-
fonds.html . WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  Chart 1.4 Direction of merchandise trade, 2009  and 201 6 
2009 2016
(a)    Exports (f.o.b.)
Africa
20.3%
Other
3.6%Other Africa
10.8%
EU-28
32.7%
United States
3.9%Switzerland
3.9%Nigeria  9.5%
Asia  35.7%
Other Asia 7.6%Thailand 11.6%
Other Asia 
11.1%
China 5.3%
Total:   €452.1 million Total:  €838.3 million
(b)    Imports (c.i.f.)
EU-28
27.2%China  30.7%
Other Asia
13.7%
United States
4.9%Asia
44.4%
Africa
17.9%
Other
5.7%Other Africa
12.8%
Nigeria
5.0%
EU-28
36.6%China  16.2%
Other Asia
17.4%
United States
7.8%Asia
33,6%Africa
17.6%
Other
4.5%Other Africa
11.8%
Nigeria
5.8%
Total:   €1,171.3 million Total:   €1,682.1 millionAfrica
30.0%
Other
2.2%Other Africa
7.8%EU-28
50.5%
United States
7.8%Switzerland
7.1%
Nigeria  22.1%
Asia  
2.4%
Thailand 0.6%
Malaysia 0.4%
China 0.5%
Other Asia
1.0%
 
Source:  WTO Secretariat calculations based on data from the UNSD Comtrade database (SITC Rev.3).  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  2  TRADE AND INVESTMENT  REGIMES  
2.1  Overview  
2.1.  Niger's latest Constitution was adopted by referendum in 2010. It was promulgated by 
presidential decree and  took effect on 25  November  2010.1 The Constitution provides for a 
unicameral, semi -presidential regime in which the President of the Republic is elected directly and 
the Prime Minister is appointed from the parliamentary majority. The most recent presiden tial and 
parliamentary elections took place in February and April  2016, respectively; the next elections are 
expected in 2021.  
2.2.  Niger also convened national consultations on the justice system in 2011. One major 
outcome was the establishment of commercial c ourts in 2015. In May  2017 the Niamey 
Commercial Court had its own headquarters. The national consultations also led to the creation of 
the National Legal Advice and Aid Agency in order to provide legal assistance to the indigent.2 
2.3.  In Niger, international treaties and agreements take precedence over domestic legislation as 
soon as they are ratified and published, provided that each treaty or agreement is applied by the 
other parties. Supranational regulations are therefore hierarchically superior in Niger, followed by 
the Constitution, laws, ordinances and decrees. The online publication of the Official  Journal 
containing these texts is essential if they are to be properly and widely understood. The new 
trade -related legal instruments are listed in Table 2.1 . 
2.4.  The Ministry in charge of trade is responsible for trade policy and negotiations. It is also the 
focal point for the follow -up of WTO trade agreements and Niger's participation in WTO activities. 
It is assisted by an inter -institutional technical advisor y committee comprising several 
subcommittees (WTO follow -up, trade facilitation, follow -up of the Economic Partnership 
Agreement (EPA) signed with the European Union, Integrated Framework Steering Committee and 
the Committee on the Continental Free Trade A rea (CFTA)). Depending on the subject at hand, the 
Ministry is assisted by other departments. The Ministry of Finance represents the country at the 
ministerial meetings of the franc zone, WAEMU and ECOWAS, and it supervises the 
Directorate -General of Custo ms and Indirect Taxation.  
2.5.  The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Niger (CCIN, section 2.4) plays an important part 
in coordinating between the various international trade operators.3 Since January  2007 it has 
housed the Business Start -up Centre (CFE), whi ch simplifies administrative formalities for new 
enterprises across all regions in the country. In 2014 the CFE was expanded to the Business 
Centre (section 2.4), which is managed by the CCIN.  
2.6.  The National Network of Chambers of Agriculture of Niger (RECA)  also actively promotes 
agricultural products, including their export.4 The new Chamber of Craft Trades of Niger (CMANI) 
was set up in 2014 (section 4.3), but does not yet have a website through which to publicize its 
products.  
Table 2.1 Niger's trade -related laws and regulations, 2009 -2017  
Area (section)  Instrument/text  
Constitution (2.1)  Constitution of the Seventh Republic of Niger, Presidential Decree 
No. 2010-754/PCSRD of 25  November  2010 
Chamber of Craf t Trades (2.1)  Law No.  2012-33 of 5  June 2012 establishing the Chamber of Craft Trades 
of Niger (CMANI)  
Commercial Court (2.1)  Law No.  2015/08 of 10  April 2015 on the organization, powers, procedures 
and operation of the commercial courts  
Labour Code of 2012 (2.4)  Law No.  2012-45 of 25  September  2012 containing the Labour Code  
Investment Code (2.4)  Law No.  2014-09 of 16  April 2014 containing the Investment Code  
                                                
1 Constitution of the  Seventh Republic of Niger. Viewed at: 
http://www.wipo.int/edocs/lexdocs/laws/fr/ne/ne005fr.pdf . 
2 Law No.  2011-42 of 14  December  2011 laying down the rules applicable to legal advice and aid, and 
creating a government administrative institution to be known as the National Legal Advice and Aid Agency.  
3 Decree No.  2016-74/PRN/MC/PS of 26  January  2016 approving the statutes  of the Chamber of 
Commerce and Industry of Niger (CCIN). Viewed at: 
http://www.ccian.ne/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73:decrets&catid=86&Itemid=890 . 
4 Online information viewed at: http://www.reca -niger.org/spip.php?rubrique14 . WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  Area (section)  Instrument/text  
Export of asses (3.2.2)  Order No.  063/MAG/EL/MI/S/D/ACR/MF/MC/PSP of 26  July 2016 relating 
to the slaughter of asses and prohibiting their export and that of their 
meat and hides  
Consumer protection (3.3.5)  Law No.  2015-24 of 11  May 2015 determining the basic principles of 
consumer protection  
Government procurement (3.3.6)  Decree No.  2016-641/PR N/PM of 1  December  2016 containing the Code on 
government procurement and public service concessions  
Law on public -private partnership 
contracts (3.3.6)  Law No.  2014-02 of 31  March  2014 establishing the fiscal, financial and 
accounting regime applicable to public -private partnership contracts  
Electricity Code (4.2.4)  Law No.  2016-05 of 17  May 2016 on the Electricity Code  
Regulatory Authority for the Energy 
Sector (4.2.4)  Law No.  2015-58 on the establishment, mission, organization and 
functioning of an  independent administrative authority to be known as the 
Regulatory Authority for the Energy Sector  
Water Code of 2010 (4.2.5)  Ordinance No.  93-014 of 2  March  1993, as amended by Law No.  98-041 of 
7 December  1998 
Ordinance on telecommunications, 2010 
(4.4.1)  Ordinance No.  99-45 of 26  October  1999, as amended in 2010  
Regulatory authority (2012) (4.4.1)  Law No.  2012-70 of 31  December  2012 on the establishment, organization 
and functioning of the Regulatory Authority for Telecommunications and 
Postal Serv ices  
Postal services (4.4.1)  Law No.  2011-19 of 8  August  2011 amending and supplementing Law 
No. 2005-20 of 28  June 2005 determining the basic principles of the postal 
regime  
Transport (4.4.2)  Ordinance No.  2009-025 of 3  November  2009 determining the ba sic 
principles of the transport regime  
Rail transport (4.4.2.2)  Concession agreements for the operation and construction of 
Niamey -Cotonou railway infrastructure by the French group Bolloré  
Hotel ratings (4.4.3)  New 2015 order  
Source: Authorities of N iger. 
2.2  Trade policy formulation and objectives  
2.7.  Prominent among the Government's trade policy objectives, which were laid out in Niger's 
second Renaissance Programme (section 1.2) is capturing international market share for Niger's 
products, especially in EC OWAS. To this end, the Government is keen to support young graduates 
in starting up commercial enterprises; to diversify and increase agricultural, pastoral, craft and 
industrial production in which Niger enjoys a comparative advantage; introduce productio n 
standards for goods and services, as well as a generalized quality system; accredit analytical and 
testing laboratories; certify enterprises and products; create free zones; and improve the business 
climate.  
2.8.  The Government has ratified the WTO Trade Faci litation Agreement (section 2.3), aware as it 
is of the important role of trade in poverty reduction. Much remains to be done, however, in terms 
of cutting import taxes (section 3.1) and even more so export taxes (section 3.2), as well as 
removing other ba rriers to trade to allow it to fulfil this role. Niger's ambition is to reduce its 
dependence on receipts from import duties and taxes, which currently account for over one third 
of total government revenue (section 3.1.2).  
2.9.  On the export promotion front, t he Government has decided to focus on some sectors 
deemed the most promising in terms of wealth and job creation, in particular for the poorest 
people. These are livestock raising, leathers and skins; agriculture (onions, cowpeas, tiger nuts, 
dates, ground nut, and cotton); and mining, including small -scale mining (section 4.2.3). As 
pertains to imports, which supply the bulk of the goods consumed in the country, the 
Government's aim is to provide access to quality goods at the best possible prices so as not  to 
overburden household budgets.  
2.3  Trade agreements and arrangements  
2.10.   Niger is an original Member of the WTO5, to which it has submitted just one notification 
since 2009.6 Until the acceptance of the Trade Facilitation Agreement by the President of the 
                                                
5 Ordinance No.  96-063 of 9  November  1996 authorizing the ratification of the Marrakesh Agreement 
Establishing the WTO.  
6 WTO document G/MA/321, 23  December  2014. Viewed at: 
https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=Q:/G/MA/321.pdf . WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  Repub lic in July  2015, Niger had not signed any plurilateral agreement or any of the protocols and 
agreements concluded under the WTO.7 Niger has been reviewed twice by the WTO Trade Policy 
Review Body, first in 2003 and again in 2009, on both occasions jointly  with Senegal. Niger has 
never been involved in a dispute at the WTO.8 Niger is also a member of the WAEMU and 
ECOWAS, with which it shares common policy elements, and of the Community of Sahel -Saharan 
States (CEN -SAD) (common report, section 2.2.1).9 
2.11.   Niger continues to be eligible for tariff preferences under the Generalized System of 
Preferences (GSP) of several countries (Australia , Belarus, Canada, the European Union, Iceland, 
Japan, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Norway, the Russian Federation, Switzerland, Turkey, and the 
United States). The EU's GSP incorporates the "Everything But Arms" initiative10, under which the 
EU has been granting duty -free access, with no quantitative restrictions, for products (except for 
arms and ammunition) originating in least de veloped countries, including Niger, since 2001. The 
GSP of the United States incorporates the AGOA, under which Niger is also eligible.11 
2.4  Investment regime  
2.12.   Niger has been introducing reforms to improve its business climate since 2009. Two reforms 
of the jus tice system have helped enhance its efficiency (section 2.1). As regards enforcing 
contracts, maximum time frames have been set for addressing disputes. Pertaining to the 
resolution of insolvency, OHADA's collective procedures for the recovery of ailing bu sinesses have 
been adopted. Measures are also said to have been taken to speed up the connection of SMEs to 
the electricity grid (section 4.2.4). A new Labour Code was adopted in 2012, and a new 
Investment Code promulgated in 2014, as was a new law on publ ic-private partnership contracts 
(section 3.3.5).12 According to the authorities, one of the key developments in terms of investment 
facilitation has been the creation of the Business Centre.13 
2.13.   In July  2014, the Government issued a decree (Decree No.  2014-503 of 31  July 2014) 
making it optional to retain the services of a notary when starting a business. This should cut the 
cost of business start -ups, as notary fees are estimated at 3% of equity capital. In April  2017, the 
Government passed another decree red ucing the minimum capital requirement in Niger (Decree 
No. 2017-284/PRN/MC/PSP/MJ of 13  April 2017). In May  2017, the minimum capital requirement 
moved from CFAF 100,000 to CFAF 5,000 (minimum equity shares set by OHADA). Moreover, 
since 2016 the issuance of a tax identification number (NIF) has been free of cost. The registration 
of articles of association has also been free of cost since 2016. Thanks to these measures, the 
costs of setting up a limited liability company, for example, are understood to hav e fallen from 
CFAF 74,000 in 2010 to CFAF 17,500.  
2.14.   The Business Start -up Centre (CFE) is part of the Business Centre, located at the CCIN.14 
The CFE is a single window that centralizes business start -up formalities to be completed with the 
relevant departmen ts, some of which are represented (in particular the Directorate -General of 
Taxation and the National Social Security Fund (CNSS)). Thanks in part to the coming on stream 
of the single window, the number of business start -up procedures has fallen from 11 i n 2007 to 
four in 2017, and this has also helped to substantially reduce the time frames and costs involved.  
                                                
7 Online information viewed at: 
https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tr adfa_e/tradfa_agreement_e.htm . 
8 Online information viewed at: 
https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/dispu_by_country_e.htm . 
9 WTO Secretariat, Regional Trade Agreements database . Viewed at: http://rtais.wto.org . 
10 WTO document WT/COMTD/57 of 29  March  2005.  
11 UNCTAD (2015), Generalized System of Preferences - List of Beneficiaries. Viewed at: 
http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/it cdtsbmisc62rev6_en.pdf . 
12 Law No.  2014-02 of 31  March  2014 establishing the fiscal, financial and accounting regime applicable 
to public -private partnership contracts. Viewed at: 
http://www.lesahel.org/index.php/component/k2/item/103 24-assembl%C3%A9e -nationale --le-ministre -de-
leconomie -et-des-finances -m-saidou -sidib%C3%A9 -r%C3%A9pond -%C3 per centA0 -une-interpellation -
relativement -%C3 per centA0 -des-contrats -d%C3%A9coulant -du-partenariat -public -priv%C3  per centA9 . See 
also Ordinance N o. 2011-07 of 16  September  2011 on the general regime governing public -private partnership 
contracts.  
13 The Government set up the Business Centre, managed  by the CCIN, pursuant to  Decree 
No. 2012-247 PRN/MC/PSP/MM/DI of 30  May 2012.  
14 Decree No.  2001-220/P RN/MC/PSP of 23  November  2001.  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  2.15.   In Niger, sole proprietorships or companies must be enrolled in the Trade Register and the 
CNSS, and must declare their start of operations to the labour inspectorate. The recruitment of 
foreign workers, irrespective of nationality, must be authorized by the Ministry responsible for 
labour. The single window does not handle construction permits.  
2.16.   Businesses operating in Niger must abide by the Commerc ial Code15, in addition to the 
seven OHADA Uniform Acts concerning commercial companies (common report, section 2.5), 
which have been transposed directly into Niger's legislation. In the event of conflict, OHADA law 
takes precedence over domestic provisions , which have not yet been repealed.  
2.17.   All these efforts to ease the creation and operation of businesses have borne fruit: having 
placed Niger 172nd among 181 countries in its Doing Business 2009 ranking, the World Bank 
classified Niger 150th among 190 count ries in 2017.16 Greater headway has been made in respect 
of starting a business (88th place); the other doing business rankings remain poor, especially when 
it comes to obtaining construction permits, getting electricity and paying taxes. There have been 
new moves to step up the fight against corruption.17 Since 2017, a committee has been meeting 
on a weekly basis to allocate construction permits.  
2.18.   A new code now governs all investments made in Niger; approval under the Investment 
Code is not mandatory if the promoter does not wish to take advantage of its benefits.18 The Code 
defines investment as "capital used by any natural or legal person to purchase movable, 
immovable, tangible and intangible property and to cover start -up costs, as well as working capital 
requirements for newly created enterprises or modernization operations". Portfolio investments 
from abroad are excluded.  
2.19.   The Code encompasses all sectors, except for purely commercial activities and activities 
governed by the Mining Code or the Petroleum C ode (Article 5). Activities that had been 
specifically excluded from the scope of the previous code, such as postal services and some 
transport services, are now covered.  
2.20.   Investors must abide by an investment programme to which they commit by means of an 
approval agreement concluded with the Government, represented by the Minister responsible for 
industry. Investors are required to provide regular information on implementation, the amount of 
the investment and the number of jobs created, an exercise that co uld prove burdensome.  
2.21.   One of the major changes introduced under the new Code is that all businesses are now 
liable to the profits tax (ISB), whereas some had been exempt under the former code. Businesses 
approved under the former code benefit from grandfat hering provisions.  
2.22.   The Code establishes three preferential regimes, based on the amount invested and the 
number of jobs created: the "promotional" regime (CFAF 25  million  (about €38,000) to 
CFAF 2 billion (€3  million) in investment, and five to ten permanent jobs created, lasting six years 
with a maximum setting -up period of 36 months; the "conventional" regime (more than 
CFAF 2 billion in investment, at least 20 local job s created, of seven years' duration, including the 
investment phase of three years maximum); and the "free zone and free point" regime, the sole 
prerequisite for which being, a priori, that a company exports "almost all" of its output. These 
regimes are re served for businesses that prioritize the use of local workers, goods and services 
(Article 18).  
2.23.   The concessions accorded to approved enterprises, whether during the setting -up or the 
operational phase, are generally common to all three regimes; only the d uration varies, depending 
                                                
15 Book I (Ordinance No.  92-048 of 7  October  1992) deals with traders in general as well as commercial 
auxiliaries. B ook II (Law No.  95-011 of 20  June 1995) covers commercial acts in general, some commercial 
contracts, bills o f exchange, cheques and security (pledges and collateral); Book III (Ordinance No.  96-038 of 
29 June 1996) addresses commercial leases. Book IV (Law No.  97-40 of 1st December  1997) concerns 
collective preventive settlement, legal redress and liquidation pr ocedures as well as the penalties relating to 
defaulting debtors.  
16 World Bank's Doing Business  report. Viewed at: http://www.doingbusiness.org . 
17 Decree No.  2011-219/PRN/MJ of 26  July 2011 on the creation, term s of reference and powers, 
composition and functioning of the High Authority to Combat Corruption and Related Offences (HALCIA).  
18 Law No.  2014-09 of 16  April 2014 containing the Investment Code of the Republic of Niger. Viewed 
at: http://www.droit -afrique.com/upload/doc/niger/Niger -Code-2014-investissements.pdf . WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  on the chosen regime. During the setting -up phase they consist mainly of full exemption from all 
(internal and import) duties and taxes levied by the State on expenditure going directly to the 
implementation of the approved invest ment programme, except on imported materials for which 
there is a local equivalent of sufficient quality and availability (Article 32).  
2.24.   During the operational phase, approved companies enjoy exemption from the CET on 
imported raw materials and packaging, i n the event of there being no equivalent locally 
manufactured products (VAT and other taxes are still due); and exemption from export taxes. 
They are also exempt from the minimum flat -rate tax, the business tax and the property tax. The 
period is extended by three years for investments outside Niamey, the capital city.  
2.25.   The Investment Code is implemented via a single window created for that purpose in the 
Office of the Minister responsible for industry, in parallel with the Business Centre, the Business 
Start-up Centre and the Investment Promotion Centre (CPI).19 The Code contains arbitration and 
dispute settlement provisions (Article 45 et seq.).  Enterprises benefit specifically from the 
guarantees contemplated under ICSID, MIGA, WAEMU and ECOWAS provisions.  
2.26.   In 1965 Niger concluded a tax agreement with France for the avoidance of the double 
taxation of income and laying down rules for mutual assistance in matters  regarding the taxation 
of estates and successions and on registration fees, among other things.20 
                                                
19 Online information from Investir au Niger , viewed at: http://www.investir -au-niger.org . 
20 Online information v iewed at: http://bofip.impots.gouv.fr/bofip/1712 -PGP. WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  3  TRADE POLICIES AND P RACTICES BY MEASURE  
3.1  Measures directly affecting imports  
3.1.1   Procedures  
3.1.  Despite the reforms (section 2.4), mandatory registration procedures for traders engaged in 
import and/or export in Niger remain complex. The Single Window for Foreign T rade Formalities 
(GUFCE, section 2.1) has three main tasks: to confer status as an importer -exporter; to supervise 
the general rules for engaging in the profession of importer/exporter; and to collect trade 
information on the basis of the "statistical regi stration forms" (see below), which are subject to 
fees.1 
3.2.  Any person wishing to engage in an economic activity, including trade, must obtain a tax 
identification number (NIF) from the Directorate -General of Taxation, which entails providing, 
inter alia, authenticated copies of the person's birth certificate, certificate of nationality and 
identity document. These formalities may be completed at the Business Centre located in the 
premises of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Niger (CCIN). One of the imp rovements 
since the previous review is that the GUFCE no longer gives its own identification number to 
importers and exporters, who now only have to be registered in the NIF database. Furthermore, 
the authorization to engage in trade for foreigners, issued  by the Ministry responsible for trade, 
has been suspended (but not abolished) since 2006. Nevertheless, in addition to the NIF, an 
importer/exporter has to submit an annual attestation that his tax situation is in order before he 
can be registered with th e GUFCE.  
3.3.  Importers or exporters still have to be listed in the Trade and Mortgage Register and with the 
National Transport Users Council (CNUT), a government agency of an industrial and commercial 
nature; and must pay the relevant subscription to the CNUT Office in Niamey (the CNUT is 
represented by the CCIN in Niger's interior). The amount of the subscription to the CNUT is 
CFAF 30,000 (€46) for natural persons and CFAF  55,000 (€84) for legal persons.  
3.4.  Since 2010, Niger has embarked upon an evaluation of its trade procedures with a view to 
implementing the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) (section 2.3). The main areas where 
progress is needed on border procedures can be divided into the following three groups: 
transparency of procedures and their computerization; risk management; and the management of 
customs disputes. In the case of transit, where conditions could be improved, it should be noted 
that the goods involved mostly come from Benin, or from Togo or Ghana to a lesser extent, and 
are mainly going to Nigeria. The authorities have highlighted the need to build and equip facilities 
and parking areas for trucks in order to s trengthen and improve transit capacity.  
3.1.1.1   Transparency and computerization of procedures  
3.5.  The Government is aware of the need to better inform users concerning changes to 
procedures. To do so, information points need to be set up and more information posted o n secure 
official websites. Procedures for consultation and the possibility of obtaining advance decisions 
could also be introduced.  
3.6.  The fact that Niger's Customs Code2 dates from the 1960s, as does a large part of customs 
legislation, suggests that regula tory reform of all trade -related texts would be opportune; it would 
undoubtedly bring about a reduction in duplication and obsolete legislation. The community 
Customs Code (common report, section 3.1), however, takes precedence if there is any conflict.  
3.7.  The number of standard documents required upon importation fell from ten to six in 2017, 
and for exports from eight to four.3 In 2017, the documents required for import are: the 
commercial invoice, the road traffic tracking note (BSTR) or the cargo tracking note (BSC, 
section  3.1.1.3); the T1 transit document or road transit carnet; the statistical registration form 
                                                
1 Order No.  028/MPE/DCE of 16  August  1990.  
2 Law No.  61-17 of 31  May 1961, as amend ed. 
3 Interministerial Order No.  088 MC/PSP/MF of 17  December  2014 on the documents required for the 
import or export of goods.  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  issued by the Ministry responsible for trade; the detailed declaration from the country of export; 
and the certificate of origin. Copies are not accepted.  
3.8.  An inspection certificate is one of the documents no longer required (section 3.1.1.2). The 
cargo tracking note (common report, section 3.1.1) is still required, as is the export declaration 
drawn up in the country of origin.  
3.9.  The statistical regi stration form, required for monitoring foreign trade for statistical purposes, 
may represent an additional administrative complication.4 The form differs depending on whether 
the transaction involves a financial settlement or not.5 For trade with countries  in the WAEMU 
area, the form has three sheets and registration can be rapid, although it costs CFAF  12,000 
(€18.30).  
3.10.   For other trade, the form has four sheets: one for the GUFCE, one for the economic 
operator, one for the Ministry responsible for trade and  one for the Ministry of Finance to authorize 
foreign exchange for transactions outside the WAEMU area. The cost is CFAF  16,000 (CFAF  2,000 
per sheet and four stamps at CFAF  3,000 each to be affixed to each sheet). As part of the 
implementation of the TFA,  it is planned to do away with hard copies of these forms in 2017.  
3.11.   All goods submitted to the Customs must be the subject of a detailed declaration6, which 
can only be submitted by approved customs clearing agents and by importers with a clearance 
credit o n their own behalf (common report, section 3.1.1). In May  2017, ASYCUDA World was 
being introduced into Niger. The informatics development plan of Niger's Customs should in the 
long run lead to the use of new information and communications technology, incl uding electronic 
payment and upgrading of customs software.  
3.12.   Registration of the detailed declaration may be followed by inspection of the goods by the 
customs authorities.7 The goods may not be released until all duties and taxes have been settled 
and paid , unless the importer has a clearance credit8 or a duty and tax credit.9 In 2017, 80% of 
customs revenue came from cash payments. Two other customs -related areas in which progress 
could help to streamline trade and implement the TFA are the introduction of  customs clearance 
after the goods have been released, and the introduction of streamlined measures for approved 
economic operators.  
3.13.   Niger's policy on customs risk management remains strongly influenced by the government 
budget's dependence on customs reve nue. This concern probably explains the resistance to 
change, notably the persistence of administrative procedures such as cargo tracking notes or the 
requirement to pay advances in the form of other taxes at the time of import.  
3.14.   In 2015, Niger set up a Com mercial Court in Niamey (section 2.1). No statistics are 
available on the Court's activities. According to the authorities, very few customs disputes come 
before the courts. Customs procedures for appeals or reviews could be improved, however, as 
could pro cedures for withholding goods and the rules on sanctions.  
3.1.1.2   Inspection of goods by private companies  
3.15.   The contract between the Government of Niger and the Swiss inspection company COTECNA 
expired in January  2017 and by June  2017 had not been renewed. COTECNA carried out 
preshipment inspection (or inspection upon arrival, but with penalties) of the tariff classification 
and the value, but not the quality of goods, in implementation of an import verification programme 
                                                
4 Order No.  028/MPE/DCE of 16  August  1990.  
5 Circular No.  0108/MPE/DCE/PE of 30  January  1991.  
6 Order No.  509/MF/E/DGD of 7  December 2001.  
7 Articles 51 -53 of the Customs Code (1961).  
8 Ibid., Article 62.  
9 Pursuant to Article 58 bis of the Customs Code (1961), importers may present for payment duly 
secured bonds with a maximum expiry date of four months, but this is not allowed wh en the amount to be paid 
is less than CFAF  100,000.  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  (PVI) notified to the WTO in 1996.10 Since th en, operators have no longer been obliged to 
complete "notices of intent to import" and forward them to COTECNA. After inspecting the goods, 
COTECNA issued an "inspection certificate" or "a notice of refusal to issue a certificate", which the 
importer had to attach to the customs declaration documentation.  
3.16.   Despite suspension of the PVI, the inspection tax amounting to 1% of the f.o.b. value of all 
imports, whether or not subject to the PVI (with exceptions) is still levied (since 1996).11 
3.17.   The system of "admi nistrative values" upon importation, which covered almost 900 tariff 
lines, was also suspended when COTECNA ceased activities.12 These administrative values 
covered, for example, some petroleum products, poultry, milk, green tea, milled rice, wheat flour, 
edible oils, sugar, biscuits, edible pasta, tomato paste, alcoholic beverages, cigarettes and tobacco 
products, fertilizers, soap, matches, exercise books, fabrics, inner tyres, iron bars, corrugated iron 
sheets, mattresses, batteries, motorbikes, motorized  bicycles and bicycles.13 
3.18.   In addition, the Government may lower the customs value of some products, for example, 
sugar just before Ramadan, wheat or staple foods in order to offset the high prices in the "lean" 
season.  
3.1.1.3   Cargo tracking note  
3.19.   The road traffic t racking note (BSTR) and the cargo tracking note (BSC) required on 
importation are issued by the CNUT. This document has apparently not become paperless; it has 
to be paid and is costly; t he fee is €25 -50 depending on whether the vehicle weighs less or more 
than five tonnes; €25 -50 for 20/40 ft. containers; the BSC is invoiced at €5/tonne or per cubic 
metre for goods in bulk and €2/tonne for hydrocarbons. Each form costs €60. Moreover, as 
underlined by UNCTAD, this is not a transport document but a simple tracking document, which is 
nonetheless compulsory and has to be submitted to the Customs for each bill of lading.14 
3.1.2   Levies at the border  
3.20.   The duties and taxes levied at the customs cordon ac counted for around 34% of tax 
revenue in 2015, less than the 45% in 2010 (Table  3.1). As the Table below shows, the decrease 
is attributable to the receipts from import and export duties and taxes, whose increase in value 
was less than that of total fiscal  revenue. The Government has thus managed to reduce 
dependence on fiscal revenue from international trade and increase that derived from internal 
taxation. In 2015, total revenue collected at the border in the form of duties and taxes amounted 
to €341  million. 
Table 3.1 Revenue collected at the border, 2005, 2010 and 2013 -2015  
(CFAF  billion and  %) 
 2005  2010  2013  2014  2015  
I. Directorate -General of Taxation (DGI) account  10.6 19.2 30.7 32.7 35.2 
 Industrial a nd commercial profits (BIC) account  5.4 10.7 16.1 17.9 17.5 
 Excise duty on alcoholic beverages  0.5 0.6 1.2 1.3 2.0 
 Excise duty on tobacco and cigarettes  2.4 5.7 8.3 7.6 8.9 
 Flat-rate tax on tobacco and cigarettes  0.0 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 
 Other excise du ty 2.4 1.8 5.1 6.0 6.8 
II. Customs account  96.7 135.1  146.6  153.4  188.6  
 Imports  81.9 108.2  110.3  116.1  157.6  
 Customs duty (DD)  24.4 28.1 40.2 41.0 53.2 
 Statistical import charge (RSI)  2.5 8.1 5.3 5.6 6.3 
 Value -added tax (VAT)  48.3 60.0 62.7 67.6 92.1 
                                                
10 Decree No.  96-21/PCSN/MF/P of 12  February  1996, as amended by Decree No.  96-370/PCSN/MF/P of 
18 October  1996 (notified to the WTO in documents G/PSI/N/1/Add.5 of 5  February  1997, Add.7 of 
24 February  1998, and Add.8 of 28  September  1999).  
11 The exceptions include: goods intended for the State, imports by diplomatic missions, international or 
charitable organizations, and goods imported when changing residence.  
12 Circular No.  000027/MF/DGD/DRRI of 8  May 2017 on the systematic application of the transaction 
value. This circular was, however, suspended because of the "lean" season and the approach of Ramadan.  
13 Service note No.  00009/DGD/DRRI of 22  January  2007.  
14 UNCTAD (2015), Niger – Diagnostic Trade Inte gration Study , October  2015.  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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   2005  2010  2013  2014  2015  
 Tax on petroleum products (TPP)  6.7 11.7 1.7 1.5 5.1 
 Exports  12.0 26.9 36.3 37.3 31.0 
 Statistical export charge (RSE)  0.9 1.5 7.7 6.3 5.3 
 Special re -export tax (TSR)  11.1 25.4 28.6 30.9 25.7 
III. Third -party account  2.7 9.3 8.1 9.3 10.1 
 Community solidarity levy (PCS/WAEMU)  1.2 4.0 4.2 4.8 5.2 
Community levy (PC/ECOWAS)  1.5 5.3 3.9 4.4 4.9 
Memorandum:       
Total revenue at the border (I + II) (CFAF  billion)  107.3  154.4  177.3  186.1  223.8  
 of which: Customs revenue paid in cash  78.6 123.1  134.3  137.9  151.6  
Amount of customs exemptions  n.a. n.a. 83.9 113.4  223.0  
Total revenue at the border (I + II) (€  million)  163.5  235.4  270.3  283.7  341.1  
Percentage of customs receipts in total fiscal revenue, of which:  n.a. 42.7 30.7 29.4 32.7 
 DGI account  n.a. 5.3 5.3 5.2 5.1 
 Customs account, of which:  n.a. 37.4 25.4 24.2 27.5 
 Imports  n.a. 29.9 19.1 18.3 23.0 
 Exports  n.a. 7.4 6.3 5.9 4.5 
n.a. Not available.  
Source:  WTO Secretariat calculations based on information provided by the authorities.  
3.1.2.1   Customs duty and other levies  
3.21.   Niger applies the four community import taxes ( CET, PC, PCS, RS, common report, 
section  3.1). The PC rate applied by Niger, however, is 1% (rather than the standard rate of 
0.5%), in order to enable it to settle its arrears with ECOWAS. Niger does not apply any of the 
transitional community taxes inten ded to accompany the ECOWAS CET. Its tariff bindings at the 
WTO are indicated in the common report: for 616 lines, the applied rates exceed its WTO 
commitments (common report, Tables 3.9 and A3.1).  
3.22.   Since 1997, all import or export transactions for commerci al purposes  of a c.i.f. value of 
CFAF 2 million or more (around €3,000) entail the compulsory submission of a certificate in hard 
copy showing the NIF of the importer or exporter (section 3.1.1) at the time of customs 
clearance.15 
3.23.   An advance on profits tax (ISB) is re quired for all customs transactions, whether for import 
or export, unless the operator is in possession of a "certificate of exemption from payment of the 
advance". Persons without an NIF making a declaration pay an advance amounting to 5% of the 
c.i.f. va lue of the goods plus import duties and taxes and excise duty, except for VAT and the 
advance itself.16 Persons with an NIF and taxed on the basis of actual turnover pay an advance of 
3%. Such taxation may be prejudicial to the competitiveness of Niger's pr oducers and exporters 
and could be reviewed. According to the authorities, domestic transactions are also subject to 
payment of the advance, although in practice it is not levied on transactions in the domestic 
market. Consequently, this tax is paid only o n imports. It was not possible to discover under what 
conditions the sums levied are refunded to operators at the time they pay the ISB.  
3.1.2.2   Internal taxes  
3.24.   Most of the internal taxes are specified in the General Tax Code, which can be consulted 
online.17 Niger applies the community provisions on VAT and excise duty on both imported goods 
and services and those produced locally (common report, section 3.1.6); VAT is levied at the 
general rate of 19%. Excise duty is imposed on many fast -moving consumer goods, maki ng these 
products much more costly for households: tea (12% in 2015); some fruit juices and water 
(15%); beer made from malt (25%) and other alcoholic beverages (45%); tobacco and tobacco 
products (45%); perfumery and cosmetic products (15%); kola nuts (15 %); and edible oils and 
fats (15%).  
                                                
15 Law No.  97-45 of 15  December  1997.  
16 Title VIII, Tax Code (2008).  
17 General Tax Code. Viewed at: https://niger.eregulations .org/media/code g%C3%A9n%C3%A9rale 
des imp%C3  per centB4ts.pdf . WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
- 382 - 
 
  3.25.   The internal tax on petroleum products (TIPP) is fixed at 12% of the ex -Soraz refinery price 
(section  4.2.2) for premium petrol and gas oil; and VAT at 19%. Kerosene is exempt from both the 
TIPP and VAT as it is used by low-income households, but customs duty has to be paid. LPG is 
exempt from all taxes. There is no TIPP on heating oil, but VAT applies.  
3.1.2.3   Duty and tax exemptions and concessions  
3.26.   There are various forms of suspension, reduction or exemption from customs duty and/or 
other indirect taxes levied at the border, leading to substantial loss of revenue for the State 
(section 2.2 and Chart 3.1). To offset this problem, the Government has embarked on a 
systematic re -examination of the numerous VAT exemptions, particula rly in the mining sector.  
Chart 3.1 Amount of exemptions granted at the border, 2013 -2015  
(CFAF  billion  and €  million)  
CFAF 61.0 ( €93.0)CFAF 151.2 ( €230.6)CFAF 223.0 ( €339.9)
050100150200250
Customs duty exemptions Value added tax (VAT) exemptions Total exemptions2013 2014 2015
 
Source:  WTO Secretariat calculations based on information provided by the authorities.  
3.1.3   Import prohibitions and licensing  
3.27.   Niger applies the WAEMU community regulations imposing bans on import, export, storage 
and transit with a view to pro tecting the health and safety of the population and the environment 
(common report, section 3.1.8). Prohibitions and licensing also apply under multilateral 
agreements, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna 
and Flora (CITES)18; and the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer.19 The 
import (as well as the possession, transport, sale or exchange) of arms and ammunition20 requires 
an authorization from the Ministry responsible for the interior. Th e import of explosive substances 
for use in mines, quarries and public works, as well as in agriculture, must receive prior 
authorization from the Minister responsible for mining.21 
3.28.   Since 1997, a declaration has been required for the import, export or inter national transfer 
of cultural goods.22 The import and transit of industrial or nuclear waste have been banned since 
1989.23 Furthermore, all imports or exports of grains or forest plant material require prior 
authorization from the Minister responsible for f orestry.24 For the sale of pharmaceuticals, an 
marketing authorization from the Ministry responsible for health is imposed by the pharmaceutical 
legislation of 1997, in accordance with an approval process; importers of medicines must be 
                                                
18 Law No.  98-07 of 29  April 1998.  
19 Order No.  002/MC/PSP/DGC/DCE/PE of 2  January  2012 containing regulations on the import and 
marketing of ozone -depleting substances (ODS) and equipment cont aining them.  
20 Decree No.  63-074/MI of 23  April 1963.  
21 Order No.  009/MTPT/T/M/U of 14  April 1969.  
22 Law No.  97-022 of 30  June 1997.  
23 Ordinance No.  89-24 of 8  December  1989 prohibiting the import of toxic industrial and nuclear waste; 
and the Bamako Conve ntion on the Ban of the Import into Africa and the Control of Transboundary Movement 
and Management of Hazardous Waste within Africa, which came into force in March  1996.  
24 Law No.  2004-40 of 8  June 2004.  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  approved and present  this authorization. Lastly, the import and export of gold requires prior 
authorization from the Minister responsible for finance and the Ministry responsible for mining.  
3.29.   The quota scheme for commercial imports and the re -export of wheat flour, introduced in 
2005, was suspended in 2012.25 Entitlement to the quota required the compulsory purchase of 
locally produced wheat flour from the sole producer, Moulins du Sahel , at the rate of 10% of the 
volume to be imported.26 Since July  2014, flour has been subject t o a minimum customs value of 
CFAF 350,000 (€534) per tonne. A similar purchasing scheme still applies to rice. An authorization 
to import a given quantity of rice is subject to proof of purchase of locally produced rice at the rate 
of 3% of the volume to b e imported.  
3.30.   According to Niger's sole notification to the WTO Committee on Import Licensing in 199827, 
only hydrocarbons (except for butane gas) are subject to import licences issued by the Ministry 
responsible for trade.28 Only persons approved by the Minis ter responsible for trade may trade in 
or possess hydrocarbons. There are two forms of import licence, which has to be obtained for 
every import transaction: a licence without purchase of foreign currency and a licence with 
purchase of foreign currency.  
3.31.   The production, import, and sale of bags and wrapping made of low density flexible plastic 
have been banned since 2015, but this measure is apparently not applied.29 The recent ban on 
importing analogue television sets and decoders not consistent with the sta ndards authorized for 
terrestrial digital television does not appear to be applied either.30 
3.1.4   Anti-dumping, countervailing or safeguard measures  
3.32.   In principle, Niger applies the WAEMU provisions on anti -dumping, countervailing and 
safeguard measures. It has n ot taken any measure in this regard.  
3.2  Measures directly affecting exports  
3.2.1   Customs procedures and export taxes  
3.33.   Since 2014, different measures to streamline export procedures have been introduced.31 
They are, however, not very likely to boost exports in practi ce until the numerous export taxes are 
abolished.  
3.34.   To start with, there is still a 3% statistical export charge (RSE) on all products exported, 
except for minerals (uranium and oil). The base for the RSE is the c.i.f. value calculated according 
to a minimum  unit value determined by the authorities.  
3.35.   For taxation purposes, unit values are determined for Niger's principal exports, including live 
animals, their hides and skins, plant products such as cotton, groundnuts, etc., smoked or dried 
fish, scrap metal an d recycled batteries, and gold.32 Since April  2015, for export tax purposes the 
administrative value of raw gold obtained from small -scale mining  has been CFAF  5,000 (€7.6) 
per gram. These values are intended to guarantee a minimum amount of export tax revenue for 
the Customs. The values are determined at the administrative level and may be well below the 
market value (in June  2017, gold on the wor ld market was over €35 per gram).  
                                                
25 Order No.  79/MC/PSP/MF of 10  December  2012.  
26 Order No.  64/MCI/PSP/ME/F of 20  December  2005.  
27 WTO document G/LIC/N/1/NER/1 of 12  January  1998.  
28 Ordinance No.  98-01 of 27  February  1998, replaced by Law No.  2014/11 of 16  April 2014.  
29 Law No.  2014-63 of 5  November  2014 banning the production, import, sal e, use and storage of bags 
and wrapping of low density flexible plastic, and its implementing Decree No.  2015-321 PRN/MESU/DD of 
25 June 2015.  
30 Order No.  78/MC/PSP/MP/T/EN/MC/RI of 5  November  2014 st ipulates that only appliances 
corresponding to the MPEG -4 AVC standards for image compression and DVB -T2 for their emission are 
authorized.  
31 For example, Order No.  088/MC/PSP/MT/MF of 17  December  2014 on the documents required for the 
import and export of  goods; and a new clearance and marketing note for agricultural -forestry -pastoral 
products.  
32 Service Note No.  00006/DGD/DRRI of 22  January  2007.  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  3.36.   In addition, a special re -export tax (TSR) of 5% has to be paid on any re -export outside the 
franc zone, or 15% for cigarettes. There is also an advance/prepayment of the ISB amounting to 
2% for operators with an NIF and 5 % for those who do not have a number. These taxes are also 
imposed on intra -WAEMU or intra -ECOWAS trade. In this connection, it will be noted that the new 
Investment Code exempts exporters from these taxes (section 2.4). The base for the TSR is also 
calcul ated using a minimum export value for consumer goods (rice, tea, soap, sugar, edible oils, 
etc.) and cigarettes.33 
3.2.2   Export prohibitions, quantitative restrictions and licensing  
3.37.   In principle, Niger applies export prohibitions on a certain number of products, and is party 
to several international agreements providing for export prohibitions (common report, 
section  3.2). The export of seed cotton has been banned since 1998 in order to guarantee the 
development of the cotton subsector.34 A ban on the export of don keys and asses has also been in 
force in principle since July  2016 (section 4.1).35 
3.38.   As part of the measures taken to ensure food security, since 2005, the export and re -export 
of millet, sorghum, maize, cassava flour and cattle feed have been banned.36 Likew ise, the 
re-export of milled rice has also been prohibited since 2005.37 
3.39.   The re -export of tobacco and cigarettes requires approval from the Ministry responsible for 
trade.38 An export licence is still in effect, but currently only applies to hydrocarbons pro duced by 
Soraz (premium petrol, gas oil, and liquefied petroleum gas) in order to ensure national 
self-sufficiency in these products. The licence is valid for three months, with the option of renewing 
it twice for equal periods. The form costs CFAF  5,000 a nd comprises nine sheets, on each of which 
a fiscal stamp of CFAF 3,000 has to be affixed.  
3.3  Measures affecting production and trade  
3.3.1   Incentives  
3.40.   Pursuant to the Investment Code (section 2.4) or the General Tax Code, the principal 
incentives for production are  of a fiscal nature.  
3.3.2    Standards, technical regulations and accreditation procedures  
3.41.   Fifteen years after the legislation on standardization39 was adopted, the mechanism for 
controlling the quality of products put up for sale in Niger, including imports, has still not become 
operational, despite the establishment of the National Standards Conformity Verification Agency 
(AVCN) in 2008. The purpose of the Agency is to "control the quality of Niger's imports and 
exports so as to protect consumers, ensure that tra de practices are fair and promote performance 
by enterprises".40 The official services and the press report large and frequent imports of harmful 
products, which is the reason for several measures prohibiting imports (section  3.1.4).  
3.42.   According to the author ities, continued significant imports of counterfeit goods would justify 
the intention to introduce a programme to verify the quality of imports. The purpose of such a 
programme would be to inspect the quality of products before they are shipped and to cont rol 
those already on sale. In 2014, new procedures for inspecting and verifying conformity were 
                                                
33 Service Note No.  007/DGD/DRRI of 21  April 2015 requires that export unit values should be applied 
uniformly by all customs offices.  
34 Order No.  45/MC/T/T/SE/DCE of 3  September  1992.  
35 Online information viewed at: http://www.nigerinter.com/dev/wp -
content/uploads/2016/ 09/Arret%C3%A9_Asins -1.pdf. 
36 Circular No.  230/MEF/DGD/DRRI of 11  March  2005.  
37 Circular No.  085/DGD/CT of 22  December  2005.  
38 Order No.  030/MCI/PSP/DCI/C of 2  June 2006.  
39 Law No.  2002-28 of 31  December  2002 introducing standardization, certification and  accreditation in 
Niger.  
40 Decree No.  2008-221/PRN/MCI/N of 27  July 2008 approving the statutes of the National Standards 
Conformity Verification Agency (AVCN).  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  introduced, but then repealed in 201641 because of discontent among traders importing goods. In 
May 2017, a text re -instating the programme for verifying importe d and local products was before 
the Government for adoption.  
3.43.   Niger's main problem in terms of controlling the quality of products is that the country does 
not have an accredited laboratory to perform be it a minimal analysis of imported goods. The 
analysis  or assessment of the presence or percentage of pesticide residues in certain foods cannot 
currently be conducted in existing facilities. The AVCN and the Directorate of Standardization, 
Quality Promotion and Metrology (DNPQM), the standardization body wit hin the Ministry 
responsible for industry, which is the Agency's main source of standards and technical regulations, 
need capacity -building assistance. The DNPQM has a metrology laboratory which has begun the 
accreditation process.  
3.44.   Niger's standards are pr epared in technical committees and then put before the National 
Standardization Council (CNN) for approval before they are adopted by the Minister responsible for 
industry and the relevant Order is published in the Official Journal.42 The DNPQM acts as the 
Secretariat for the CNN and is the national enquiry point for the purposes of the WTO Agreement 
on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT).43 The CNN is composed of representatives of government 
authorities, the CCIN, consumers' associations, importers and export ers, and professional 
associations.44 At May  2017, some 40 standards were in force.  
3.45.   The application of Niger's standards may be made mandatory45, in which case the technical 
regulation is adopted by means of a joint order of the Minister responsible for stan dardization and 
the Minister responsible for the domain in question. The following technical regulations have been 
adopted in Niger, although they have not been notified to the WTO:  
 Joint Order No. 89/MM/DI/MSP/MF of 31  May 2012 mandating Niger's standard on 
common wheat flour enriched with iron and folic acid;  
 Joint Order No. 65/MM/DI/MSP/MF of 25  April 2012 mandating Niger's standards on 
refined edible palm, palm nut and groundnut oil enriched with vitamin A;  
 Interministerial Order No.  116/MSP/CM/PSP/MMDI /DF of 25  March  2014 on criteria for 
the production, import and marketing of salt in Niger;  
 Order No. 060/MC/I/N/DNQM of 24  November  2008 regulating the manufacture of soap 
in Niger; and  
 Order No. 053/MC/I/N/DNQM of 28  October  2008 regulating the manufactu re of bread in 
Niger.  
3.3.3   Sanitary and phytosanitary measures  
3.46.   Niger has not made any notification to the WTO on its sanitary or phytosanitary regime 
(Table  3.2) or related activities. Although a legislative framework is in place, effective SPS 
protection is in  its very early stages and SPS protection measures at the customs cordon are rare.  
                                                
41 Decree No.  2016-217/PRN/MMI of 17  May 2016 repealing Decree No.  2014-487 of 22  July 2014 
determining the criteria and procedures for inspecting and verifying the conformity of goods with standards 
and technical regulations in the Republic of Niger.  
42 Law No.  2002-028/PRN of 31  December  2002; and WTO document G/TBT/2/Add.95 of 
10 September  2007.  
43 Online information viewed at: http://tbtims.wto.org/default.aspx . 
44 Decree No.  2004-028/PRN/MC/PSP of 30  January  2004.  
45 Article 8 of Law No.  2008-08 of 30  April 2008.  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  Table 3.2 Sanitary and phytosanitary laws and regulations  
Text Subject  Authority applying the 
measure at the border  
Decree No . 90-55/PRN/MAG/EL of 
1 February  1990 Protection of seeds  Ministry of Agriculture  
Ordinance No.  93-015 of 
2 March  1993 Food quality control  Ministry responsible for 
health  
Law No.  2015-35 of 26  May 2015 on 
plant protection  
Decree No.  2016-303/PRN/MAG/E 2 
of 29 June 2016 Phytosanitary protection of plants and plant 
products  Ministry of Agriculture  
Order No.  031/MAG/EL/DPV of 
25 February  1997 Phytosanitary control of plants and plant 
products on import or export  Ministry of Agriculture  
Decree No.  98-108/PRN/MSP of 
12 May 1998  Sanitary control of foodstuffs on import or 
export  Ministry responsible for 
health  
Law No.  2004-048 of 30  June 2004 Framework law on livestock breeding;  
sanitary control on export or import  Ministry responsible for 
livestock  
Source:  WTO Secretariat.  
3.47.   In principle, the Directorate -General of Plant Protection is responsible for controls against 
payment of the phytosanitary inspection fees (CFAF  520/tonne). It also inspects plants and plant 
products for import or export and issues phytosanitary certificates, as well as the re -export 
certificates required by destination countries.46 Phytopharmaceutical products are approved at the 
community level (common report, section 3.3.1).  
3.48.   For products of animal origin, procedures depend on wheth er they concern live animals 
(animal health certificate) or animal products (sanitary certificate, although in fact no meat is 
imported, with the exception of frozen chickens). A national strategy has been developed to 
combat and prevent avian flu. For foo dstuffs, the sanitary control measures, including those at the 
border, are decided by the Ministry responsible for public health. According to the authorities, no 
product has been the subject of a trade restriction for SPS reasons.  
3.3.4   Competition policy and p rice controls  
3.49.   Niger has a new law to protect consumers, providing for the establishment of a Consumer 
Protection Commission.47 Moreover, it would appear that in May  2017 a law on competition was 
under preparation. Although Niger does not have any law on com petition, WAEMU's community 
regime on competition is, in principle, applied in Niger (common report, section 3.3).  
3.50.   The pricing regime has not seen any major changes since Niger's previous review in 2003.48 
Although the price of some goods or services is fix ed by an order from the Minister responsible for 
trade, in practice, such measures are not applied in most cases.49 The only prices actually imposed 
in this way are those of petroleum products, the price of a baguette of bread, and the cost of 
religious pil grimages to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Prices approved by the State include those of 
pharmaceuticals (fixed profit margin), water and electricity rates (fixed) and postal services by 
Niger Poste  (section 4.4.1). The price of telecommunications services h as to be approved 
(section  4.4.1).  
3.3.5   State trading, State -owned enterprises and privatization  
3.51.   Niger has not made any notification to the WTO on State trading within the meaning of 
Article  XVII of the GATT. Nevertheless, in addition to the Niger Petroleum Pro ducts Company  
(SONIDEP), which still has a monopoly on the import of hydrocarbons (section 4.2.2), since 
August  2016 the new refinery Soraz has shared the exclusive right to export petroleum products 
with SONIDEP.  
                                                
46 Order No.  182/MAG/E2/DSPL of 20  October 2016 determining the list of plants, plant products and 
other regulated products subject to phytosanitary control and the criteria for their movement within Niger.  
47 Law No.  2015-24 of 11  May 2015 laying down the basic principles of consumer protectio n. 
48 Decree No.  2016-216/PRN/MC/PSP of 17  May 2016.  
49 Order No.  45/MDI/CAT/DCIC of 19  September  1995 determining the elements to be taken into 
account in calculating the lawful cost price of an imported good.  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  3.52.   It was not possible to obtain the list of enterprises with State holdings such as those selling 
uranium on world markets (section 4.2.3).  
3.3.6   Government procurement  
3.53.   The Regulatory Authority for Government Procurement (ARMP) has published a compendium 
of the basic texts regulating government procuremen t in Niger, the latest revisions of which date 
from 2016 and are available on its website.50 The Government Procurement Code of 2016 covers 
procurement for amounts exceeding CFAF  10 million (around €15,250).51 This applies to all 
purchases, except expenditure on water, electricity, telephony and transport, or that financed from 
special funds. Proc urement financed by external partners is also subject to the Code if the clauses 
in the relevant financing agreements do not state otherwise. A price preference of up to 15% may 
be given to companies whose headquarters are within the WAEMU area.52 The Direc torate -General 
for the Control of Government Procurement (DGCMP) is responsible for a priori control of 
compliance with the rules in the Code. After receiving all the documentation, the ARMP carries out 
a posteriori control and settles any disputes. Niger has not notified its intention to sign or become 
an observer to the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement.  
3.54.   A subscription must be paid to the CCIN by any company wishing to respond to an invitation 
to bid for government procurement. The amount of the sub scription is CFAF  100,000 (€152) for 
natural persons who are wholesalers or semi -wholesalers, CFAF 45,000 for retailers, CFAF 600,000 
(€914) for public limited companies, and CFAF 300,000 for limited liability companies.  
3.55.   In view of the scarcity of its financial reso urces, the Government had endeavoured to 
introduce a framework for public -private partnerships (PPP), and this has become a key instrument 
for the promotion of private investment in Niger. It has led to several agreements, for example, 
those concerning the  Niamey -Dosso railway, the purchase of 150 ambulances and the building of 
the Agadez -Arlit road. Since 2011, Niger has developed a legal and institutional framework for 
developing PPPs. An Ordinance dating from 2011 covers PPP contracts and is apparently b eing 
revised. A law on the taxation applicable to PPP contracts was adopted in 2014.53 The 201 6 
Government Procurement Code contains regulations on public service concessions.  
3.56.   In 2012, a unit to support PPPs was set up in the Prime Minister's Office and is responsible 
for encouraging private investment; it does not appear to have a website.54 The total volume of 
current investment is reportedly CFAF 1,270  billion (close to €2  billion). The new legislation on 
PPPs appears not to have been applied very transparently and has led to the award of direct 
contracts involving CFAF  300 billion (€457  million) in fiscal exemptions, violating the principles in 
the Government Procurement Code.55 
3.3.7   Protection of intellectual property rights  
3.57.   Niger signed, but has not ratified, the Bangui Agreement, as revised in 2015. Its legislative 
framework for industrial property has, however, been harmonized with that of the o ther OAPI 
                                                
50 Online information viewed at: http://www.armp -niger.org . 
51 Order No.  00270/CAB/PM/ARMP of 24  October  2007. Procurement below this threshold may be paid 
upon presentation of the invoice (on the basis of a list of reference prices drawn up by the Ministry of F inance).  
52 Article 36 of Ordinance No.  2002-7 of 18  September  2002, as amended by Ordinance No.  2008-06 of 
21 February  2008.  
53 Law No.  2014-02 of 31  March  2014 establishing the fiscal, financial and accounting regime applicable 
to public -private partnershi p contracts. Viewed at: 
http://www.lesahel.org/index.php/component/k2/item/10324 -assembl%C3%A9e -nationale --le-ministre -de-
leconomie -et-des-finances -m-saidou -sidib%C3%A9 -r%C3%A9pond -%C3 per centA0 -une-interpellation -
relativement -%C3 per centA0 -des-contrats -d%C3%A9coulant -du-partenariat -public -priv%C3  per centA9 . See 
also Ordinance No.  2011-07 of 16  September  2011 establishing the general regime for public -private 
partnership contracts.  
54 Online information viewed at: http://www.initiative -ppp-afrique.com/Afrique -zone-franc/Pays -de-la-
zone-franc/Niger . 
55 Newspaper Le Sahel . Viewed at: http://www.lesahel.org/index.p hp/component/k2/item/10324 -
assembl%C3%A9e -nationale --le-ministre -de-leconomie -et-des-finances -m-saidou -sidib%C3%A9 -
r%C3%A9pond -%C3 per centA0 -une-interpellation -relativement -%C3 per centA0 -des-contrats -
d%C3%A9coulant -du-partenariat -public -priv%C3  per centA 9. WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  members (common report, section 3.3.4). Niger's National Liaison Structure is within the Ministry 
responsible for industry.  
3.58.   The National Copyright Bureau is responsible, inter alia, for the collective management of 
royalties in Niger.56 The nation al regime for the protection of copyright, related rights and 
expressions of folklore57 provides that a work is protected throughout the lifetime of its author plus 
50 years after his death; protection of one year applies to performances (not fixed on a 
phonogram), 25 years for radio broadcasts and 50 years for phonograms.  
                                                
56 Law No.  95-019 of 8  December  1995.  
57 Ordinance No.  93-27 of 30  March  1993.  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  4  TRADE POLICIES BY SE CTOR  
4.1  Agriculture, livestock and related activities  
4.1.1   Overview  
4.1.  Despite extremely arid growing conditions, Niger has identified several agri -food sectors as 
priority areas  for export development. Around 20% of the active population are employed in the 
livestock sector alone, and this figure rises to 87% when livestock -raising crop farmers are 
included; the sector contributes 9% of GDP, while accounting for around 10% of tot al exports. Live 
cattle are the first item on Niger's list of agri -food exports and their main destination is Nigeria. 
Since 2014, cattle and meat products imported from Nigeria have become much less expensive, 
due to the sharp depreciations of the naira, and the trade flows have changed direction, the price 
of imported sheep, for example, having halved.  
4.2.  Exports of skins and hides seem promising, provided they are properly supported 
(section  4.1.2). Their reputation rests mainly on the excellent quality of the skin of the Maradi red 
goat. At present, most exports go to Nigeria, from which they are re -exported to Italy. In 
May 2017, there were two active tanneries, sharing the sector with the small -scale tanneries. The 
sector has been identified as a priority  growth sector eligible for a Tier 2 project under the 
Enhanced Integrated Framework.1 Exporting informally to Nigeria appears to be a major activity 
because of the heavy taxation of exports, despite the granting of tariff preferences within the 
framework of the ECOWAS/WAEMU free trade areas (section 4.1. 2). In fact, even in the absence of 
customs duties, Niger's exporters still have to pay export tax and the advance on the ISB 
(section  3.2.1).  
4.3.  The main food crops are millet and sorghum, grown mainly by sub sistence farmers, and rice, 
which is also marketed. The main export crops are cowpeas, groundnuts, sesame, dates, gum 
arabic, tiger nuts, and Galmi violet onion, for which a geographical indication is in process of being 
obtained.2 Food products account fo r around one fifth of total annual imports, a share that has 
increased sharply since 2009 (Chart 1.3). These imports consist mainly of cereals, but also of 
edible oils, sugar and sugar confectionery, dairy products, especially powdered milk, and tobacco.  
4.1.2   General agricultural policy  
4.4.  Largely thanks to the implementation, since the 1980s, of a National Disaster and Food Crisis 
Prevention and Management Framework3, there has been no new food crisis in Niger since the 
previous review in 2009, despite a chronic c ereals deficit estimated at 15% of needs in 2016 and 
made good mainly by food aid.  
4.5.  The National Food Crisis Prevention and Management Framework , in place since 1985 and 
managed by the Office of the Prime Minister, comprises an early warning system (EWS); a  market 
information system; a national security reserve managed by the Niger Food Products Board 
(OPVN); an Emergency Food Security Fund (FSA); a Common Donor Fund; and a Food Security 
Investment Fund, a component of the  "Niger Feeds Niger"  Initiative  launched in 2011.  
4.6.  The EWS is part of a regional environment for information exchange  maintained by the 
Inter-State Committee on Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), supported by the FAO, the World 
Food Programme and the Famine Early Warning System (FEWS).4 The EWS involves monitoring 
the growing season and any damage done by pests, evaluating harvests and fodder crops, and 
monitoring prices. Measures include the supply of inputs and cattle feed, and the establishment or 
rehabilitation of cereal banks and seed banks. Food is allocated to cereal bank stocks and food and 
cash are exchanged for labour ( food for work, cash for work ), while cereals have also been sold at 
reduced prices.  
                                                
1 See Enhanced Integrated Framework. Viewed at: http://fr_pt.enhancedif.org/fr/node/3078 . 
2 Online information viewed a t: http://www.reca -niger.org/IMG/pdf/Rapport_IG_versionRECA.pdf . 
3 Online information viewed at: http://www.dnpgcca.ne . 
4 Online information v iewed at: http://www.fews.net/fr/global/food -assistance -outlook -brief/february -
2017. WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  4.7.  Since 1970, the OPVN has been responsible for marketing food  products within the context of 
food crisis prevention and management; it imports food products in order to sell them at reduced 
prices. The OPVN is responsible for transferring food products from the areas in which there are 
surpluses to those in which there are shortages. If  there is a surplus of certain food products, the 
OPVN may also make purchases to contain the fall in their market prices. It has a storage capacity 
of 154,000  tonnes.5 
4.8.  Thus, food security is at the heart of Niger's agricultural policy. Water management an d the 
development of irrigation to reduce the dependence of agricultural production on weather 
conditions are two of its core components. According to the authorities, the rural sector receives 
between 20 and 25% of the State's annual operating budget (all  sources of financing combined) 
and 14% of the investment budget, in particular. However, according to other sources, livestock, 
which accounts for nearly 22% of exports, only receives 1.7% of the national budget.  
4.9.  According to the authorities, there is no coordinated State programme for increasing 
agri-food production. However, "individual" crop farmers, livestock breeders and fishermen are 
exempt from annual profits tax. For the most part, they are also exempt from the business tax 
payable by enterprises s ubject to the real tax regime. Tax incentives for agri -food companies were 
available under the former Investment Code, but that appears to be no longer the case 
(section  2.4). 
4.10.   In normal times, State intervention under the agricultural policy is limited, at  national level, 
to seed production and extension services for breeders. Each year, the Niger National Institute for 
Agricultural Research (INRAN), established in 1978 in partnership with the Centre for International 
Cooperation in Agricultural Research fo r Development (CIRAD),  produces 30 to 40 tonnes of seed, 
which is made available to breeders at subsidized prices. The latter sell on the seed to producers.  
4.11.   INRAN includes Regional Centres; research stations and support units; and Regional 
Agricultural Res earch Committees (CORA). The CORAs include representatives of all the 
stakeholders (technical personnel, local leaders, NGOs, advisory services, etc.). They identify the 
problems faced by the producers (i.e. their needs) and establish research priorities a ccordingly. 
INRAN's research work involves a wide range of topics including irrigated and rain -fed crops, 
natural resource management, production systems and technology transfer, the improvement of 
livestock production, the processing and development of ag ricultural products, and the production 
of improved seeds. For these purposes the Institute operates a laboratory for analysing soils, 
plants and water; a food technology laboratory; and entomology and phytopathology laboratories.  
4.12.   In emergencies, the State  may, by way of exception, suspend import duties and taxes in 
order to contain price rises; it may also set maximum prices for basic agricultural products.6 
4.13.   The laws in force in the various agri -food subsectors have not changed since 2009 and some 
of the i mplementing texts are still lacking. In 2010, a law relating to pastoralism and 
transhumance was passed, together with four implementing decrees, in order better to manage 
the conflicts between nomadic and transhumant livestock raising and the sedentary pr oduction 
systems. In general, fair access to land, water and pasturage resources is a central concern of 
Niger's agricultural policy. The main legislation includes:  
 the Rural Code of 19937, which regulates access to land, the land tenure regime, and the 
conditions relating to crop farming, fishing, livestock breeding and forestry;  
 the Fisheries Code8; 
 the Framework Law on livestock breeding9 and the Pastoralism Ordinance10; and  
                                                
5 Niger Food Products Board. Viewed at: http:// www.opvn.org . 
6 Article 3 of Ordinance No.  92-025 of 17  July 1992 states that the maximum prices may be set by order 
of the Minister responsible for trade.  
7 Ordinance No.  93-015 of 2  March  1993 establishing the guiding principles of the Rural Code. Viewe d 
at: http://www.coderural -niger.net/spip.php?article4 http://www.coderur al-niger.net/IMG/pdf/01 -_Ord_No93 -
015_portant_Principes_d_Orientation_du_Code_Rural.pdf . 
8 Law No.  98-042 of 7  December  2007 on the fisheries regime, not available on the Internet.  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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   the Forestry Law.11 
4.14.   The Ministries responsible for agricultural development, anima l resources (livestock and 
fisheries), water engineering, the environment and combating desertification deal with the main 
agri-food-related policies and services.  
4.15.   In order properly to understand the extent of the constraints on the sector's exporters, it is 
important to bear in mind that they are for the most part individual enterprises operating mainly 
informally, with meagre financial resources (averaging €27 per month, Table 1.1) and very limited 
training (averaging 1.4 years of study).  
4.16.   The livestock su bsector is among those selected by both WAEMU and ECOWAS as a vehicle 
for the intensification of trade among members. These two bodies advocate the development of 
agricultural exports to nearby markets and the further specialization of the member States in  the 
priority subsectors  (rice, cattle/meat, poultry, maize and cotton); Niger is especially concerned 
with the cattle subsector . 
4.17.   Apart from the ban on the exporting (and domestic slaughtering) of breeding females of all 
breeds, in 2016 Niger issued an urg ent order forbidding the export of asses, as exports were 
putting the species at risk of extinction (the price of donkeys had almost quintupled, from 
CFAF 30,000 to CFAF 150,00012); however, according to the authorities, this order is not being 
applied.  
4.18.   Exports of agri -food products (including live animals) are subject to a 3% statistical export 
charge (RSE) levied on the "taxable unit values", contrary to community provisions. Such 
measures tend to encourage exporters to carry out their operations through i nformal trade 
channels in order to escape this tax, and then export from countries where there is no such tax.  
4.19.   The animals exported must be provided with an international health certificate (CFAF 500 
per head) made out by Niger's official veterinary servic es, attesting to their state of health. 
Likewise, the inspection of food derived from animals gives rise to a veterinary control tax at 
export. The annual cost of these services is estimated at CFAF 300  million ( €457,000).  
4.20.   The Central Livestock Laboratory (LABOCEL) produces seven types of vaccine, of which 
three are issued free to breeders, while the rest are made available to them at subsidized prices.  
4.21.   Exports of livestock products consist essentially of live ani mals, partly because Nigeria 
prohibits meat imports. Niger is experiencing difficulties in conforming with the foreign regulations 
applicable to its exports of agricultural and especially animal products. There are four active 
abattoirs in Niger, but they do not meet international standards. In addition, there is an internal 
administrative complication connected with the requirement to be approved as a cattle dealer or 
butcher by the Ministry responsible for trade, on the advice of the Ministry responsible for animal 
resources13, in order to be able to export cattle or meat. Similar requirements apply to the export 
of skins and hides.14 
4.2  Energy, mining products and water  
4.2.1   Overview  
4.22.   Niger is rich in major, but largely underexploited, mineral deposits. At present, only 
uranium is being widely exploited on an industrial scale and making a substantial contribution to 
                                                                                                                                                  
9 Law No.  2004-048 of 30  June 2004 containing the framework law on livesto ck breeding. Viewed at: 
http://www.hubrural.org/IMG/pdf/niger_loi_cadre_elevage.pdf . 
10 Ordinance No.  2010-029 of 20  May 2010 relating to pastoralism.  
11 Law No.  2004-040 of 8  June 2004 establishing the forestry regime in Niger. Viewed at: 
http://www.coderural -niger.net/IMG/pdf/09 -_Loi_No2004 -
040_portant_regime_f orestier_en_Republique_du_Niger.pdf . 
12 Radio RFI, 13  September  2016. Viewed at: http://www.rfi.fr/emission/20160913 -niger-interdiction -
exporter -anes. 
13 Ordinance No.  86-16 of 3 April 1986.  
14 Ordinance No.  86-15 of 3  April 1986.  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  exports, albeit a much smaller one to tax receipts, accompanied since 2011 by a modest level of 
petroleum production (section 4.2.2). The importation and  storage of petroleum products remains 
a monopoly with administered prices. Likewise, the new 2016 Electricity Code still requires 
production to be sold to the State -owned company, which continues to hold a monopoly on 
transport and distribution, at prices  fixed by decree (section  4.2.4). Renewables currently account 
for less than 1% of end energy consumption. As well as immense reserves of coal, the country 
also has gold deposits, with panning for gold posing social and environmental problems.  
4.23.   Mining explo ration is open to foreign presence. Since 2011 , Niger has been conforming with 
the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative  (ITIE) .15 However, overall, according to the Fraser 
Institute, Niger rates relatively badly in terms of the attractiveness of it s mining regulations.16 The 
Court of Auditors has published a survey of mining, petroleum and gas revenue for the 
year 2010.17 
4.24.   To encourage investment in the sector, a 2008 law grants exemptions from indirect taxation 
(import duties and taxes and VAT, but no t RS, PC, or PCS, see common report, section 3.1.7). The 
extent of the exemptions increases with the scale of the investment. All the mining subsectors are 
eligible, no matter whether it be a question of new projects or project extensions, diversification or 
the modernization of existing mining operations, provided that at least CFAF  300 billion ( around 
€460 million) net of tax is invested and at least 800  permanent jobs for Niger nationals are 
created.18 A decree establishes the procedures for implementing the law, including the application 
for approval procedure and the conditions for granting app roval; the tax and customs provisions 
affecting the beneficiaries; and the sanctions applicable.  
4.25.   In order to invest, foreign companies must set up a stable establishment in Niger for the 
purpose of carrying out prospecting operations and a  company constitu ted under Niger law for 
carrying out exploration, exploitation and transport operations. In all mining and petroleum 
investment projects the State reserves the right to a free 10% share of the equity capital, plus an 
additional payable 10%, which it notifi es to the contractor. Some companies are still governed by 
the former provisions, which fixed the State participation at 30%. In general, the main mining 
(and petroleum) taxes are determined by the Finance Law; they include the annual area royalty, 
the min ing royalty and the fixed fees.19 
4.26.   The Ministry responsible for energy, mines, petroleum and industry has been split up into 
four separate ministries (energy, mines, petroleum, and industry). These ministries do not have a 
functioning website.  
4.2.2   Hydrocarbons  
4.2.2.1   Crude oil and gas production  
4.27.   Niger began exploiting crude oil in November  2011. Since the signature in June  2008 of a 
production -sharing contract (PSC) which gave the group China National Petroleum Company 
(CNPC) an exclusive authorization to explore the Ag adem block for a renewable period of four 
years under the 2007 Petroleum Code (Box 4.1), a company incorporated in Niger, a subsidiary of 
the CNPC group, has had the exclusive authorization to produce crude oil from the Agadem block, 
all for processing by the Zinder (Soraz) refinery; all the crude refined by Soraz is supplied by the 
Agadem block. In 2015, production declined as a result of a technical problem and major 
maintenance operations.  
                                                
15 Online information from the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, viewed at: 
http://www.itieniger.ne/index.php/en . 
16 Fraser Institute, Annual Survey of Mining Companies 2015 . Viewed at: 
https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/annual -survey -of-mining -companies -2015. 
17 Online information viewed at:  http://www.wgei.org/wp -content/uploads/2015/09/CRMPG_2010.pdf . 
18 Law No.  2008-30 of 3  July 2008 granting concessions for investments in large mining projects. 
Viewed at: http://www.droit -afrique.com/upload/doc/niger/Niger -Loi-2008-30-investissements -miniers.pdf . 
19 Articles 146 and 95 of the Petroleum and Mining Codes, respect ively.  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  Box 4.1 Petroleum le gislation in Niger  
The 2007 Petroleum Code provides for the possibility of concluding production -sharing contracts 
(PSC) and concession contracts (CC), depending on the negotiations between the State and the 
investor. Under a PSC, hydrocarbon production is  shared between the State and the contractor, 
which receives a share of the total production, net of ad valorem  royalty. The ad valorem royalty 
rate is negotiated; it ranges between 12.5% and 15% of net production for crude oil and between 
2.5% and 5% for natural gas. The State's share depends on the profitability of the operations, 
with a floor at 40%. There is a 70% ceiling on the maximum percentage of total hydrocarbon 
production from an exploitation, net of ad valorem  royalty, that can be allocated to r epaying 
investment or exploitation costs in a given tax year.  
Under the Code (Article 123), numerous tax (including customs) concessions are granted to the 
contractor and extended to his subcontractors, suppliers and employees. During the exploration 
period, the exemptions relate to VAT, the ISB, the minimum flat -rate tax or its equivalent, the 
apprenticeship tax, business tax, property tax, and the registration fees charged on contributions 
made when company capital is first subscribed or increased. The cu stoms concessions include total 
exemption from import duties and taxes on goods and equipment with the exception of the RS, 
the PC and the PCS. A temporary admission procedure applies to goods imported and used for 
exploration purposes.  
During the exploita tion period, total exemption from import duties and taxes on goods and 
equipment, with the exception of the RS, the PC and the PCS, is granted for five years. Starting 
from the sixth year, the ordinary law regime applies. The share of the hydrocarbons that  goes to 
the contractor under his petroleum contract can be exported free of all export duties.  
The ISB is not collected under a PSC; under a CC, the ISB ranges from 45 to 60%, depending on 
the rate of return (Article 114). The legal and fiscal regime of t he PSC is stabilized during the term 
of the contract (Article 159).  
Moreover, under a PSC or a CC the contractor is required to supply the domestic market if the 
State is unable to satisfy domestic consumption requirements from its share of the crude oil 
produced. The price at which a barrel is sold to the State is the ex -oilfield market price in effect on 
the date of sale.  
Source:  2007 Petroleum Code.  
4.2.2.2   Petroleum and gas products  
4.28.   Niger's new petroleum policy is aimed at meeting domestic needs before exporti ng. In 
Niger's new petroleum configuration, the Niger Petroleum Products Company (SONIDEP) still holds 
a monopoly on the importation, local sales, exportation and storage of a range of products, 
excluding butane gas (Chart  4.1). However , since 2016, SONIDE P's export monopoly has been 
shared with Soraz, which exports its surplus production (after meeting the needs of the domestic 
market).  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  Chart 4.1 Niger petroleum products market, 2017  
CNPC
Crude production
Soraz refinery Exports
SONIDEP
Distributors StorageImportsM    Pm
Pm
MPmNew crude 
production and 
refining system
M    Pf
MPf
MPfFormer marketing 
system
Pf:Prices fixed by the State
Pm: Negotiated market prices
M:Monopoly on supplyPm
 
Source:  WTO Secretariat.  
4.29.   In practice, it is the private enterprises that import and export the quantities authorized by 
the Government. In 2016, there were 69 approved companies exporting petroleum products, of 
which 17 were established in Niger and 52  were foreign, while 18  enterprises imported 
hydrocarbons with State approval. Soraz's nominal capacity is 20,000 barrels per day. The 
quantities of crude extracted and supplied since production began are close to 17,000 barrels per 
day. The main refinery products are petrol, gas oil  and LPG. Around 50% of the refinery products 
are exported, in particular to Nigeria, Burkina  Faso and Mali.  
4.30.   The contract for the marketing of crude oil by Soraz provided for a price based on the 
international market price. However, the price of crude sold  by Soraz was fixed at US$70  per 
barrel from November  2011 to March  2015, despite the fall in the price of the barrel since 2014. 
The selling price for crude was revised downward and fixed at US$45 per barrel in February  2017. 
This fixed price policy has b een partly responsible for Soraz's financial difficulties. In 2016, in order 
to improve its position, Soraz was authorized to export a substantial proportion of its production at 
market prices and without going through SONIDEP, and then to increase the pri ces at which it was 
selling to SONIDEP. However, the State wants to keep the prices at the pump fixed. Thus the price 
of super (inclusive of tax) was maintained at CFAF 579 (€0.88) per litre from 2011 to 2013, then 
at CFAF 540 per litre, the level at which  it stood in May  2017, which is lower than the levels found 
in the subregion.  
4.31.   SONIDEP supplies petroleum products to Niger's main distributors, in particular Tamoil, 
Mobil and Total. The distribution margins are fixed by the State.  
4.32.   SONIDEP's monopoly does not extend to butane gas. The gas can be freely imported, 
stored, distributed and transported. The Niger Hydrocarbons Company (SONIHY) and the Niger 
gas companies Niger Gaz and Soni Gaz are the three distributors which import, bottle and 
distribute butane gas. The p rice of a 12 -kg cylinder is fixed at CFAF 3,750, but it appears that 
cylinders are traded at much higher prices on the markets. The justification for the subsidy is the 
implementation of a policy of combating deforestation.  
4.2.3   Uranium and other prin cipal mining products  
4.33.   Niger is one of the world's five main uranium producers. Domestic production increased 
from 2009 to 2012, then declined in 2013 and 2014 following an attack on installations of the 
Société des mines de l'Aïr  (SOMAÏR, 36.6% of which is  held by the State and the rest by WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  Areva  France), the main producing company (Chart 4.2).20 The other companies mining uranium 
are Compagnie minière d'Akouta  (COMINAK21) and Société des mines d'Azélik  (SOMINA22). The 
latter, which had begun producing in Decem ber 2011, stopped producing in December  2014 
because of the fall in the price of uranium after 2012, which had made it less profitable. A new 
company – Imouraren – has been formed, with the State holding about one third of the shares and 
the company Areva France the rest. This mine, the largest in Africa and the second in the world 
with 200,000 tonnes of uranium exploitable over 40 years, should have been brought into 
production in 2011 but had not yet begun producing in March  2017.  
Chart 4.2 Trend in uranium exports, 2009 -2016  
02004006008001,0001,200
05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,000
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016Volume (tonnes) Value (€million)Volume 
(tonnes)Value 
(€million)
 
Source:  The export data are based on HS 261210, information provided by the authorities and data from the 
UNSD Comtrade database.  
4.34.   The French company Areva enjoyed a de facto  monopoly on  exports of uranium produced by 
COMINAK and SOMAÏR until the beginning of 2009 when the State began selling uranium directly 
on world markets to take advantage of a selling price higher than that agreed with Areva. In 2016, 
there was a dispute between the Niger Government and Areva concerning the renewal of the 
exploitation contract, Niger wanting to renew it on the basis of the 2006 Mining Law and its new 
tax regime, whereas Areva wanted to benefit from prior rights enabling it to retain its advantages 
under the previous tax legislation.23 
4.35.   Small -scale gold mining is important, but anarchical, although in principle the authorized 
areas are regulated.24 This informal mining provides a livelihood for around 50,000  people working 
under conditions of serious pollu tion and risk. Production halved between 2009 and 2015 (877  kg), 
for an export value of nearly €30  million. The Société des mines du Liptako , 25% of which is held 
by the State through the Société du patrimoine des mines du Niger  (SOPAMIN), is the only active 
industrial exploiter. With responsibility for the exportation of precious metals produced in the 
country, the Niger Gold and Precious Metals Office (COMPN) is tasked by SOPAMIN with providing 
marketing services for gold from small -scale mines.  
4.36.   The authorities have indicated that the Salka Damna coal deposit, whose re serves are 
estimated at 52  million tonnes, is the ideal site for a mining complex comprising a thermal power 
station and a carbonization plant that could produce up to 600  MW of electricity, with a 200 MW 
                                                
20 Online information viewed at: http://www.areva.com . 
21 The shareholders are: State, 31%; Areva France, 34%; OURD Japan, 25%; and ENUSA Spain, 10%.  
22 The shareholders are: State, 33%; SINO -U China, 37.2%; ZX Joy Invest China, 24.8%; and 
Trendfield Niger, 5%.  
23 Razack, A., Propositions pour l'optimisation de la mine artisanale au Niger , HAL -INSU. Viewed at: 
http://www.afrik.com/niger -2-ans-de-petrole -ont-rapporte -davantage -que-40-ans-d-
uranium#WJKKusv9gQXJSHP2.99 . 
24 Online information viewed at: https://hal -insu.arch ives-ouvertes.fr/insu -00947881/document . WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  initial production phase for which investors are be ing sought. At present, only the Niger Coal 
Company (SONICHAR), which is 69.32% State -owned, is producing carbonized coal and 
generating electricity for SOMAÏR and COMINAK from the Anou Araren mine.  
4.37.   During the review period, the Government re -examined the application of the tax provisions 
of the Mining Code, in particular the numerous exemptions in the uranium subsector, with a view 
to increasing tax revenue. The holders of exploitation permits benefit from numerous tax and 
customs concessions, granted by t he Code (Article 82 et seq.)  or by the law on large -scale mining 
projects, which considerably reduce the related tax receipts. However, under the 2006 Mining 
Code, the exemption from profits tax (ISB) should, in principle, have ended three years after the 
start of production; as for the exemptions from VAT, they should have ended one year after the 
start of production. The mining companies are exempt from, in particular, the 3% statistical export 
charge (RSE, section  3.2). Niger's Mining Code was revised in  August  2006, and in 2014 Niger's 
parliament adopted two draft laws amending it.  
4.38.   The 2006 Mining Code provides for a maximum of 40% State participation in the capital of 
exploitation companies, together with 10% of free shares. SOPAMIN manages the shares h eld in 
various mining companies by the State.  
4.39.   The Code provides for the payment of a mining royalty based on the market value of the 
product extracted, paid when the product is taken out of stock with a view to being sold. The 
royalty rate is progressive, depending on the ratio of gross profits (before investments, provisions, 
etc.) to turnover. The higher this ratio, the higher the rate, over a range extending from 5.5% 
to 12%.25 
4.40.   Small -scale mining is covered by the 2006 Mining Code. In principle, the small -scale mining 
authorization is issued to natural or legal persons by order of the Minister responsible for mines. 
These operators are generally the ones who "finance" the small -scale miners. The latter, who 
contribute their labour, are in principle require d to obtain an individual card valid for one year, 
authorizing their activities for their own account or for that of an operator. The marketable 
products are sold to the traders generally present on the site.  
4.2.4   Electricity  
4.41.   In May  2016, a new Electricity Code  replaced that of 2003, in particular in order to take 
renewables more fully into account. This new Code, like the previous one, provides for the 
possibility of independent electricity generation but with the requirement to sell any surpluses to 
the Niger Electricity Company (NIGELEC), a State -owned company which still holds a monopoly on 
transport and distribution.  
4.42.   The seven implementing decrees for this new Code should clarify the scope of the 
monopolies granted to NIGELEC, in particular with regard to th e electricity production, distribution, 
import and export segments. Almost 95% of NIGELEC's capital is held by the State; its plant is 
dilapidated and unsuitable. Between 2010 and 2012 the population's effective rate of access to 
electricity rose slightly from 8.6% to 8.7% (0.3% in rural areas).26 In 2016, the rate was 10% and 
0.6% in rural areas.  
4.43.   Electricity tariffs are still fixed by decree in terms of power. At present, the main deterrent 
to investment in electricity production, apart from the security ri sks, is the fact that electricity 
prices are fixed at levels among the lowest in the subregion. These low levels reflect the feeble 
purchasing power of the population but, together with the bad management of the transport and 
distribution company, they als o considerably reduce the return on projects.  
4.44.   In May  2017, a Regulatory Authority for the Energy Sector (ARSE), introduced in 2015, was 
in the process of being installed.27 There is no website that provides information about these 
developments or about the projects for developing energy, for example, renewables. However, 
                                                
25 Ordinance No.  93-16 of 2  March  1993 (Mining Code), as amended by Law No.  2006-26 of 
9 August  2006.  
26 Statistical Directorate of the Ministry of Energy.  
27 Law No.  2015-58 on the establishment, mission, organizatio n and functioning of an independent 
administrative authority to be known as the Regulatory Authority for the Energy Sector.  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  according to some observers, the ARSE's independence and autonomy need strengthening.28 As 
stressed in a study that appeared in July  2016, the size of NIGELEC's financial deficit, the 
frequen cy of power cuts and the poor coverage of the power network suggest that the monopoly 
and exclusivity have failed to ensure a reliable power supply and high -quality services for the 
customers and that Niger should instead be concentrating on broadening the  range of players 
participating in certain segments (transport, distribution, marketing) and making the regulation of 
the sector more independent.  
4.45.   According to the authorities, in the long term, the bringing into service of the much awaited 
Kandadji dam an d a hydro -electric power station, planned for 2021, should further secure the 
country's supply with 130  MW of electricity. There are also plans to build five photovoltaic solar 
power stations, each providing from 5 MW to 30  MW. In 2016, the whole of nation al electricity 
production was thermally generated, mainly from coal mined by SONICHAR (section 4.2.3) or from 
gas oil. SONICHAR, which is treated as an independent producer, generates electricity in the north 
of the country and sells it directly to the min ing companies; it also sells some to NIGELEC, which 
distributes it in the cities of Agadez, Arlit, Akokan and Tchirozérine. In the rest of the territory, 
power is generated and distributed exclusively by NIGELEC.  
4.46.   As the domestic production of SONICHAR and NIGELEC is not sufficient to cover domestic 
demand, 60% of the electricity distributed by NIGELEC comes from Nigeria; the price paid is 
understood to be CFAF 25  per kWh, as compared with a mini mum resale price of CFAF  79 
per kWh. 
4.2.5   Water  
4.47.   Improving access to drinking water and the water needed for agricultural and pastoral 
activities is an absolute priority for the Government, which adopted a new Water Code in 2010.29 
The institutional framework for water management consists of the central government, the local  
and regional authorities, the National Water and Sanitation Commission (CNEA), regional water 
and sanitation commissions, and water management commissions and units, whose common task 
is to manage the water engineering infrastructure and water and sanitat ion policy.  
4.48.   Concessions to use water and operate water engineering works and installations may be 
granted to private -law corporations, generally by decree. The State remains the owner of the 
water resources through the Société de patrimoine des eaux du Nig er (SPEN), established in 2001 
with responsibility for managing State water engineering assets in urban and semi -urban areas, 
their development and acting as the contracting authority.30 
4.49.   The State, the SPEN and the Société d'exploitation des eaux du Niger (SEEN) are linked, 
since November  2011 and up until 2021, by a rider to the original ten -year leasing contract.31 The 
SEEN is a public limited company 51% -owned by the French group Veolia and responsible  for the 
production, transport and distribution of wate r in urban and semi -urban areas, as well as for other 
tasks linked with the operation of the infrastructure and equipment. A 2011 study by the French 
Development Agency, which provides Niger with support in the area of access to drinking water32, 
raised the  question of water losses from the SEEN network, which are partly attributable to its 
dilapidated condition. The study also notes certain outstandings, particularly at public service level 
and generally associated with waste. The establishment of the Natio nal Water and Sanitation Fund 
                                                
28 Republic of the Niger, Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, Projet d'intégration de la réduction des 
émissions de gaz à effet de serr e dans le Programme rural d'accès aux services énergétiques du Niger , Report 
of the international institutional support mission. Viewed at: https://erc.undp.org . 
29 Ordinance No.  2010-09 of 1 April 2010 containing the Ni ger Water Code. Viewed at: 
http://www.pseau.org/outils/ouvrages/mhe_code_eau_niger_2010.pdf . 
30 Online information viewed at: http://www.spen.ne/index.php/societe/presentation . 
31 Online information from the SEEN, viewed at: http://www.seen -niger.com/fr/qui -sommes -
nous/seen/contrat -d-affermage . See also Tidjani Alou, M. (2005), Le Partenariat public -privé dans le secteur de 
l'eau au Niger: autopsie d'une réforme , Swiss Development Policy Yearbook, Vol. 24, 2005. Viewed at: 
https://aspd.revues. org/360 . 
32 Online information viewed at: http://www.afd.fr/home/pays/afrique/geo -afr/portail -niger/nos -
projets/eau -et-assainissement -2. WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  should make it possible to limit illegal diversion of supplies and pollution, and to raise funds for 
preserving the resource.33 
4.50.   According to the SEEN, it produces 200,000 m3 of drinking water per day in 54 localities and 
serves  more than 2,500,000 people out of a total population of 20  million. The rate of coverage of 
water requirements in the SEEN's leased area – composed of 52  centres – rose from 85% in 2005 
to 90% in 2015.  
4.51.   The single national sales tariff is fixed by governme nt decree on the basis of the quantity 
consumed34; social rates, plus three supplementary rates for administration, industry and drinking 
fountains, have been retained. There are 70,000 customers of the distribution service, either 
individuals or water kios ks managed by " fontainiers ", who are authorized to resell to users.  
4.52.   In May  2017, the regulation of the sector, which had been the responsibility of the 
Multisectoral Regulatory Authority (ARM, dissolved in 2012), was being provided by a regulatory 
office f or urban and semi -urban water engineering responsible for overseeing price regulation and 
service quality control.  
4.3  Manufacturing and craft sector  
4.53.   For all the reasons mentioned above, in particular the lack of water, which makes it difficult 
to obtain suffi cient local raw materials to process into finished products, and the lack of electricity, 
manufacturing activities are limited to soap and detergent production, bottling, oilseed processing, 
rice hulling, cotton ginning, cattle products, a few PVC pipes, f oam mattresses and, more 
especially, tanned hides. Almost all the tanned hides are exported to Italy.  
4.54.   The sector is mainly protected by community -level measures. In 2017, the protection 
provided for the manufacturing sector by the ECOWAS CET is averaging 1 2.4% (common report, 
section 3.1.4), to which must be added all the other duties and taxes (VAT, advance on the ISB, 
etc.), which makes imported manufactured products considerably more expensive for the 
consumer, often in the absence of any domestic produc tion. 
4.55.   Against this background, the richness of Niger's craft industry is quite remarkable. The craft 
enterprises are generally informal and involve traditional activities, such as making wooden 
furniture, leatherworking (sandals, shoes and belts), garment making and associated trades. Craft 
activities are an essential component of Niger's private sector. The place of manufacture is also 
generally the point of sale for small enterprises and artisans active in the same sector. Since 2012, 
Niger has had a Cham ber of Craft Trades.35 
4.56.   Among the companies that produce lint, China –Niger United Cotton Industry (CNUCI) has 
suspended its business activities; the Niger Cotton Company (SNC) is understood to be still in 
business.36 The producers can sell their seed cotton t o the cotton companies; they can also export 
it (informally) to neighbouring countries (primarily Nigeria), if the prices available on the domestic 
market are too low. The sole textile enterprise SOTEX, which replaced the Niger Textile Company 
(ENITEX), pr oduces cotton textiles from locally produced fibre.  
4.57.   Special import procedures apply to medicines and  pharmaceutical products. 
Seven  enterprises are registered with the Ministry of Health for the purpose of trading in these 
products.  
                                                
33 Online i nformation viewed at: 
http://www.pseau.org/sites/default/files/fichiers/niger/rencontre_niger_2016_cr_vf_0.pdf . 
34 From 0 to 10 m3: 127 CFAF/m3; from 11 to 40 m3: 321 CFAF/m3; and more than 40 m3: 
515 CFAF/m3. 
35 Law No.  2012-33 of 5  June 2012 establishing the Niger Chamber of Craft Trades.  
36 See Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) (2003), Niger, Expansion du commerce intra - et 
inter-régional entre les p ays de la CEMAC et de l'UEMOA - Étude de l'offre et de la demande sur les textiles et 
l'habillement . Viewed at: 
http://www.intracen.org/uploadedFiles/intracen.org/Content/Exporters/Sectoral_Information/Manufactured_Go
ods/Textiles/Niger_2003.pdf . WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  4.4  Services  
4.58.   In 2014, servi ces formed the subject of a regulatory audit carried out on behalf of the 
Ministry responsible for trade. The audit contains a review of Niger's specific commitments under 
the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) of 1994 which include: hotel and r estaurant 
services, travel agencies, tour operator services, tourist guide services, and certain transport 
services.37,38 To a large extent, the services sector, the main contributor to GDP, consists of 
informal structures. The concentration of activities in  trade once again underlines the important 
contribution that any Aid for Trade can make to poverty reduction.  
4.4.1   Telecommunications and postal services  
4.59.   The main regulations governing the supply of telecommunication services were amended in 
2010.39 The Regulato ry Authority for  Telecommunications and Postal Services (ARTP) was 
established in 2012 following the dissolution of the ARM, by Law No.  2012-70 of 
31 December  2012 on the establishment, organization and functioning of the ARTP, which 
incorporates the WAEMU  and the ECOWAS provisions (common report, section 4.4.1). The 
National Council for the Regulation of Teleco mmunications and Postal Services is its deliberating 
body and its annual progress report is submitted to the Prime Minister and published on its 
website. 
4.60.   The market which, though small, is very dynamic (Table 4.1), comprises:  
 a global operator (fixed and mobile): Orange Niger (about 28% of mobile sector 
turnover in 2016, and 85% of fixed turnover);  
 a public fixed operator: the Niger Telecommunications  Company (SONITEL, 15% of fixed 
turnover); SONITEL's monopoly on fixed services ended de jure on 31  December  2004;  
 three exclusively mobile operators: Atlantique Telecom Niger (12% at the end of 2015), 
Celtel Niger (54%), and Telecom Niger (formerly Sahelc om, 5% of mobile turnover), a 
90% State -owned company with 130  employees spread over 16  agencies in Niamey and 
in the interior  of the country, which in May  2017 was experiencing major difficulties due 
to lack of investment since 2007.  
4.61.   Specifications adopte d by the ARTP define the operating conditions for each operator, the 
interconnection obligation, and the catalogues of technical interconnection offers. The ARTP is 
responsible for ensuring compliance with the legislation in force within a context of free 
competition. Its powers relate to tariffs, the mutualization of the infrastructure, the territorial 
coverage and the optimization of State revenue. According to the ARTP, a distinct improvement in 
the quality of the service since 2015 is a consequence of t he controls it is applying.  
4.62.   Operators in a dominant position (with more than 25% of a given market) are required to 
submit their technical offers for approval by the ARTP, together with their retail tariffs. The  
LRAIC40 model is employed to determine the ca ll termination rate on the various networks (both 
fixed and mobile) .41 The tariffs must be cost -based. Tariff and quality controls may be carried out 
by the ARTP on all networks. Consumers may also refer matters to the ARTP.  
                                                
37 Ministry of Trade and Private Sector Promotion (2014), Audit réglementaire des services et 
préparation des listes d' engagements spécifiques du Niger , carried out by Maliki Barhouni, Niamey, 
February  2014.  
38 WTO document GATS/SC/64 of 15  April 1994, I -TIP database. Viewed at: http://i -
tip.wto.org/services/default.a spx. 
39 Ordinance No.  99-045 of 26  October  1999 on the regulation of telecommunications in Niger, 
as amended in 2010, 2014 and 2015. Viewed at: 
http://www.armniger.org/i mages/stories/telecom/textes/ordonnance2010.pdf . 
40 Long-run average incremental cost. Viewed at: https://www.itu.int/ITU -D/finance/work -cost-
tariffs/events/tariff -seminars/Dakar -09/pdf/Jour_4/Manuel_d_utilisation.pdf . 
41 Decree No.  2000-399/PRN/MC of 20  October  2000.  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  Table 4.1 Telecommunication services indicators, 2009 -2015  
 2009  2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  
Fixed telephone lines (1,000)  76.3 83.4 85.4 100.5  100.5  105.3  110.0  
 per 100 people  0.50 0.52 0.52 0.59 0.56 0.57 0.57 
Mobile telephony subscr ibers (1,000)  2,599  3,669  4,743  5,396  7,006  8,236  8,959  
 per 100 people  16.98  23.08  28.72  31.45  39.29  44.44  46.50  
Fixed high -speed Internet subscribers  1,000  1,500  2,114  3,669  6,400  9,200  11,000  
 per 100 people  0.01 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.04 0.05 0.06 
Intern et users (per 100 people)  0.76 0.83 1.30 1.41 1.70 1.95 2.22 
Trade         
 ICT goods exports (%  total goods exports)  0.2 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.4 n.a. 
 ICT goods imports (%  total goods imports)  4.5 1.9 3.7 2.3 2.7 2.9 n.a. 
n.a. Not available.  
Source:  World Bank World Development Indicators Databank. Viewed at: 
http://databank.worldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?source=World%20Development%20Indicators . 
4.63.   The secto r is subject to the Investment Code. Companies established under the former Code 
must conform with the new one when they renew their licences and thus become subject to the 
ISB. Licences are generally issued for 15 years, by decree, and on the basis of inv itations to 
tender; infrastructure operator licences are issued upon application.  
4.64.   Similarly, suppliers of Internet services are approved, upon application, by the ARTP. 
Four Internet service providers were operational in March  2017. Access to the SAT -3 sub marine 
cable via Benin, Burkina Faso or Côte d'Ivoire is the exclusive prerogative of Niger Telecom. The 
bandwidth operating cost is high since the Internet service providers must purchase access from 
Niger Telecom or from Orange Niger and the competition is limited. In this connection, there are 
two ECOWAS regulations concerning the landing points aimed at lowering prices. In May  2017, 
Internet access quality was not good.  
4.65.   To finance the universal service, there is provision for a 4% tax on the turnover of  
telecommunication enterprises (1% for infrastructure providers, 0.5% for maintenance 
companies), but it is not yet being collected.  
4.66.   The Law of June  2005 restructuring postal services was amended in 2011.42 Under this law, 
Niger Poste is responsible for man aging the postal services relating to the universal service, with a 
monopoly, in principle, on items weighing less than 1 kg, whatever the destination. Several private 
operators have obtained licences to provide express mail services (for example, DHL).  
4.4.2   Transport  
4.67.   In 2017, Niger was in the process of acquiring a new railway. The PPP Concession 
Agreement, signed in 2015, provides for the rehabilitation, construction and operation of the 
Niamey -Cotonou railway line. More than 143 km of track has already been l aid between Niamey 
and Dosso and eventually should link Niger with the sea via Benin once the Parakou  Dosso stretch 
has been built, which could do much to boost economic and social development and stimulate 
competition in the transport market.  
4.68.   The transpor t sector is also affected by the recent revision of the Investment Code 
(section  2.4), with, in particular, the institution of an exemption regime. There is a zero rate of 
VAT for international transport services, including international road and air trans port services, the 
provisioning of aircraft flying to foreign destinations, and the sale, repair, conversion and 
maintenance of aircraft for which foreign -destination services account for at least 50% of the total. 
These measures are aimed at encouraging i nvestment.  
4.4.2.1   Road transport  
4.69.   The conditions under which goods and passenger road transport services are provided are 
often anarchical, with no transport licence, no registration or proper technical inspection, and with 
vehicles that are often worn out. The  volume of imports carried by truck regularly exceeds the 
                                                
42 Law No.  2011-19 of 8  August  2011 amending and supplementing Law No.  2005-20 of 28  June 2005 
determining the  basic principles of the postal regime.  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  volume of exports, creating an imbalance which increases transport costs, with trucks travelling to 
the ports empty or half -full. The Niger National Transport Company has gone bankrupt.  
4.70.   In 2009, the Go vernment adopted a framework law aimed at modernizing the transport 
regulations and opening up the road transport market, with a view to enhancing the 
professionalism of the carriers, establishing free competition and improving the business climate. 
Faced with the persistence of roadblocks and other informal practices along the "corridors" 
providing access to the seaports of Benin, Côte  d'Ivoire, Togo, Ghana, and Nigeria , practices 
generally aimed at extracting money from the carriers, the Government undert ook to eliminate all 
unofficial checks on Niger's road network. This task is part of the mission of the Transport 
Facilitation Committee. Th e National Transport Users Council (CNUT), an industrial and commercial 
public institution under the Ministry respon sible for transport, is also charged with protecting the 
interests of public transport users.  
4.71.   In principle, registration is required in order to obtain the transport qualification necessary 
to provide road transport services. The relevant laws and regulati ons are obsolete and would need 
to be modernized or repealed (Table 4.2). Moreover, the legislation in force should be published on 
the Internet so that potential investors are kept informed of the conditions of access to the 
market.  
Table 4.2 Selection of the road transport legislation in force in Niger, 2017  
Text Subject  Available 
on 
Internet  
Decree No.  65/118/MTP -MU of 18  August  1965 Market access  No 
Order No.  09/MT/DTT -MF of 13  February  2007 establishing the 
procedures for the removal of freight from Niger in the transit ports  "Each in turn " system  No 
Ordinance No.  2009-025 of 3  November  2009 determining the basic 
principles of the transport regime  Framework law  No 
Decree No.  2010-733/PCSRD/MTT/A of 4  November  2010 determining 
the conditions for overland transport of strategic products and the 
conditions of access to mining and hydrocarbon sites  Hydrocarbon transport  No 
Decree No.  2012-047/PRN/MT of 27  January  2012 Hydrocarbon transport  No 
Interminister ial Order No.  MC/PSP/MF/MT/MDN/MI/SP/D/AR of 
27 February  2013 relating to types of road check, checkpoints and 
recourse mechanisms for minimizing abuses affecting the transport of 
goods in Niger  Illicit roadblocks  No 
Interministerial Order 
No. 090-MC/PSP /MI/SP/D/AC/R/MT/MDN/MF/ME/SU/DD of 
22 December  2014 relating to the public transport of goods, types of 
road check, checkpoints and recourse mechanisms for minimizing 
abnormal practices affecting the transport of goods in Niger  Abnormal practices  No 
Source: WTO Secretariat, on the basis of information provided by the authorities.  
4.72.   The new Law of 2009 envisages free competition and an open market. It abolishes the 
anti-competitive, so -called "each in turn", system, under which each truck is allocated a carg o in 
turn. Foreign companies are granted access to the national road transport market only if a 
company constituted under Niger law is established or acquired, a carrier qualification is obtained, 
and the vehicles are registered in Niger. However, foreign nationals may own or control Niger 
transport companies.  
4.73.   Despite the existence of the ECOWAS TIE and TRIE Conventions (common report, 
Table  4.7), ECOWAS nationals do not benefit from preferential access and cannot qualify as a 
carrier. On the other hand, th e drivers may be nationals of an ECOWAS country. All foreign 
companies, whatever their nature, are prohibited from engaging in cabotage (transport between 
two points in Niger).  
4.74.   Strategic products (for example, uranium and explosives for extracting it) must  be 
transported by Niger enterprises. The National Strategic Product Transport Company (CNTPS), in 
which the State has a holding, is active in overland transport of strategic products. The transport 
of hydrocarbons for export and of freight in general is g overned by bilateral agreements on 
freight -sharing between carriers of the various countries concerned. In general, a quota of 
two thirds of the estimated total tonnage is reserved for trucks registered in Niger.  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  4.75.   Moreover, the subregion's road carriers agr ee on an indicative tariff for each type of 
journey, despite free pricing in the transport subsector. Niger bound certain international road 
transport services for goods and passengers under the GATS in 1994, subject to a number of 
reservations.43 
4.4.2.2   Rail tran sport  
4.76.   In November  2013, the Governments of Niger and Benin signed a memorandum of 
understanding on the construction of a railway line between Parakou in Benin, the present 
terminus of the railway link with the port of Cotonou, and Niamey. In 2015, agreemen ts on the 
operation and construction of the infrastructure of the Niamey -Cotonou line were signed with the 
French group Bolloré for a period of 30  years. A  multinational company (BENIRAIL) was 
established, with its capital of €107  million shared out betwee n the two States, private investors in 
the two countries and the Bolloré group, which took on the entire cost of the project estimated at 
€1.07  billion.44 According to the authorities, work on the new line, which is 574 km long, should be 
completed in  2021. 
4.4.2.3   Air transport  
4.77.   Niger has six main airports, of which one meets international security and safety standards 
(Niamey), and 12 secondary landing strips. The safety of air navigation is the responsibility of the 
Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Afric a and Madagascar (ASECNA).45 In 2010, a new Civil 
Aviation Code modernized the legislation in force and established an autonomous regulatory 
authority for civil aviation under the Ministry responsible for transport, namely, the National Civil 
Aviation Agenc y of Niger (ANAC Niger).46 The Agency is tasked with framing and implementing 
national air transport policy. The ASECNA delegation for national aeronautical activities is in charge 
of the commercial management of the airports and the management of airport i nfrastructure.  
4.78.   Niger applies the community provisions, as well as those of the Yamoussoukro Decision 
regarding air transport and airport services (common report, section 4.4.2.1). It has not signed 
any new agreement on traffic rights since 2010 or any open  skies agreement. According to the 
authorities, Niger grants all the freedoms of the air including cabotage. In May  2017, the airline 
companies incorporated in Niger included : Niger Air Cargo, Nig er Airways, Niger Airlines, 
Fly Skyjet, and Alpha Aviation N iger; the first three appeared in 2010.  
4.4.3   Tourism  
4.79.   Since 1994, Niger has been keeping several types of tourism services open to foreign 
presence under the GATS.47 In 2012, the Ministry of Tourism and Crafts published a national 
sustainable tourism development strategy and a priority action programme. The main concessions 
granted for tourism projects changed with the reform of the Investment Code (section 2.4). 
Insecurity is one of the principal constraints on the development of tourism.  
4.80.   The number of hotels inc reased from 63 in 2003 to 88 in 2008, and then to 125 in 2015, 
with a capacity of 3,800 beds. The number of nights spent rose from 145,000 in 2007 to 
238,000  in 2012, before falling back sharply in 2016 because of the insecurity. However, earnings 
from tou rism continued to increase over the period, from CFAF 106  billion to CFAF 156  billion 
(€238  million).  
4.81.   To open a tourism establishment (hotel, restaurant, campsite, hostel, boarding house, 
lodge, etc.) it is necessary to obtain a licence issued by the Minis ter responsible for tourism and 
several conditions must be met to obtain an operating permit, including a qualification in tourism 
                                                
43 WTO document GATS/SC/64 of 15  April 1994, I -TIP database. Viewed at: http://i -
tip.wto.org/services/default.aspx . 
44 Online information from Wikipedia , viewed  at: 
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_ferroviaire_au_Niger . 
45 Online information viewed  at: http://www.asecna.aero/asecna.ht ml. 
46 Ordinance No.  2010-023 of 14  May 2010.  
47 WTO document GATS/SC/64 of 15  April 1994. Viewed at: http://i -
tip.wto.org/services/GATS_Detail.aspx/?id=20808&sect or_path=0000900050 . WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  or the hotel business.48 Since 2006, hotels have been classified in accordance with standards 
defined by ministerial order49; the Minister responsible for tourism decides on their classification or 
declassification. To obtain a trader's card as a travel guide  it is necessary to be a Niger national.50 
4.4.4   Financial services  
4.82.   Trade in financial services (banking, microfinance, insurance, stock market and securities) is 
governed by community regulations (common report, section 4.4.4).  
4.83.   Since 2009, the insurance market has expanded, having acquired a second life insurance 
company and two new property and casualty insurance companies, bringing  the total number of 
the latter to six. In 2015, the total value of property and casualty premiums was CFAF 24  billion  
(around €37  million). A certificate proving that insurance has been taken out with an approved 
intermediary is required when clearing goods with a value of at least CFAF 1  million (around 
€1,500) or CFAF 5  million (€7,500) transported by air and land, res pectively.51 
4.84.   The banking sector is growing vigorously, with total lending amounting to CFAF 321  billion 
(€489  million) in 2010 as compared with CFAF 573  billion in 2015. Twelve banks are currently 
active, together with one finance company. Five of these are  large banks with a balance sheet of 
more than CFAF 130  billion (€198  million); they alone account for 83% of the balance sheet total. 
Two of them are majority Niger -owned. One (BADRI) is majority -owned by the State, which in 
2016 was looking for buyers. N iger has around 160  service points, concentrated in Niamey. The 
bank account penetration rate is very low (2.14%). In general, the banks are robust, with a gross 
loan portfolio deterioration rate of 15%. The transfer of funds by mobile phone is expanding 
sharply, as is the payment of bills by phone.  
4.85.   The 42 micro -credit institutions (decentralized financial systems (DFS)) serve 11% of the 
population. Since 2009, the closing of a certain number of DFSs has made it possible to reorganize 
the sector and double lending, which amounted to CFAF 38  billion (€58  million) in 2015. Overall, 
bank lending continues to be a minor source of financing for businesses, which are mainly 
self-funded. Only 12% of loans are taken out on a formal basis.  
                                                
48 These conditions include: a requirement for foreigners to hold a permit to pursue professional 
activities in a self -employed capacity; and not having been declared either bankrupt or in receivership. 
Article  11 of Decree No.  2005-155/PRN/MT/A of 29  July 2005.  
49 Joint Order No.  00058/MT/A/MUH/C/DL of the  Minister for Tourism and Craft s and the Minister for 
Town Planning, Housing and Land Registration of 4  October  2006.  
50 Order No.  00007/MTA/DTPT of 2  February  1999, Article 3.  
51 Ordinan ce No.  85-15 and its implementing Decree No.  85-52/PCMS/MF of 23  May 1985.  WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  5  APPENDIX TABLES  
Table  A1. 1 Structure of exports , 2009 -2016  
 2009  2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2016  
World (US$ million)  628.0  478.6  1,080.7  1,379.8  1,337.2  1,049.7  789.8  927.2  
World (€ million)  452.1  361.4  777.4  1,073.9  1,007.1  791.2  712.1  838.3  
 (Percentage share)  
Total primary products  88.5 72.6 82.2 41.3 89.0 85.9 85.2 87.1 
Agriculture  31.8 20.7 18.0 24.1 9.4 13.0 15.5 38.4 
  Food 30.0 18.4 13.9 18.8 7.9 11.5 14.1 37.3 
    4222 - Palm oil and its fractions  0.2 0.3 0.5 1.3 0.8 0.9 3.6 14.0 
    0422 - Rice, husked but not 
further prepared (cargo rice or 
brown rice)  0.6 0.9 0.2 1.1 0.5 0.7 1.1 12.4 
    0989 - Food preparations, n.e.s.  0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.8 1.1 3.2 
    0423 - Rice, semi -milled or 
wholly milled, whether or not 
polished, glazed, parboiled or 
converted  0.0 0.4 0.3 1.2 1.2 1.6 1.3 2.1 
    0545 - Other fresh or chilled 
vegetables  5.3 2.2 2.9 3.6 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.1 
    0612 - Other beet or cane sugar  0.5 1.2 1.3 2.6 0.6 1.0 1.8 0.6 
    0567 - Vegetables, prepared or 
preserved, n.e.s.  0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.5 
    0483 - Macaroni, spaghetti and 
similar products  0.0 0.2 0.3 0.5 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.4 
    0741 - Tea, whether or not 
flavoured  0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.4 
    0011 - Bovine animals, live  8.2 5.6 2.0 2.2 0.7 0.8 0.5 0.4 
    1222 - Cigarettes containing 
tobacco  0.8 1.3 1.0 0.7 0.5 1.1 0.9 0.3 
    0542 - Leguminous vegetables, 
dried, shelled, whether or not 
skinned or split  0.5 0.3 1.5 1.8 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.3 
  Agricultural raw materials  1.8 2.4 4.2 5.3 1.6 1.4 1.5 1.1 
    2690 - Worn clothing and other 
worn textile articles; rags  1.8 2.3 4.1 5.2 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.1 
Mining  56.7 51.9 64.2 17.3 79.5 72.9 69.7 48.7 
  Ores and other minerals  55.5 50.2 62.1 0.0 49.3 45.9 50.9 32.3 
    2861 - Uranium ores and 
concentrates  55.5 50.2 62.0 0.0 49.3 45.6 50.9 32.2 
  Non-ferrous metals  0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
  Fuels 1.2 1.6 2.0 17.2 30.2 27.0 18.8 16.5 
Manufactures  4.5 11.9 9.5 4.4 6.9 11.5 9.5 9.0 
Iron and steel  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
Chemicals  0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2 1.8 0.1 0.3 0.5 
Other semi -manufactures  0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
Machinery and transport equipment  1.4 7.9 5.9 1.5 1.9 3.0 7.2 5.0 
  Power -generating machinery  0.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 
  Other non -electrical machinery  0.5 4.4 3.3 0.7 0.3 1.4 0.4 0.6 
    Agricultural machinery and 
tractors  0.0 0.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
  Office machines and 
telecommunications equipment  0.2 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.1 
  Other electrical machinery  0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 
  Automotive parts  0.4 2.3 1.8 0.4 0.5 0.5 4.7 2.6 
    7812 - Motor vehicles for the 
transport of persons, n.e.s.  0.0 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.0 2.2 
  Other transport equipment  0.3 0.7 0.2 0.1 0.5 0.5 1.6 1.3 
    7928 - Aircraft, n.e.s. and 
associated equipment  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 1.1 
Textiles  2.1 2.7 2.9 2.2 1.3 1.5 1.4 3.1 
    6523 - Other woven fabrics, 
bleached, dyed  2.0 2.7 2.9 2.2 1.3 1.4 1.4 2.4 
Articles of apparel and clothing 
accessories  0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 
Other consumer goods  0.6 0.8 0.4 0.3 1.7 6.7 0.4 0.2 WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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   2009  2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2016  
Other  7.0 15.5 8.4 54.3 4.1 2.6 5.3 3.8 
    9710 - Gold, non -monetary 
(excluding gold ores and 
concentrates)  7.0 15.5 0.0 0.0 4.1 0.0 5.3 3.8 
Source:  WTO Secretariat calculations based on data from the UNSD Comtrade database (SITC Rev. 3) . WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  Table A1. 2 Destination of exports , 2009 -2016  
 2009  2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2016  
World (US$ million)  628.0  478.6  1,080.7  1,379.8  1,337.2  1,049.7  789.8  927.2  
World (€ million)  452.1  361.4  777.4  1,073.9  1,007.1  791.2  712.1  838.3 
 (Percentage share)  
America  8.4 18.2 12.6 7.9 10.0 8.6 19.8 4.6 
United States  7.8 16.7 11.2 5.4 9.2 7.4 18.0 3.9 
Other America  0.6 1.5 1.5 2.6 0.8 1.2 1.8 0.7 
   Brazil  0.5 1.4 1.3 2.3 0.8 0.9 1.8 0.6 
Europe  57.6 31.8 57.5 46.6 45.8 42.3 47.5 38.9 
EU-28 50.5 15.9 48.9 40.1 41.5 38.9 41.8 32.7 
   France  47.1 9.0 40.8 34.3 39.6 36.5 38.4 31.3 
   Germany  0.6 1.2 1.8 0.6 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.6 
   Spain  2.1 4.1 2.3 1.7 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.3 
   Netherlands  0.1 0.8 2.4 2.1 1.1 1.2 1.3 0.2 
EFTA 7.1 15.6 8.4 6.2 4.2 3.1 5.3 3.9 
    Switzerland  7.1 15.6 8.4 6.2 4.2 3.1 5.3 3.9 
Other Europe  0.0 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.4 0.4 2.3 
    Turkey  0.0 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.4 0.4 2.3 
Commonwealth of Independent  
States (CIS)  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
Africa  30.0 18.2 12.0 28.3 34.2 31.7 23.4 20.3 
   Nigeria  22.1 11.1 5.0 10.8 15.4 12.7 12.5 9.5 
   Mali 0.1 0.1 0.0 8.3 0.2 0.7 2.9 5.6 
   Burkina Faso  0.5 0.6 0.2 2.7 16.3 15.7 5.5 3.4 
   Ghana  3.8 1.4 3.3 3.5 0.3 0.2 0.7 0.5 
   Benin  0.4 0.2 0.3 0.7 0.3 0.7 0.3 0.3 
   Algeria 0.0 1.8 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 
Middle East  0.1 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.5 0.5 0.6 
   United Arab Emirates  0.1 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3 
Asia 2.4 29.9 16.9 16.6 9.5 10.4 8.5 35.7 
China  0.5 7.8 4.1 4.5 6.2 5.4 1.0 5.3 
Japan  0.1 16.6 9.1 4.7 0.0 0.2 1.0 1.6 
Other Asia  1.8 5.6 3.8 7.3 3.2 4.8 6.6 28.7 
   Thailand  0.6 1.2 0.3 0.7 0.4 0.6 1.1 11.6 
   Malaysia  0.4 0.7 1.2 1.5 1.1 1.4 2.7 11.1 
   India 0.0 0.0 0.1 1.1 1.0 1.4 1.5 2.6 
   Indonesia  0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 1.9 
   Singapore  0.0 0.0 0.2 0.3 0.1 0.5 0.5 0.9 
   Viet Nam  0.2 0.6 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.5 0.4 0.2 
Other  1.5 1.8 0.6 0.3 0.1 6.5 0.3 0.0 
Memorandum:          
WAEMU  3.0 3.0 2.3 12.9 18.1 18.1 9.4 9.7 
ECOWASa 28.9 15.4 10.6 27.2 33.8 31.0 22.5 19.7 
a WAEMU members are also taken into acc ount in the calculations . 
Source:  WTO Secretariat calculations based on data fro m the UNSD Comtrade database.  
 WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  Table  A1. 3 Structure of imports,  2009 -2016  
 2009  2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2016  
World (US$ million)    1,627.2    2,272.5    1,917.2    1,687.5    1,714.1    2,151.1    2,458.3   1,860.7  
World (€ million)   1,171.3   1,715.9    1,379.1    1,313.4    1,291.0    1,621.3    2,216.6   1,682.1  
 (Percentage share)  
Total primary 
products  32.2 30.7 38.1 39.6 41.4 31.0 26.9 30.9 
Agriculture  18.8 17.2 18.5 34.5 35.4 26.2 22.0 26.1 
 Food 15.5 15.1 15.8 31.7 32.9 24.8 21.0 25.1 
  0423 - Rice, semi -
milled or wholly 
milled, whether or 
not polished, glazed, 
parboiled or 
converted  3.8 2.9 2.8 9.4 10.9 7.2 5.9 7.5 
  4222 - Palm oil and 
its fractions  1.3 0.7 1.1 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.7 4.2 
  1222 - Cigarettes 
containing tobacco  2.0 1.7 2.4 2.4 3.0 2.2 1.7 2.1 
  0989 - Food 
preparations, n.e.s.  0.6 1.0 0.9 2.6 2.7 1.6 1.5 2.0 
  0222 - Milk and 
cream, concentrated 
or sweetened  1.7 1.0 1.6 2.1 1.9 2.3 1.3 1.4 
  0612 - Other beet or 
cane sugar  1.3 1.0 1.1 2.7 2.3 1.4 1.6 1.1 
 Agricultural raw 
materials  3.3 2.1 2.6 2.8 2.6 1.4 1.0 1.0 
Mining  13.4 13.4 19.6 5.1 6.0 4.8 4.8 4.8 
 Ores and other 
minerals  1.4 0.8 1.8 1.6 1.5 1.1 0.2 1.1 
  2741 - Sulphur of all 
kinds 0.5 0.4 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.8 
 Non-ferrous metals  0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
 Fuels 11.9 12.5 17.8 3.5 4.4 3.6 4.6 3.6 
  3510 - Electric 
current  1.0 1.0 1.3 1.2 0.9 0.9 1.0 1.5 
Manufactures  67.7 69.3 61.9 60.2 58.1 68.6 71.8 68.6 
Iron and steel  5.2 5.6 5.1 3.0 4.0 3.1 3.4 2.1 
 6762 – Bars and rods  0.9 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.8 0.9 0.6 0.9 
Chemicals  9.0 6.2 10.6 11.5 9.8 9.0 5.7 7.0 
 5429 - Medicaments, 
n.e.s.  1.9 1.2 3.2 2.2 2.4 2.1 1.4 2.4 
 5416 - Glycosides  0.4 0.2 0.2 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.8 
Other semi -
manufactures  9.2 18.2 7.8 8.1 10.0 9.0 7.4 7.8 
 6612 - Portland 
cement, aluminous 
cement, slag cement, 
supersulphate 
cement and similar 
hydraulic cements  3.0 2.6 3.3 3.9 4.8 4.9 3.2 3.7 
Machinery and 
transport equipment  32.3 33.1 32.4 30.4 26.8 37.2 48.9 45.3 
 Power -generating 
machinery  1.1 2.8 1.2 0.8 0.9 1.4 0.9 1.3 
  7165 - Generating 
sets 0.8 0.5 0.9 0.4 0.6 1.2 0.4 1.0 
 Other non -electrical 
machinery  14.9 15.6 12.6 12.0 9.4 12.4 7.3 6.2 
  7239 - Parts, n.e.s.  3.3 2.4 2.3 4.1 2.9 4.0 1.7 1.5 
 Agricultural 
machinery and 
tractors  0.2 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.2 1.3 0.1 0.1 
 Office machines and 
telecommunications 
equipment  4.5 1.9 3.7 2.4 2.6 3.1 3.7 4.2 
 Other electrical 
machinery  1.9 3.0 5.9 2.0 2.5 2.4 3.6 2.8 WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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   2009  2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2016  
 Automotive pr oducts  8.5 8.6 7.9 11.1 8.9 8.6 6.8 8.4 
  7812 - Motor 
vehicles for the 
transport of persons, 
n.e.s.  1.9 1.5 2.6 2.5 3.1 3.1 2.3 3.1 
  7821 - Motor 
vehicles for the 
transport of goods  3.4 3.8 2.9 5.3 2.5 2.2 2.0 2.7 
  7822 - Special -
purpose motor 
vehicl es 1.1 0.9 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.1 0.8 1.2 
 Other transport 
equipment  1.4 1.2 1.1 2.2 2.4 9.3 26.7 22.5 
  7929 - Parts, n.e.s.  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 1.2 6.1 11.0 19.8 
Textiles  2.9 1.0 1.8 2.0 2.4 2.1 2.0 1.2 
Articles of apparel and 
clothing accessories  1.2 0.2 0.3 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.5 0.3 
Other consumer 
goods  7.9 4.9 3.9 4.6 4.2 7.4 3.9 4.8 
 8741 - Compasses  2.6 1.0 0.6 1.2 0.2 3.6 0.4 1.1 
Other  0.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.4 0.4 1.3 0.6 
Source:  WTO Secretariat calculations based on data from the UNSD Comtrade database  (SITC Rev.3). 
 
 WT/TPR/S/362 • Niger  
 
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  Table  A1. 4 Origin  of imports , 2009 -2016  
 2009  2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2016  
World (US$ million)  1,627.2  2,272.5  1,917.2  1,687.5  1,714.1  2,151.1  2,458.3  1,860.7  
World  (€ million)  1,171.3  1,715.9  1,379.1  1,313.4  1,291.0  1,621.3  2,216.6  1,682.1  
 (Percentage share)  
America  7.3 7.8 8.1 10.5 9.0 8.8 7.4 9.2 
United States  4.9 6.1 5.8 6.7 5.9 5.3 5.4 7.8 
Other America  2.4 1.7 2.3 3.9 3.1 3.5 2.1 1.4 
    Brazil  1.5 0.9 1.2 2.7 2.0 1.1 1.3 0.9 
Europe  27.7 25.7 35.4 25.1 20.7 26.2 39.4 37.8 
EU-28 27.2 25.3 34.5 23.7 19.3 23.8 38.2 36.6 
    France  13.5 11.0 12.2 11.8 10.1 14.6 31.7 28.3 
    Germany  2.6 2.0 3.2 4.0 1.5 3.5 1.7 2.5 
    Belgium  1.2 1.4 1.6 1.7 1.5 0.7 1.0 1.4 
    Netherlands  4.3 3.2 5.5 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.3 0.9 
    Italy 1.2 0.7 1.4 1.1 1.3 1.0 0.8 0.9 
    Spain  0.5 0.7 0.8 1.1 0.8 0.5 0.4 0.6 
EFTA 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.8 0.5 1.3 0.6 0.4 
Other Europe  0.2 0.2 0.5 0.6 0.9 1.1 0.6 0.8 
    Turkey  0.2 0.2 0.5 0.6 0.9 1.1 0.6 0.8 
Commonwealth of 
Independent States 
(CIS)  0.6 0.5 0.5 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.1 
Africa  17.9 13.1 16.9 21.9 23.9 19.6 15.8 17.6 
    Nigeria  5.0 3.9 4.6 6.0 5.1 3.8 3.7 5.8 
    Ghana  0.8 0.8 0.8 1.5 2.5 2.9 2.6 2.8 
    Côte d'Ivoire  3.8 2.2 3.2 3.4 3.6 2.7 2.2 1.9 
    Togo 2.6 2.3 4.2 5.4 6.3 3.8 1.9 1.8 
    Benin  0.4 0.9 0.5 1.2 1.4 2.6 2.5 1.7 
    Senegal  0.5 0.4 0.5 0.8 0.9 0.6 0.6 0.8 
    Morocco  0.3 0.2 0.3 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.6 
Middle East  0.6 0.3 1.6 0.9 0.9 1.0 0.7 1.5 
    United Arab Emir ates 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 0.4 1.1 
Asia 44.4 52.0 37.1 41.0 44.6 39.8 35.8 33.6 
China  30.7 43.8 26.9 21.2 23.7 22.6 23.0 16.2 
Japan  4.3 3.3 3.4 5.9 4.1 4.4 2.7 3.2 
Other Asia  9.4 4.9 6.9 13.9 16.8 12.7 10.1 14.2 
    Thailand  2.4 0.9 1.4 2.7 3.5 4.7 3.2 5.8 
    India 1.6 0.5 1.3 4.7 6.1 3.7 3.8 3.5 
    Malaysia  1.3 1.0 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.1 2.9 
    Pakistan  1.4 0.6 1.4 3.1 3.5 1.4 0.8 0.6 
Other  1.6 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.7 4.3 0.6 0.3 
Memorandum:          
WAEMU  8.5 6.5 9.1 11.4 13.0 10.6 7.7 6.9 
ECOWASa 14.4 11.1 14.5 18.9 20.7 17.3 13.9 15.5 
a WAEMU members are also taken into account in the calculations . 
Source:  WTO Secretariat calculations based on data from the UNSD Comtrade database .