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U.S. Department of State  
Cote D'Ivoire Country Commercial Guide 
Office of the Coordinator for Business Affairs 
 
 
                               COTE D'IVOIRE 

                          COUNTRY COMMERCIAL GUIDE
                             FISCAL YEAR 1996 
                              COTE D'IVOIRE 
 
 
This Country Commercial Guide (CCG) presents a comprehensive look at 
Cote D'Ivoire's commercial environment through economic, political and 
market analyses.   
 
The CCGs were established by recommendation of the Trade Promotion 
Coordinating Committee (TPCC), a multi-agency task force, to consolidate 
various reporting documents prepared for the U.S. business community.  
Country Commercial Guides are prepared annualy at U.S. Embassies through 
the combined efforts of several U.S. governement agencies.   
 
 
Chapter I          Executive Summary 
 
Chapter II        Economic Tends and Outlook 
               1. Major Trends and Outlook 
               2. Principal Growth Sectors 
               3. Government Role in the Economy 
               4. Balance of Payments Situation 
               5. Infrastructure Situation 
 
Chapter III       Political Environment 
 
Chapter IV        Marketing U.S. Products and Services 
               1. Distribution and Sales Channels 
               2. Use of Agents/Distributors; Finding a Partner 
               3. Franchising 
               4. Direct Marketing 
               5. Joint Ventures/Licensing 
               6. Steps to Establishing an Office 
               7. Selling Factors/Techniques 
               8. Advertising and Trade Promotion 
               9. Product Pricing  
               10. Sales Service/Customer Support 
               11. Selling to the Government 
               12. Protecting your Product from IPR Infringement 
               13. Need for a Local Attorney 
 
Chapter V         Leading Sectors for U.S. Exports and Investment 
               1. Best Prospects for Non-Agricultural Goods and Services 
               2. Best Prospects for Agricultural Products 
               3. Significant Investment Opportunities 
               4. Operating Assumptions 
 
Chapter VI        Trade Regulations and Standards 
               1. Trade Barriers, including Tariffs, Non-Tariff Barriers 
and Import Taxes 
               2. Customs Valuation 
               3. Import Licenses 
               4. Export Controls 
               5. Import Documentation 
               6. Temporary Entry 
               7. Labeling, Marking Requirements 
               8. Prohibited Imports 
               9. Standards 
               10. Free Trade Zones/Warehouses 
               11. Membership in Free Trade Agreements 
 
Chapter VII       Investment Climate 
               1. Openness to Foreign Investment 

Chapter VII       Investment Climate (cont'd.) 
               2. Conversion and Transfer Policies 
               3. Expropriation and Compensation 
               4. Dispute Settlement 
               5. Political Violence 
               6. Performance Requirements/Incentives 
               7. Right to Private Ownership and Establishment 
               8. Protection of Property Rights 
               9. Regulatory System:  Laws and Procedures 
               10. Bilateral Investment Agreements 
               11. OPIC and other Investment Insurance Programs 
               12. Labor 
               13. Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports 
               14. Capital Outflow Policy 
               15. Major Foreign Investors 
 
Chapter VIII      Trade and Project Financing 
               1. The Banking System 
               2. Foreign Exchange Controls Affecting Trading 
               3. General Financing Availability 
               4. How to Finance Exports/Methods of Payment 
               5. Types of Available Export Financing and Insurance 
               6. Ivorian Banks and their Correspondents in the U.S. 
 
Chapter IX        Business Guidelines: Travel and Infrastructure 
               1. Business Etiquette 
               2. Entry Requirements: Health, Visas, Work Permits 
               3. Entry Requirements: Personal/Professional Goods 
               4. Public Holidays 
               5. Business Infrastructure 
               6. Currency Exchange 
               7. Labor Costs and Legislation 
               8. Overland Transport 
               9. Air and Maritime Transport 
               10. Communications 
               11. Electricity 
               12. Water 
               13. Taxes 
               14. Rents: Office and Residential 
               15. Housing/Business Services/Schools 
               16. Security 
               17. Health Precautions 
               18. Insurance 
               19. International Mail and Long Distance Calling 
               20. Transportation in Abidjan 
               21. Dining Out 
               22. General Advice 
               23. Embassy Assistance 
 
Chapter X         Appendices 
               A. Country Data 
               B. Domestic Economy 
               C. Trade 
               D. Best Prospects: Industrial and Agricultural 
               E. U.S. and Cote d'Ivoire Contacts 
               F. Market Research 
               G. Trade Event Schedule 
 
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
 
1. Overview 
 
The outlook for commercial activity in Cote d'Ivoire, including 
opportunities for U.S. firms, continues to be positive for 1995 and 
1996.  Benefits following the 1994 devaluation of the CFA franc (CFA/F), 
a rigorous program of macroeconomic reform and structural adjustment 
guided by the IMF and the World Bank, official debt forgiveness and 
rescheduling, and large flows of concessional assistance brought an end 
to a period of drift in Cote d'Ivoire's economic performance and 
management.  The government is committed to a program whereby the 
private sector will become the engine of Cote d'Ivoire's future growth.  
Reversing a pattern of negative growth that had persisted for years, GDP 
grew by 1.7 percent in 1994; the government foresees growth rates 
averaging 6.5 percent over the next three years.  Inflation is steadily 
declining after its post-devaluation surge to 32 percent; for 1995 it 
will be in the 5-10 percent range, and thereafter it should return to 
pre-devaluation rates of 3 percent per annum. 
 
Agriculture dominates the economy in Cote d'Ivoire, with almost 70 
percent of the Ivorian people engaged in some form of agricultural 
activity. The sector accounts for one-third of GDP, and two-thirds of 
export revenues. Still, Cote d'Ivoire has the largest industrial base in 
sub-saharan francophone Africa, and it possesses the region's best 
infrastructure by far.  Cote d'Ivoire is thus an excellent platform from 
which to conduct regional West African operations.  Development of Cote 
d'Ivoire's untapped mineral wealth will provide greatly expanded 
prospects for growth in the future.  Already a U.S.-led mining 
consortium is exploiting gold reserves and a U.S.-led consortium is 
bringing oil on stream; natural gas follows in October, 1995.   
 
Cote d'Ivoire's politics have been the most stable in Africa since its 
independence in 1960.  The country's founder, Felix Houphouet-Boigny, 
died in office in December 1993, but his constitutional successor, Henri 
Konan Bedie, took office peacefully.  Although the incumbent faces 
election in October, 1995, most observers expect peaceful voting.  While 
there has been some unhappiness over the effects of the currency 
devaluation and structural reform in some quarters, the political 
consensus is that these changes are irreversible. 
 
2. Commercial Environment 
 
While Cote d'Ivoire remains very open and hospitable to trade and 
investment from the United States, its traditional ties to France (and 
Europe), its almost exclusive use of the French language, business laws 
and practices, the country's relatively small market size, and its 
distance from the U.S. all are factors which have served to limit U.S. 
business relationships here.  Adding to the difficulties are factors 
such as the country's enormous debt burden and its resultant poor credit 
rating, and limited (and costly) financing resources for U.S. exporters 
and Ivorian buyers. 
 
In 1994, the Ivorian import market was estimated to be USD 1.9 billion.  
The U.S. with its 7 percent share occupied third place, behind France 
the preponderant supplier (31 percent) and Nigeria (16 percent).  Cote 
d'Ivoire imports from the U.S. were estimated to be USD 128 million in 
1994, up 27 percent over 1993.  Principal U.S. exports included 
telecommunications equipment, agricultural commodities, plastic 
materials and resins and paper and paperboard.  Since the devaluation, 
many importers have expressed an interest in greater sourcing from the 
United States. 
 
3. Major Business Opportunities 
 
There area many sectors which are of interest to U.S. business: 
agriculture; offshore oil and gas development; telecommunications; 
mining; electric power generation; generic pharmaceutical products and 
food processing.  Currently, U.S. companies participate in all of these 
sectors.  Opportunities exist both for expanded U.S. exports, as well as 
for U.S. investment in these, and many other areas as well.  Competition 
will be stiff, however, as France, and French/Ivorian ventures, 
influence local commercial activity significantly. 
 
4. Embassy Assistance 
 
The Commercial Service is represented in Abidjan, and it, the Foreign 
Agriculture Service and other U.S. Embassy elements stand ready and 
eager to assist U.S. businesses in their efforts to penetrate this 
attractive West African market. 
 
COUNTRY COMMERCIAL GUIDES ARE AVAILABLE ON THE NATIONAL TRADE DATA BANK 
ON CD-ROM OR THROUGH THE INTERNET.  PLEASE CONTACT STAT-USA AT 1-800-
STAT-USA FOR MORE INFORMATION.  TO LOCATE COUNTRY COMMERCIAL GUIDES VIA 
THE INTERNET, PLEASE USE THE FOLLOWING WORLDWIDE WEB ADDRESS: WWW.STST-
USA.GOV.  CCGS CAN ALSO BE ORDERED IN HARD COPY OR ON DISKETTE FROM THE 
NATIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION SERVICE (NTIS) AT 1-800-533-NTIS. 
 
 
II. ECONOMIC TRENDS AND OUTLOOK 
 
1. Major Trends and Outlook 
 
The January 12, 1994 devaluation of Cote d'Ivoire's CFA franc (CFA/F), 
the first realignment in more than forty years of fixed currency parity 
with the French franc, remains a watershed event for this country.  
Accompanying the devaluation, a rigorous program of macroeconomic reform 
and structural adjustment guided by the IMF and World Bank opened the 
way for substantial new concessional credits from these institutions.  
Financial assistance from bilateral donors, especially France, is also 
playing an important role in underpinning Cote d'Ivoire's comprehensive 
adjustment strategy.  A substantial rescheduling and reduction of the 
country's crushing debt burden by official creditors at the so-called 
Paris Club in March 1994 contributed to setting the new economic scene.  
Providentially, during 1994 the prices for key Ivorian export 
commodities, especially cocoa and coffee, rose to levels that had not 
been seen for years.  (The collapse of those prices had contributed 
significantly to the economy's poor health in the 1980's and early 
90's.)  Together, these events brought an end to a period of drift in 
Cote d'Ivoire's economic performance and management while opening 
avenues of opportunity, including opportunities for U.S. firms, that 
have not been seen for over a decade.   
 
Economic developments in Cote d'Ivoire during the 18 months subsequent 
to the devaluation of the CFA franc have been very encouraging.  Cote 
d'Ivoire's adjustment program for 1994, agreed upon with the IMF and 
World Bank, was successful in terms of targets for growth, inflation, 
the government budget, investment, and external equilibria.  Real GDP 
for 1994 grew by approximately 1.7 percent, double the original target, 
reversing a pattern of negative growth that had persisted for years. The 
strong positive response to the devaluation by non-traditional exports 
(augmented by high commodity prices on world markets), and a shift in 
demand toward local production, contributed to this growth outcome, 
notwithstanding the impact of lower real wages on private consumption.  
Inflation was quickly brought under control after the expected surge 
following the devaluation, reflecting firm direction over nominal wages 
and some prices, and restraint in budgetary and monetary policies.  For 
1994 as a whole, the cumulative rise in prices, 32.2 percent, was 
slightly lower than originally forecast.  While private investment rose 
somewhat less than expected, reflecting initial post-devaluation 
uncertainty and use of existing capacity, public investment, especially 
in infrastructure, greatly exceeded projections.  The government held 
down public sector wage increases, and was able to reduce civil service 
staffing.  Budget revenues increased somewhat, and the government 
settled a large portion of its domestic arrears.  The primary budget 
balance (which excludes external debt) moved from a chronic deficit to a 
surplus position in 1994. On the negative side of the ledger, however, 
Ivorian performance regarding the structural reform program has been 
mixed, with delays in both the government's privatization program and 
regarding planned public sector reforms. 
 
The outlook for the near and medium term in Cote d'Ivoire remains quite 
positive.  The government foresees real GDP growth for 1995 of 6.4 
percent, a rate which some observers believe will not be achieved but 
one with which the IMF has not disagreed.  Projections are for growth to 
average 6.5 percent per annum over the next three years; the government 
hopes it will move into double digit GDP growth thereafter.  (Cote 
d'Ivoire had growth rates in this range during its boom years in the 
60's and 70's.)  Inflation is forecast to decelerate to about 5 percent 
by year-end 1995, with a return to the pre-devaluation inflation rates 
of 3 percent per annum thereafter.  The government also targets high 
savings and investment rates over the medium term, and continued 
progress on reducing overall fiscal deficits and the public debt 
overhang.   
 
The high rates of growth in the economy are predicated on continued 
positive effects from increased competitivity, especially in food crop 
production, and gains in non-traditional agriculture exports and 
manufacturing.  The coming on stream of recently discovered oil and 
natural gas fields, and expectations regarding increases in private and 
public investment programs, also contribute to the optimistic forecasts.  
So, too, does the assumption that commodity prices on international 
markets will remain firm.  Public investment is considered by the 
government to be a key element of its medium-term economic growth 
policy.  Over the longer range, Cote d'Ivoire plans to increase its 
economic prospects via regional integration in the context of the West 
Africa Economic and Monetary Union.  This will involve, inter alia, 
working with its partners on a common external tariff and preferential 
inter-zone tariffs, and harmonization of indirect taxes, business laws 
and practices.   
 
It is important to bear in mind when considering these positive trends 
that Cote d'Ivoire remains a country confronted by a vast array of 
developmental problems and challenges.  Progress on all these fronts 
will depend on Cote d'Ivoire's pursuit of appropriate adjustment 
policies, and on its continued access to large amounts of financial 
assistance provided on highly concessional terms by multilateral and 
bilateral donors. 
       
Of note for U.S. businesses regarding the economic growth prospects 
cited above, the stepped-up public investment program, the anticipated 
increase in private investment, and the forecast recovery in domestic 
economic activity all will generate a substantial increase in the demand 
for imported goods and services in Cote d'Ivoire over the medium term.  
There also will be opportunities for foreign investment in key sectors 
of the economy in the future. 
 
2. Principal Growth Sectors 
 
The agriculture sector accounts for one-third of Cote d'Ivoire's GDP, 
and provides two-thirds of its export revenues.  Almost 70 percent of 
the Ivorian people are engaged in some form of agricultural activity.  
During the country's first 33 years of independence under President 
Felix Houphouet-Boigny, development priorities principally centered 
around agriculture, and endeavors to promote agriculture, combined with 
Cote d'Ivoire's natural endowments, led to a relatively solid, 
agriculturally-based economy.  Due to of the sector's preponderance in 
the Ivorian economy, and because of its favorable responses to recent 
structural and price changes affecting it, agriculture (and agro-
industry) will remain the major source of growth in Cote d'Ivoire's new, 
post-devaluation economic environment.   
 
During 1994, however, as President Henri Konan Bedie and his government 
began to frame their own economic policies and priorities, there 
occurred a shift in emphasis to productive sectors of the economy beyond 
agriculture.  Thus a second area of current government focus -- one 
which provides greatly expanded prospects for growth -- regards 
development of Cote d'Ivoire's untapped mineral wealth.  Available 
evidence points to significant deposits of oil, gas, gold, nickel, and 
other minerals.  Some exploitation of hydrocarbons and minerals had 
occurred in the past, but the country's priorities remained fixed on 
agriculture.  Now, a new policy and regulatory framework is being 
developed in order to promote growth in mining activities, and to 
further develop the country's offshore hydrocarbon resources.  There are 
some who predict that minerals and hydrocarbons can some day rival 
agriculture in importance as a percentage of Cote d'Ivoire's gross 
domestic product. 
 
The year 1995 saw some notable successes in the extractive industries 
sector.  A U.S.-led consortium developed its offshore discovery of oil 
and gas, and brought on stream its first crude oil in April.  The Lion 
field began producing at a rate of 10,000 barrels per day, a rate that 
will more than double by year-end 1995.  Cote d'Ivoire will at that time 
be self-sufficient in oil, and will begin an era as a minor oil exporter 
as well.  The U.S.-led group will also bring natural gas from its 
Panthere field on stream in October, 1995, providing inexpensive and 
clean fuel (via pipeline) to Abidjan's principal thermal generating 
plant.  American and other international companies are engaged in other 
exploration and development activities offshore, and activity in the 
sector is sure to grow.  Mining is also a growth prospect.  
American/Canadian and Ivorian/French ventures are producing gold in 
increasingly significant quantities.  A Canadian firm also has moved 
toward early development of a significant nickel deposit in the western 
part of the country.  Prospecting for other minerals has been stepped-
up.  All of these activities, in themselves and because of the 
infrastructure investments they will require, will be significant 
generators of growth in the future. 
 
Other areas in which growth will occur, directly and indirectly over the 
near and medium term, include telecommunications, energy, transportation 
services, and financial services.  A U.S. firm has already provided 
enhanced communications satellite services.  Cote d'Ivoire also will be 
entering the cellular phone age in the near future.  Privatization of 
the state-owned telecommunications monopoly will generate spin-off 
growth and consequent opportunities for foreign firms.  As Cote d'Ivoire 
expands its electricity network, growth will occur in the power 
generating and power transmission sectors.  Exports of electrical power 
will also contribute significantly to the balance of payments.  The new 
competitiveness in the economy should add to Abidjan's attractiveness as 
a regional center for foreign businesses operating in the area; there is 
evidence of an increased interest on the part of major multinationals in 
relocating their regional management and/or support operations in 
Abidjan.  Cote d'Ivoire's nascent stock market (the Bourse de Valuer 
d'Abidjan or BVA) is growing, especially as it trades shares in some of 
the country's newly-privatized enterprises.  The stock market hopes to 
expand its operations to cover more of the West African region in the 
next year or two.  Cote d'Ivoire remains the most important 
transportation and banking center in the region, and growth will pick up 
in these sectors as the economy expands. 
 
3. Government Role in the Economy 
 
At the time of its independence, Cote d'Ivoire chose deliberately to 
maintain close commercial ties with France, the former colonial power, 
and to promote the export of cash crops, produced by the private sector 
planters but supported heavily by government.  Although Cote d'Ivoire 
prided itself on its liberal approach to economic development, the 
government was deeply involved in almost every facet of the economy.  
The country built up a major parastatal sector, important vestiges of 
which remain in place today.  In many respects, the system is based on 
French dirigiste traditions, which remain strong in Cote d'Ivoire today. 
 
In the beginning, the level of government involvement in the economy 
probably contributed to some of Cote d'Ivoire's success, particularly in 
providing support to rural populations ill-prepared for the rough and 
tumble environment of selling agriculture commodities into competitive 
world markets.  Over time, however, the burden of the civil 
administration on productive activity grew, at a time when falling 
prices made that burden harder to bear.  Also, the complicated and 
pervasive system of controls and quotas created a whole series of 
incentives for avoiding the system which, in turn, lead to an escalating 
level of corruption and fraud.  The Ivorian government was slow to 
recognize that it was not as liberal a market economy as it thought.  It 
had avoided the excesses of some other African countries but had not 
kept pace with liberalizing competitors elsewhere in the developing 
world (notably, Southeast Asia and Latin America).  There are now signs 
of change, however, as a new generation of Ivorians takes charge. 
  
The IMF and World Bank are actively encouraging the government to adjust 
outmoded structural and sectoral policies, many of them based on the 
state's involvement in the economy.  Development of the private sector 
is at the heart of these reform efforts.  The government intends to 
continue its withdrawal from productive activities, simplify the 
regulatory framework for the private sector, and improve the legal 
environment affecting business establishments and the settlement of 
private sector disputes.  Progress in all these areas is key to the 
attainment of targeted high growth rates, and in some cases, to the 
continuation of assistance flows from the Bretton Woods institutions. 
 
Regarding privatization in particular, the government announced an 
ambitious program some five years ago.  It identified about 66 
enterprises, of which some 15 were privatized between 1991 and 1994.  
After the national assembly re-considered and refined the program, 
privatization gained momentum during late 1994.  Seven enterprises were 
privatized that year, with another 9 listed for sale.  (The process of 
divestiture for these latter enterprises is to be completed during 
1995.)  The government intends to put up for sale another 10 enterprises 
in 1995, including some of the largest state-owned firms (e.g., palm oil 
and sugar parastatals) the telecommunications company CI-TELCOM, and 
perhaps the national maritime transport company.  In addition to the 
efficiency gains one expects to result from these privatizations, the 
projected receipts from the sales are important components of 1995 
government revenue projections. 
 
4. Balance of Payments Situation 
 
As commodity prices and the economy declined through the eighties, Cote 
d'Ivoire's external accounts came to depend increasingly on the 
continued generosity of official lenders (notably France, the IMF and 
the World Bank) and on the accumulation of unpaid debt arrears.  By the 
early nineties, the total stock of government and government-guaranteed 
debt had reached approximately double the amount of the gross domestic 
product.  Foreign debt, both that owed to official and to private 
creditors, remains a dark cloud hanging over Cote d'Ivoire's balance of 
payments situation. 
 
Under other circumstances, Cote d'Ivoire's balance of payments and debt 
record might suggest a grave problem of convertibility and availability 
of foreign exchange.  However, Cote d'Ivoire belongs to the West African 
Economic and Monetary Union, whose currency, the CFA franc, is 
guaranteed by the French Treasury to be convertible at a fixed rate 
against the French franc.  The French Treasury, in turn, requires strict 
controls on the creation of new money (i.e., members cannot simply 
monetize their deficits).  Under these circumstances, a poor balance of 
payments performance does not imply a convertibility risk for the CFA 
franc; it does suggest, however, that the government might not have 
sufficient local currency holdings with which to obtain the foreign 
exchange it needs to honor its obligations. 
 
Apart from the lingering problem of foreign debt, 1994 was actually a 
year of significant improvement in Cote d'Ivoire's balance of payments 
position.  The country traditionally runs a trade surplus, but the 
current account is historically in deficit.  Last year, the contraction 
of domestic demand and the positive response of output following the 
devaluation led to a substantial strengthening of the trade account 
balance: exports grew considerably; while imports (in value terms) were 
up as well, the increase was less than anticipated.  Thus, while 
remaining negative, Cote d'Ivoire's traditional current account deficit 
narrowed markedly from previous levels.  There was also a substantial 
turnaround in the capital account in 1994.  Thus, according to the IMF, 
Cote d'Ivoire's overall balance of payments registered its first surplus 
in ten years. 
 
Over the medium term, export and import substitution activities should 
continue to benefit from the improved competitiveness of the Ivorian 
economy.  Increased growth, however, will prompt an increase in demand 
for imported goods. The IMF projects that the current account deficit 
will widen again from it sharply improved position in 1994.  
Developments in the capital account will continue to reflect Cote 
d'Ivoire's progress in regularizing its external debt situation 
(including the effects of reschedulings and debt forgiveness) and on the 
volume of official assistance flows.  The overall balance of payments is 
likely to return to its traditional deficit position in 1995, and remain 
there over the medium term. 
 
5. Infrastructure 
 
By developing country standards, Cote d'Ivoire has an outstanding 
infrastructure.  There is an excellent network of over 8,000 miles of 
paved roads; good telecommunications services, including a public data 
communications network already and cellular phones on the horizon; two 
active ports, one of which, Abidjan, is the most modern in West Africa; 
rail links, both within the country and to Burkina Faso; regular air 
service within the region and to and from Europe; and modern real-estate 
developments for commercial, industrial, retail and residential use.  
Cote d'Ivoire's location and easy, reliable connections to neighboring 
countries makes it an excellent platform from which to conduct West 
African operations.  The city of Abidjan is one of the most modern and 
liveable cities in the region.  Its school system is excellent and 
includes a highly-rated international school based on a U.S. curriculum 
and several excellent French-based schools. 
 
While in recent years, Cote d'Ivoire's public investment program had 
dwindled significantly, the government is working with multilateral 
donors to reverse the trend.  The government's new public investment 
plan will accord priority to investment in human capital, but it will 
also provide for significant spending on economic infrastructure needed 
to sustain growth.  Continued infrastructure development is also 
expected to occur because of private sector activity.  In the new 
environment of government disengagement from productive activities and 
in the wake of recent privatizations, anticipated investments in the 
petroleum, electricity, water, and telecommunications sectors, and in 
part in the transportation sector, will be financed without any direct 
government intervention. 
 
II. POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT 
 
1. Overview 
 
Cote d'Ivoire is a stable, multiparty democracy which achieved 
independence from France in 1960.  Relations with the United States have 
traditionally been excellent, and the bilateral relationship has been 
largely free from conflict since independence.  Thanks to the strength 
of its economy in the first 20 years of independence, its moderate 
foreign policy, and the stature of its first president, Felix Houphouet-
Boigny, Cote d'Ivoire has played an important role in the West African 
region.  Cote d'Ivoire's relationship with France remains extremely 
close, as evidenced by the strong French presence including a sizable 
military base and some 18,000 French expatriates.  Cote d'Ivoire's 
government consists of a strong executive branch and relatively weak 
legislative and judicial branches.   
2. The Houphouet Years 
  
From independence until 1993, the country was ruled by a single 
president, Felix Houphouet-Boigny.  During the period of strong economic 
growth in the 60's and 70's Houphouet ruled unopposed and his Democratic 
Party of Cote d'Ivoire (PDCI) was the sole permitted party in the 
country.  In the 1980's, opposition to the regime grew as the Ivorian 
economy faltered. 
 
Over the last four years, Cote d'Ivoire has undergone a reasonably 
balanced transition to multiparty democracy.  In 1990, Houphouet 
liberalized the political system and called for multiparty elections.  
Several dozen parties formed following the announcement, including the 
Ivorian Front (FPI).   It became the largest opposition party at the 
time and fielded the opposition candidate for president.  The opposition 
won 11 seats in the National Assembly out of a possible 175, and the 
President was reelected.  Despite some concerns, the final results were 
accepted by all participating political parties. 
 
3. The New Government and the 1995 Elections 
 
In 1993, Houphouet died and was replaced by his constitutional 
successor, National Assembly President Henri Konan Bedie.  The 
constitution calls for Bedie to serve out the rest of Houphouet's term, 
which ends in October 1995.  Preparations are currently underway for 
presidential, legislative, and municipal elections which will take place 
in late 1995.  There has been some tension between the government and 
the opposition, most recently over the new electoral code and freedom of 
the press.  However, voter registration and other preparations for the 
elections are continuing peaceably. 
 
The ruling party, the PDCI, is a centrist party without strong 
ideological identification.  The opposition FPI, is a moderate 
"socialist" party more concerned with political issues than with radical 
economic change.  In September 1994, the government legalized the 
existence of the Rally of Republicans (RDR), which quickly emerged as a 
major opposition party.  The RDR has attracted former members of the 
majority PDCI's reformist wing and is particularly strong in Cote 
d'Ivoire's northern cities.  The Ivorian Workers' Party, which has one 
deputy in the National Assembly, is more left-leaning.  Few of the 80 or 
so other Ivorian parties have made much of an impact on the Ivorian 
political scene.  The FPI, RDR and an alliance of five smaller parties 
formed the Republican Front in March 1995 to present a common candidate 
in the presidential race and to divide candidacies among the allied 
parties in the legislative and municipal candidates. 
 
IV.      MARKETING U.S. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES 
 
1. Distribution and Sales Channels   
 
In Cote d'Ivoire, there are seven major population centers:  Abidjan 
(2.5 million), Bouake (494,000), Daloa (182,000), Man (134,000), San 
Pedro (80,000) the second seaport, Korhogo (164,000) and Yamoussoukro 
(160,000).  Many banks, insurance companies, wholesale distributors and 
one supermarket chain maintain branch operations in these centers. Air 
Ivoire, the national airline, services these cities on a regular basis 
and they are connected by a very good quality road network.   
 
The principal methods of selling are: retail outlets (either in the 
local market or an established chain), a direct sales force, an agent or 
distributor, selling through established wholesalers or dealers, and 
selling directly to the government, cooperatives and other indigenous 
organizations.  The common forms of business organizations adopted in 
Cote d'Ivoire are discussed in Section 6 below.  It would be wise for 
the exporter to consider the requirements of the product and its 
potential market before choosing a distribution channel. 
 
2. Use of Agents/Distributors; Finding a Partner 
 
There are no laws requiring the retention of a local agent or 
distributor for a foreign company exporting to the Cote d'Ivoire.  
However, it is advisable that a company attempting to break into the 
market retain a person or persons resident in Cote d'Ivoire.  An agent 
or distributor should possess a thorough understanding of the economy 
and be fluent in French.  If the exported product requires servicing, 
qualified personnel and a reasonable inventory of spare parts must be 
considered.  Exporters should be aware that agents and distributors 
commonly represent several product lines.  European competitors 
inevitably market their geographic proximity as a competitive advantage; 
they are often able to provide a technician or part on short notice.  
Failure to adequately address the issue of after sales support and 
service has limited U.S. marketing success in Cote d'Ivoire.  
 
Prior to committing to a long-term relationship, exporters are advised 
to visit Cote d'Ivoire to gain firsthand knowledge of the country.  The 
Commercial Service can help exporters locate agents and distributors 
through the Agent Distributor Service (ADS) program.  Information 
regarding this program is available through the Commercial Service 
district offices located in all 50 states and Washington, DC.  The cost 
of a report is USD 250.    
 
3. Franchising 
 
Franchising is an area that has not been developed in Cote d'Ivoire. 
 
4. Direct Marketing: Wholesalers and Retailers 
 
Many of the goods sold in the Cote d'Ivoire pass through wholesale 
organizations, some of which are oligopolies.  Examples include: alcohol 
and tobacco products, pharmaceuticals, and wheat and flour.  Wholesale 
establishments and modern retail outlets are concentrated in Abidjan. 
These include the company headquarters, branch banking and insurance 
operations, supermarkets, car dealerships and specialty stores.  Both 
within and outside of Abidjan, most of the small-scale retail outlets 
are individual proprietorship operations that lack specialization.  The 
"general store" concept, stocked with a wide variety of goods, is 
generally used outside of Abidjan.  The local Lebanese community to a 
large extent controls importation, wholesale distribution and medium and 
large scale retail outlets.  
 
5. Joint Ventures/Licensing 
 
See Section 6 below. 
 
6. Steps to Establishing an Office 
 
Among the goals of the newly created Ivorian Investment Promotion Center 
(CEPICI) is to guide an entrepreneur through the local business 
registration process including handling the formalities to register, 
incorporate, modify or dissolve a local company.  The CEPICI was 
inaugurated in February 1995 as a one-stop shop for economic, commercial 
and investment information for entrepreneurs interested in starting a 
business or investing in Cote d'Ivoire. The Center's mission is two-
fold: to promote investment in Cote d'Ivoire and to facilitate and 
highlight any economic activity likely to contribute to the development 
of Cote d'Ivoire.  The CEPICI utilizes databases, documentation, formal 
presentations, investment missions and basic counseling services to 
realize its activities.  The CEPICI also monitors Cote d'Ivoire's 
program of scheduled privatizations. 
 
Prior to establishing a business entity in Cote d'Ivoire, it is 
advisable to consult a local attorney.  There are four common forms 
adopted by businesses in Cote d'Ivoire.  In any of these forms, the non-
Ivorian may hold 51 percent or more of the company's assets.  Exceptions 
to a non-Ivorian holding occur on an ad hoc basis and are usually 
mandated by government decree.  The four common forms adopted by 
businesses in Cote d'Ivoire are: 
 
Joint Venture (Association et Participation):  Joint ventures are 
allowed in Cote d'Ivoire and the joint venture may take any of the forms 
listed below. 
 
Branch of a Foreign Company (Succursale):  Branches of foreign companies 
may not be established until they are registered with the Tribunal de 
Premiere Instance.  Once registered, the branch is regarded as an 
Ivorian judicial entity and is legally independent of the parent 
company. 
 
Limited Liability Company (Societe A Responsabilite Limite - SARL):  All 
SARLs must have a minimum capital of approximately USD 900 (CFA/F 
500,000) and at least two shareholders.  No share certificates are 
issued. 
 
Stock Corporations (Societe Anonyme - SA): In order for a corporation to 
be formed, it must have at least seven shareholders.  Each share must 
have a value of at least approximately USD 10 (CFA/F 5,000) and a 
minimum capital requirement of approximately USD 2,000 (CFA/F 1 
million).  Directors' meetings are required on a regular basis.  If a 
corporation has share capital below approximately USD 4.5 million (CFA/F 
2.5 billion), there is a stock registration tax of one percent of the 
value of the stock for the company.  For corporations with capital 
valued above CFA/F 2.5 billion, the registration tax is less than one 
percent. 
 
Other business forms include regional offices, sole proprietorships, 
local agency or distributorship arrangements, and various entities which 
are analogous to limited and general partnerships and state-owned or 
partially government-owned companies.   
 
All business entities must register with the Commercial Registry within 
30 days of commencement of activity.  If the SARL or SA is the chosen 
form, the following must be filed with the Commercial Registry:  a copy 
of the company by-laws, the minutes authorizing the establishment of the 
company (SA form only), and the name of the manager (SARL) or director 
(SA).  Companies must submit an annual balance sheet and profit and loss 
accounts to the Ministry of Economy and Finance.  Other periodic filings 
are required as is publication of specific information in the local 
press. 
 
Business entities must file a Declaration of Commencement of Business 
with the Tax Department of the Ministry of Finance and the Economy, the 
Labor Department and the National Social Security Fund.  If the entity 
contemplates the importation or exportation of goods or materials, it 
must register as an importer or exporter with the Department of External 
Trade of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. 
 
The prior permission of the Office of External Credit and Finance of the 
Ministry of Finance and the Economy must be obtained for all equity 
investments and loans which originate from a country outside the CFA 
franc zone.  Approval is routinely granted, generally within a few 
weeks. 
 
7. Selling Factors/Techniques 
 
Cote d'Ivoire maintains strong historical, cultural and economic links 
with France and Europe in general.  The Ivorian attitude toward 
conducting business with U.S. firms is best described as tentative, 
mostly due to language and cultural barriers.  It is critical, 
therefore, that U.S. companies establish and maintain a high level of 
personal contact within Cote d'Ivoire; it is generally not possible to 
mount a successful enterprise via telephone or fax contact alone.  Yet 
despite a differing business style, Ivorians appreciate the role the 
U.S. plays in world affairs, welcome U.S. products and wish to encourage 
U.S. investment in Cote d'Ivoire.  There is a clear desire, however, for 
business to be conducted with Ivorian partnership in mind, as there is 
still some residual suspicion of large foreign businesses which is 
rooted in the excesses of the colonial and neo-colonial past.  
Increasingly, young Ivorians are considering a U.S. university education 
versus a European one.  Exposure of the future work force to U.S. 
culture, business and English will help to further U.S. business 
interests in the near term. 
 
Ivorian values are more traditional than those of Americans. This 
tendency extends to business dealings as well.  People are extremely 
polite; it is customary to greet everyone you meet.  Even a long term 
partner or business contact is usually greeted with an exchange of 
pleasantries, followed by a handshake and inquiries about one's health, 
family and relatives.  While coming to the point directly is admired in 
American culture, Ivorians, tend to be more laid back and patient and in 
fact may find the aggressive "American style" disturbing.  Ivorians 
prefer regular, face-to-face contact; in fact, personal visits are 
warmly welcomed.  While visits may not be the most efficient or 
inexpensive method, it is generally regarded as the most effective 
method of handling new trade initiatives.  For Ivorians, trust in a 
business relationship is paramount and cannot be achieved sight unseen. 
The cornerstone of a successful business relationship is to adapt to a 
pace of business and life that is more moderate than in the U.S.  
 
The Lebanese community plays an important role in Ivorian business.  
They are receptive to U.S. products and company representatives and are 
generally more conversant in English.  However, French is still their 
preferred language for business transactions.  
 
8. Advertising/Trade Promotion 
 
There are over 10 advertising agencies with headquarters in Abidjan 
offering a full range of publicity and sales promotion services 
throughout the country.  Two agencies, Lintas and Nelson McCann Erikson 
are affiliates of American multinational the Interpublic Group of 
Companies.  Lintas also has offices in 20 African nations.  Several 
agencies offer marketing research and video production services as well. 
 
There over 18 regular daily and weekly news publications circulating in 
Cote d'Ivoire.  The most widely read daily paper is "Fraternite Matin" 
which is controlled by the Ivorian government.  "Fraternite Matin" also 
publishes "Le Guido", a weekly glossy publication highlighting events 
around Abidjan, television and cinema schedules, airline schedules, and 
interviews with people of note.  "Abidjan Sept Jours" is another 
publication similar to "Le Guido".  Although precise figures are 
impossible to produce, "La Voie", "Le Jour" and "Soir Info" have roughly 
the same circulations and battle for second place behind the "Fraternite 
Matin."  Ivorians own more than 3 million television sets and 7 million 
radios and are accustomed to consumer oriented commercials and 
advertising and public service announcements.  Contact information for 
Ivorian media (print, radio and TV) is listed in the Appendix E: Section 
2   
 
Suppliers of imported products are expected to provide advertising and 
promotional support, particularly if it is a new product or brand.  
Radio and television spots are commonly used as are posters, point of 
sale displays, coupons, and billboards.  Short films run at local 
cinemas and are another popular medium for automobile and tobacco 
products.  Trade fairs are sporadic but nevertheless a popular means of 
reaching the Ivorian buyer.  The Foire International d'Abidjan (FIA '96) 
will take place March 8-20, 1996 at the Golf Hotel in Abidjan and is the 
largest trade fair in Cote d'Ivoire.  Packaging is important to the 
Ivorian consumer.  Eye-catching, colorful designs, blister packs and 
small, reusable containers appeal to the consumer.  Extended shelf life 
in a humid environment is also an important requirements. 
 
9. Product Pricing and Credit 
 
If U.S. exporters can price in French francs, especially for deliveries 
over a six to 12 month period, this will help them in penetrating the 
market.  Costs should be computed on a c.i.f. basis. 
 
Local sources of commercial credit are extremely limited; therefore, the 
liberal credit terms usually offered by the competition may in fact 
outweigh a considerable price differential.  Nevertheless, U.S. 
exporters are advised to utilize an irrevocable, confirmed letter of 
credit, especially if they are non-resident and new to the Ivorian 
market.  Foreign competition often grants credits of 180 days for 
consumer goods and 24 months for small machinery and equipment.  
European banks often quote liberal terms and may discount paper for 
their exporters who are pursuing long-term credits. 
 
The Commercial Service can help exporters formulate sound credit 
policies applicable to local markets and credit information on 
individual Ivorian firms through the World Traders Data Reports (WTDR) 
program.  Information regarding this program is available through the 
Commercial Service district offices located in all 50 states and 
Washington, DC.  The cost of one report is USD 250.  Similar information 
is also available from private agencies.     
 
10. Sales Service/Customer Support 
 
After-sales support and service has been a principal reason for limited 
U.S. marketing success in Cote d'Ivoire.  It is especially critical for 
high-tech or heavy industrial equipment such as: computer hardware and 
software, telecommunications equipment, photocopiers, automobiles, and 
air conditioning/refrigeration units.  A central service telephone 
number and radio-dispatched technicians are commonly used by local 
firms.  French-language service manuals, frequent personnel training and 
a reasonable inventory of spare parts are also very important. 
 
11. Selling to the Government 
 
The Ivorian Government periodically issues procurement tenders that are 
published in local newspapers and sometimes in international journals.  
The tender board is usually the responsible ministry making the request.  
Recently, the Direction et Controle des Grands Travaux (DCGTX) has acted 
as a "super ministry" on behalf of other ministries for World Bank and 
the African Development Bank (AfDB) financed projects.   The procurement 
is typically financed by a multilateral lending institution such as the 
World Bank, the African Development Bank or the International Finance 
Corporation.  There is usually a charge to purchase the bid documents 
which are normally in French. 
 
12. Protecting Your Product from Intellectual Property Rights 
Infringement 
 
Intellectual property rights in Cote d'Ivoire are governed by the Bangui 
Treaty of March 2, 1977 which provides for a regional system for the 
protection of intellectual property rights in the predominantly French-
speaking countries of West and Central Africa.  The Bangui Treaty of 
March 2, 1977 extended the protection of the Libreville Treaty of 
September 13, 1962, which had created a regional regime in the domain of 
industrial property rights for the former French colonies, to all 
industrial property rights including, patents, trademarks, industrial 
designs and models, commercial names, licenses, captions, unfair 
competition.  This autonomous regime affords these countries the ability 
to manage the creation, individualization and development of their 
products both internally as well as internationally. 
 
The African Organization for Intellectual Property ("OAPI") is the 
regional institution which handles all matters, other than judicial 
proceedings, arising out of or in connection with the application or 
interpretation of the Bangui Treaty.  Judicial actions are to be brought 
in the national courts of the member countries pursuant to the terms and 
conditions of the Bangui Treaty.  All rights to industrial property are 
filed with OAPI, whose headquarters are located in Yaounde, Republic of 
Cameroon.  Each of the member countries have local offices which, in 
theory, are capable of receiving filings of registrations, which are 
then valid for the entire region. 
 
The member countries of OAPI are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the 
Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, Guinea, 
Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo. 
 
13. Need for a Local Attorney 
 
It is advisable to consult a local attorney to ensure that the company 
is following all the appropriate laws and procedures with regards to 
employment  and other matters. 
 
As a result of its colonial past, the Ivorian legal system originates 
directly from the French system.  Pursuant to article 76 of the Ivorian 
Constitution, enacted by Law No. 60-204 of November 3, 1960, all 
legislation in effect in Cote d'Ivoire during the colonial period 
remained in effect in the new republic to the extent that it was not 
inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution.  Nevertheless, if 
there has been subsequent legislation passed in Cote d'Ivoire, then the 
French law in question is no longer applicable.  French doctrine 
(treaties, legal articles, books) is instructive and informative on 
general principles of law and is often used as a reference to determine 
points of Ivorian law. 
 
All official documents, papers, contracts, court papers, corporate 
documents, among other things, must be in the French language.  It 
should be noted that Cote d'Ivoire has numerous local languages.   
 
The labor laws in force in Cote d'Ivoire are considerably more 
burdensome than those that an American employer may be accustomed to 
practicing in the United States.  For example, expatriate labor 
contracts as well as all fixed term contracts must be registered with 
the labor authorities and approved before such employees can be hired.  
In addition, all employees accrue during the time with the company in 
question, certain statutory benefits and entitlements which may not be 
waived by contract.  The Ivorian courts have historically been viewed as 
favoring the employee in labor disputes.  Recent decisions, however, 
have demonstrated a retreat from harsh judgments against the employer. 
 
While there have been some changes in the legislation, such as the 
recently established right of a married woman to carry on a commercial 
operation without the approval of her husband, the commercial and 
corporate laws of Cote d'Ivoire are for the most part those that were in 
force in France prior to independence in 1960.  Establishing a presence 
in Cote d'Ivoire for an American company is generally a more costly and 
involved procedure than that of the United States.  In addition, the law 
requires a business to provide certain corporate information on all its 
papers, letterhead, invoices, etc.  Again, consult a local attorney with 
regards to these matters. 
 
V. LEADING SECTORS FOR U.S. EXPORTS AND INVESTMENT 
 
1. Best Prospects for Non-Agricultural Goods and Services 
 
1 - Machines/Mechanical Apparatus/Engines: Air Conditioning and 
Refrigeration Equipment Computer Equipment and Peripherals and Food 
Processing Equipment  
2 - Automobiles/Mining and Agricultural Equipment 
3 - Pharmaceutical products 
4 - Telecommunications Equipment 
5 - Paper and Paper Board 
6 - Plastic materials and Resins 
7 - Agricultural Chemicals 
8 - Oil and Gas Field Services 
 
Non-Agricultural Goods and Services Best Prospects - Ranked by market 
size 
 
The estimates below were derived from Customs Bureau statistics.  Due to 
irregularities in these statistics, the Embassy believes that some 
markets should be increased by as much as thirty percent in order to 
reflect the flow of goods more accurately. Also, the figures for U.S. 
imports do not accurately reflect the goods that are transhipped with 
little or no value added via European intermediaries namely France, the 
Netherlands and Belgium.  Affected sectors include: agricultural 
equipment, pharmaceutical products and computers.  Customs statistics 
are available through 1993.  
 
Due to the anomalies of the existing Customs reporting system, several 
best prospects were combined under the Ivorian categorization scheme.  
They are reported as such below.  The Customs statistics follow the 
Harmonized System; statistics recorded by the Ministry of Commerce do 
not.   
 
In 1994, the Ivorian import market was estimated to be USD 1.9 billion.  
France was the largest supplier (31 percent), followed by Nigeria (16 
percent) and the US (7 percent).  If the imports from Nigeria were 
excluded (99 percent crude oil destined for refining and reexport via 
the Ivorian refinery), the US would be Cote d'Ivoire's second largest 
supplier.  Principal U.S. exports included: agricultural commodities, 
telecommunications equipment, plastic resins and paper and paper board.  
The market is expected to grow at the same rate as the GDP rate during 
the next 2 years namely 1995 (6.4 percent) and 1996 (6.5 percent).  The 
exchange rate used throughout was 500 CFA/F = 1 USD. 
 
Due to the devaluation of the CFA/F, countries whose exporters invoiced 
in US dollars showed the largest increase over the previous years' 
statistics versus countries billing in yen or strong European 
currencies.  This upward trend is expected to continue during 1995.   
 
1 - Machines/Mechanical Apparatus:  Computer Equipment and Peripherals, 
Air Conditioning/Refrigeration Equipment and Food Processing Equipment 
(CPT, ACR, FPP) 
(USD millions)               1994E          1995E          1996E 
A. Total Market size           109           116           124 
B. Total Local Production        0             0             0 
C. Total Exports                15            16            17 
D. Total Imports               124           132           141 
E. Imports from the U.S.         6             7             8 
 
THE ABOVE STATISTICS ARE UNOFFICIAL ESTIMATES 
 
Comments: Driven by the increasing use of computers in many business and 
government parastatals, the computers and peripherals market continues 
to grow rapidly.  Over the last ten years, public and private enterprise 
have invested in information systems as a means of improving operating 
efficiency and accuracy.  Leading brands are American, French, Italian 
and Japanese.  Several foreign manufacturers have established offices or 
have agents or distributors to represent them.  American computers have 
high brand recognition and are noted for their reliability and leading 
edge technology. Much of the U.S. equipment is transshipped through 
French subsidiaries.  A local firm plans to establish a PC manufacturing 
facility in late 1996.   
 
Over the last two years, new housing starts have increased, and the need 
for refrigeration and air-conditioning has increased as well.  The 
fishing industry and agro-industries also have been major end users of 
cold storage facilities and air-conditioning equipment.     
 
The agricultural commodities export sector increased substantially in 
the post-devaluation period.  Highly correlated with this sector is the 
food processing and packaging sector.  For example, fruit juices and 
vegetables are now being processed for local consumption; products such 
as dried bananas, dried peanuts, and ginger juice or syrups are 
processed and marketed locally on a traditional, small-scale basis.  
Critical success factors include: price, quality, European standards, 
after sales service and availability of spare parts.  For canning 
operations, the cost of tin plate makes this type of operation costly 
vis-a-vis other African and Asian competitors. Swiss, Italian, German 
and French equipment is commonly used.  U.S. market share in this sector 
is negligible and is therefore not counted in the "U.S. imports" figure 
above.  Labor rates, higher than other African nations, may also 
adversely impact profitability of local operations.  See Best Prospect 
#6 - Paper and Paperboard. 
 
Market share: France (54 percent) computers, engines, food processing 
equipment, Italy (9 percent) food processing equipment, Belgium (5 
percent) engines, and the U.S. (3 percent) computer and air conditioning 
equipment.  The figures for U.S. exports are understated as a U.S. heavy 
equipment manufacturer ships engines and spare parts via a Belgian 
subsidiary and several computer manufacturers ship product via France.  
 
2 - Automobiles/Agricultural and Mining Equipment (AUT, AGM, MIN) 
(USD million)               1994E          1995E          1996E 
D) Total Market size          107            114           122 
E) Total Local Production       0              0             0 
F) Total Exports                8              8             9 
G) Total Imports              115            122           131 
H) Imports from the U.S.        6              6             7 
 
THE ABOVE STATISTICS ARE UNOFFICIAL ESTIMATES 
 
Comments:  Both Chrysler and General Motors established dealerships in 
Abidjan in 1994/95.  France and Japan are the clear automotive market 
leaders however consumers are showing a preference for other brands such 
as Hundyai and the Jeep Cherokee.  Increased mining and agricultural 
activity should increase demand for large vehicles as well.  Cars 
powered by natural gas would sell extremely well in this market. 
 
Agriculture is the predominant economic activity in Cote d'Ivoire.  
Privatization plans for this sector include parastatals which likely 
increase the demand for agricultural equipment.   
 
Extractive industries (mining and oil and gas exploration) are 
increasing in importance to the Ivorian government. Besides the two 
current mining projects (AFEMA with OPIC as a partner, and Mines d'Or 
d'Ity with a French partner) and the UMIC oil and gas project, there are 
2 other oil and gas projects and several mining projects (gold and 
nickel) presently under consideration.  The government has revised the 
mining code to favor investment and tax incentives for potential foreign 
investors.  This sector promises significant future growth. 
 
Market share: France (32 percent) cars and tractors, Japan (31 percent) 
cars only, Germany (7 percent) cars and tractors and the U.S. (7 
percent) tractors.  The figures for U.S. exports are understated as two 
agricultural equipment manufacturers ship vehicles and spare parts via 
French and German subsidiaries.   
 
3 - Drug/Pharmaceuticals including Generic Drugs and Molecules (DRG) 
(USD million)               1994E          1995E          1996E 
A. Total Market size           91             97            104  
B. Total Local Production      12             13             14 
C. Total Exports                2              2              3      
D. Total Imports               82             87             92 
E. Imports from the U.S.       50             53             57 
 
THE ABOVE STATISTICS ARE UNOFFICIAL ESTIMATES 
 
Comments:  Due to the CFA/F devaluation and despite unresolved liability 
issues, Cote d'Ivoire has moved to substitute brand name products with 
generic ones.  There is a significant opportunity for U.S. suppliers of 
generic and brand name products to ship directly to Cote d'Ivoire. 
Approximately 4,000 products are sold in the country, chiefly 
antibiotics, painkillers and anti-parasitic drugs.  Imports account for 
approximately 85 percent of the market and about 15 percent of the 
products are manufactured by a local manufacturer, CIPHARM.  Leading 
brand names include:  Merck, Pfizer, Merrill Dow, Bristol Myers, Eli 
Lilly, Jaussen, Glaxo, Beecham and Rorer.  
 
Market share: France (95 percent); the remaining 5 percent of the 
imported products originate from other African countries including 
Senegal, Morocco and Nigeria.  The U.S. imports are estimated to exceed 
50 percent of the import market as U.S. companies deliver via their 
French subsidiaries. 
 
4 - Telecommunications Equipment and Services (TEL) 
 
(USD million)               1994E           1995E          1996E 
A. Total Market size           63              67             72 
B. Total Local Production       0               0              0 
C. Total Exports               11              12             13 
D. Total Imports               75              79             86 
E. Imports from the U.S.        6               7              8 
 
THE ABOVE STATISTICS ARE UNOFFICIAL ESTIMATES 
 
Comments:  The Ivorian government will privatize the state-owned 
telecommunications company either in late 1995 or early 1996.  The 
equipment market is dominated by the French (France Telecom) and is one 
of the most efficient and equipped in West and Central Africa.  
Recently, new non-French technologies have begun to appear despite 
French influence in major purchasing decisions.  U.S. companies have 
introduced their technologies during the last three years in the areas 
of customer premise equipment and long distance services.  The 
potentially lucrative cellular franchise is being actively pursued by 
Canadian, French and two U.S. firms. 
 
Market share: France (62 percent), Hong Kong (6 percent) and Switzerland 
(4 percent).  There is some transshipment of U.S. products in this 
sector. 
 
5 - Paper and Paper Board (PAP) 
(USD million)                1994E          1995E          1996E 
A. Total Market size            38             41            43 
B. Total Local Production        0              0             0 
C. Total Exports                17             18            20 
D. Total Imports                55             59            63 
E. Imports from the U.S.         9              9            10 
 
THE ABOVE STATISTICS ARE UNOFFICIAL ESTIMATES 
 
Comments:  Several industries remain active end-users of paper and paper 
board including the housing industry for cement bags, the food industry 
for food packaging, and the printing industry for newspapers and 
stationery.  Other end-users include distributors of paper for 
photocopiers, fax machines, calculators, point of sale systems and 
producers of toilet paper.  Increased agricultural export activities has 
increased the need for packaging paper; likewise, the demand for 
newsprint for newspapers and magazines has grown due to an increase in 
the number of papers and magazines in the country.  
 
Market share: France (23 percent), U.S. (17 percent) and Finland (12 
percent).  There is little transshipment in this sector. 
 
6 - Plastic Materials/Resins  (PMR) 
(USD million)                1994E          1995E          1996E 
A. Total Market size            22             23             25 
B. Total Local Production        0              0              0 
C. Total Exports                58             61             66 
D. Total Imports                80             84             91 
E. Imports from the U.S.        11             12             13 
 
THE ABOVE STATISTICS ARE UNOFFICIAL ESTIMATES 
 
Comments:  Imports consist of primarily PVC, polyethylene, hard density 
polyethylene, polypropylene and resins.  These products are used by 
local manufacturers to make plastic consumer products, plastic bags, and 
containers for the food processing industry.  See Best Prospect #1 and 
#2.  Growth in this sector is expected to follow the growth in 
population (3.8 percent) and growth in the food processing and 
agricultural commodities export sectors. 
 
Market share: France (27 percent) Belgium (22 percent) and the U.S. (15 
percent). There is little transshipment in this sector. 
 
7 - Agricultural Chemicals (AGC) 
(USD million)               1994E          1995E          1996E 
A. Total Market size            9             10            11 
B. Total Local Prod'tion        0              0             0 
C. Total Exports               26             28            30 
D. Total Imports               35             38            40 
E. Imports from the U.S.        9             10            11 
 
THE ABOVE STATISTICS ARE UNOFFICIAL ESTIMATES 
 
Comments:  See Best Prospect #2 - Agricultural Equipment.  Farmers and 
companies involved in agro-industries are the main end-users.  The need 
for high productivity and low-cost production drives the demand for 
agricultural chemicals.  
     
Market share: U.S. (25 percent), Russia (22 percent) and Senegal (14 
percent).  There is little transshipment in this sector. 
 
8 - Oil and Gas Field Services (OGM) 
(USD million)                1994E         1995E         1996E 
A. Total Market size           N/A           N/A           N/A 
B. Total Local Prod'tion       N/A           N/A           N/A 
C. Total Exports               N/A           N/A           N/A 
D. Total Imports               N/A           N/A           N/A 
E. Imports from the U.S.       N/A           N/A           N/A 
 
Comments:  See Best Prospect #2 - Extractive Equipment.   The recent 
UMIC discovery of oil and gas and the implementation of the Bouygues 
(French) - Apache FoxTrot project has increased the market for oil and 
gas field services.  There will be increasing demand for services 
related to exploration such as crews to operate a rig, crews to build 
pipelines, rig and other equipment rental etc.  Other exploration 
activities expected to commence in 1995 will also contribute to market 
development.     
 
2. Best Prospects for Agricultural Products 
 
Rice  
Wheat 
Whole and Lowfat Milk Powder 
Wine and other Alcoholic Beverages 
Frozen Mackerel 
 
Agricultural Best Prospects 
 
Name of Sector:     Rice 
PS&D Commodity Heading:     Rice, Milled  (0422110) 
                         1993/94     1994/95     1995/96  
A) Total Market Size     710 TMT     720 TMT     740 TMT 
B) Local Production      387 TMT     390 TMT     420 TMT 
C) Total Exports            0           0           0 
D) Total Imports         210 TMT     310 TMT     320 TMT 
E) Imports from U.S.      95 TMT     120 TMT     100 TMT 
 
THE ABOVE STATISTICS ARE UNOFFICIAL ESTIMATES 
 
Comments:  Rice is the urban staple in Cote d'Ivoire.  The Ivorian 
government liberalized imports of deluxe (less than 20 percent brokens) 
and brown (decorticated) rice in August 1994 and January 1995, 
respectively.  The State rice importer, which handled imports of 
ordinary (20-35 percent brokens) rice, was dissolved in April 1995. 
Private importers are being licensed to import ordinary rice.  While the 
government maintains official price controls on ordinary rice, actual 
market price exceed the official price.  Importing all types of rice has 
become extremely lucrative as prices are as much as double the world 
market price due to shortages of ordinary rice on the local market.  The 
U.S. is especially competitive in brown rice, medium quality (10-20 
percent brokens) milled rice, and bagged deluxe rice.  The main 
competitors are Burma, China, Thailand, and Vietnam, especially for low 
quality rice.  The U.S. is generally not competitive in 35 percent 
brokens rice and, therefore, mainly competes in the brown rice and 
medium to deluxe quality markets. 
 
Name of Sector:      Wheat 
PS&D Commodity Heading:     Wheat (0410000) 
      
                         1993/94     1994/95     1995/96  
A) Total Market Size     210 TMT     210 TMT     220 TMT 
B) Local Production       0              0             0 
C) Total Exports          0              0             0 
D) Total Imports         210 TMT     210 TMT     220 TMT 
E) Imports from U.S.      13 TMT      50 TMT      50 TMT 
 
THE ABOVE STATISTICS ARE UNOFFICIAL ESTIMATES 
 
Comments:  Wheat and flour imports were liberalized in May 1995, ending 
a monopoly by the local flour mill which is run by a multinational 
company based in Europe with several mills in West Africa.  However, due 
to a government flour subsidy, which is being paid to the mill during 
1995, flour imports will not be competitive with local production.  High 
protein U.S. wheat is imported for blending with lower protein French 
soft wheat.  The percentage of U.S. wheat used varies from 10 to 25 
percent depending on relative costs.  When wheat and flour imports are 
truly liberalized, U.S. wheat and flour imports are expected to increase 
as bakers generally prefer high protein flours for baking baguettes, an 
urban staple food.  
 
Name of Sector:     Whole and Lowfat Milk Powder 
PS&D Commodity Heading     Dairy, Dry Milk (0224400) 
      
                            1993/94     1994/95         1995/96  
A) Total Market Size      15,000 MT     15,000 MT     15,000 MT 
B) Local Production           0            0                   0 
C) Total Exports              0            0                   0 
D) Total Imports          15,000 MT     15,000 MT     15,000 MT 
E) Imports from U.S.         400 MT      1,000 MT      1,000 MT                               
THE ABOVE STATISTICS ARE UNOFFICIAL ESTIMATES 
 
Comments:  Cote d'Ivoire imports USD 50-60 million worth of dairy 
products annually.  The U.S. is most competitive in milk powder, a USD 
30 million market, due to the Dairy Export Incentive Program subsidy.  
Whole milk powder is used for both direct consumption and for local 
manufacturing of UHT and condensed milk, yoghurt and ice cream.  Lowfat 
milk powder is mainly used in manufacturing.  Packaging and labeling are 
vital to success.  Most milk powder is imported in 25 kg. bags.  The 
bags should be kraft paper with plastic linings.  Dairy products must 
have the expiration date printed on the package.  In addition to milk 
powder, Cote d'Ivoire imports concentrated milk, UHT milk and cream, 
butter, cheese, and ice cream.  Dairy product imports are dominated by 
France and Netherlands, with other European Union countries and New 
Zealand also taking significant shares. 
 
 
 
 
Name of Sector     Wine and other Alcoholic Beverages 
PS&D Commodity Heading     N/A      
 
                           1993/94       1994/95       1995/96  
A) Total Market Size     18,500 HL     19,000 HL     19,000 HL 
B) Local Production           0            0              0 
C) Total Exports              0            0              0 
D) Total Imports         18,500 HL     19,000 HL     19,000 HL      
E) Imports from U.S.         10 HL         20 HL         30 HL 
 
THE ABOVE STATISTICS ARE UNOFFICIAL ESTIMATES 
 
Comments:  These data do not include beer as this segment of the market 
is dominated by local production of around 2 million hectoliters (HL) 
while imports are only around 500 HL.  Wine accounts for over 90 percent 
of imports.  As a former French colony, the French wine tradition is 
firmly rooted in Cote d'Ivoire.  Diversification in sources is, however, 
beginning and offers a good window of opportunity for U.S. exporters. 
 
Name of Sector:     Frozen Mackerel 
PS&D Commodity Heading:     N/A 
 
                           1993/94       1994/95       1995/96  
A) Total Market Size     20,000 MT     20,000 MT     20,000 MT 
B) Local Production           0             0             0 
C) Total Exports              0             0             0 
D) Total Imports         20,000 MT     20,000 MT     20,000 MT 
E) Imports from U.S.          0             0             0 
 
THE ABOVE STATISTICS ARE UNOFFICIAL ESTIMATES 
 
Comments:  As with most staple foods, mackerel imports are very price 
sensitive.  Imports of mackerel are mainly from Europe, in particular 
the Netherlands, as well as from other African nations to the north.  
The main price differential between U.S. and other sources appears to be 
the cost of refrigerated shipping.  The distances are not really that 
different, but the lack of traffic creates a very high price structure 
from the U.S. Cote d'Ivoire produces as well as imports a wide range of 
fish products. 
 
3. Significant Investment Opportunities 
 
The privatization of enterprises owned by the Ivorian state began in 
1990.  Sixty-six companies were identified and seventeen companies were 
privatized by June 1995.  In addition to the two companies that were 
privatized in 1995, ten additional companies have been identified for 
sale in 1995.  Given the past pace of completing these transactions, it 
would be reasonable to expect four companies could be privatized by year 
end.   
 
In Cote d'Ivoire, three types of privatizations methods have been 
utilized. The first is to grant management concessions for large 
infrastructure operations with no responsibility for overhaul and upkeep 
(electricity and water).  The second type is to liquidate government 
shares via the local stock market, the Bourse de Valeur d'Abidjan 
(petroleum, manufacturing operations).  Most recently, the Ivorian 
government has favored consortium bids with a single or multiple Ivorian 
investors and one or several foreign partners (rubber plantations, 
railway). 
 
Companies slated for privatization in 1995 include: CI-Telcom (telephone 
company), SOTRA (bus company), SITRAM (maritime transport), CIDT (cotton 
fiber complex), SIR (oil refinery), several state-owned hotels including 
the Hotel Ivoire and SODESUCRE (sugar production and marketing).  
 
Many state-owned enterprises are being restructured in response to a 
spotty financial record among other problems.  Therefore, prior to 
making a commitment, investors are advised to visit Cote d'Ivoire to 
gain firsthand knowledge of the country, the company in question and to 
work closely with an Ivorian partner and a local attorney. Investors are 
encouraged to contact the Ivorian Investment Promotion Center (CEPICI) 
for further information.   
 
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES ACKNOWLEDGES THE CONTRIBUTION THAT 
OUTWARD FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT MAKES TO THE U.S. ECONOMY.  U.S. 
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IS INCREASINGLY VIEWED AS A COMPLEMENT OR EVEN 
A NECESSARY COMPONENT OF TRADE.  FOR EXAMPLE, ROUGHLY 60 PERCENT OF U.S. 
EXPORTS ARE SOLD BY AMERICAN FIRMS THAT HAVE OPERATIONS ABROAD.  
RECOGNIZING THE BENEFITS THAT U.S. OUTWARD INVESTMENT BRINGS TO THE U.S. 
ECONOMY, THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES UNDERTAKES INITIATIVES, 
SUCH AS OVERSEAS PRIVATE INVESTMENT CORPORATION (OPIC) PROGRAMS, 
INVESTMENT TREATY NEGOTIATIONS AND BUSINESS FACILITATION PROGRAMS, THAT 
SUPPORT U.S. INVESTORS. 
 
4. Operating Assumptions 
 
The 1994 devaluation caused U.S. export sales to drop sharply, then 
rebound to previous levels.  With progress on structural adjustment and 
market liberalization, the number and share of U.S. exporters is likely 
to rise over time.  Indeed the number of U.S. firms with branch or 
affiliate type operations in Cote d'Ivoire increased from 42 to 53 
between January 1994 to January 1995.  U.S. investment should be 
maintained at existing levels, with no further erosion and could 
possibly increase in the next three years, particularly in the oil and 
gas sector and telecommunications sectors.  
 
In 1995, the CFA franc should remain convertible and will not be 
devalued further.  Ongoing measures taken by the Ivorian government will 
continue to address budget gaps.  Paris Club rescheduling (March 1994) 
and significant debt forgiveness will allow Cote d'Ivoire to continue to 
reduce its current account deficit.  World Bank and other IFI assistance 
through an ESAF and loans, have increased financial resources available 
to the government and private sector.  The prices of key export 
commodities, i.e. cocoa, coffee, rubber and cotton, will continue their 
recent strength during the coming year.  The country will remain 
politically stable without significant civil disturbances, although 
business will probably slow down as the 1995 elections draw near. 
 
VI. TRADE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS 
 
1. Trade Barriers, including Tariffs, Non-Tariff Barriers and Import 
Taxes 
 
Commercial Barriers 
 
Traditional barriers to U.S. exports and investment include: (1) Lack of 
U.S. interest due to the relatively small market size and stronger 
attraction of other overseas markets; limited data; and perceived French 
and European domination of the market due to French-based legal, 
commercial, and financial systems; (2) Use of French language, business 
practices, and technical standards; the cost of producing sales 
collateral and packaging for the francophone region. (3) Higher freight 
rates and longer transit times from the U.S. than from Europe. (4) More 
favorable credit terms by European suppliers to local importers.  (5) 
High business costs relative to neighboring African countries such as 
water, electricity, labor costs, port processing and customs duties. (6) 
Uncertain legal protection, weak enforcement of contract provisions, 
inadequate guarding of intellectual property rights, a corrupt court 
system and a high crime rate. (7) Limited and costly financing resources 
for U.S. exporters and Ivorian buyers.  (8) Limited Ivorian purchasing 
power.  
 
Tariffs and Import Taxes 
 
Cote d'Ivoire has a tariff structure composed of two basic customs 
charges: a fiscal duty and a customs duty.  Together the maximum rate is 
35 percent.  There is also a statistical tax of 2.5 percent paid on all 
declarations, a value added tax (VAT) of 20 percent, special 
compensatory levies on meat and poultry imports and specific excise 
taxes on tobacco products and alcoholic beverages.  Most of the duties 
are based on ad valorem rates which are imposed on the current export 
price from the country of sale or origin plus any shipping or insurance 
expenses incurred. (c.i.f.)  The method of value assessment in use is 
based on the Brussels Definition of Value (BDV).  Although Cote d'Ivoire 
is a voting member of the Customs Valuation Code (CVC), they have five 
years to implement the code. Consequently, the value assessment method 
may change within the next five years.  
 
2. Customs Valuation 
 
Regulatory Agencies 
 
Governmental agencies responsible for regulating business activities 
include: 
 
Taxation          Direction Generale des Impots du Ministere de 
l'Economie, des Finance et du Plan (The Tax Department of the Ministry 
of Economy, Finance and Plan) 
 
Monetary  
Transactions           Direction des Finances Exterieures et de Credit 
du Ministere de l'Economie, des Finances et du Plan (The International 
Finance and Credit Department of the Ministry of Economy, Finance and 
Plan) 
 
Labor Issues          Agence d'Etude et de Promotion de l'Emploi 
(AGEPE).  The Labor Department) 
 
Copyrights          Bureau Ivorien de Droits d'Auteur (BURIDA) (Ivorian 
Bureau of Author's Rights) 
 
Import/Export  
Licenses:           Direction du Commerce Exterieur du Ministere du 
Commerce et de l'Industrie (Department of External Trade of the Ministry 
of Commerce and Industry) 
 
Cote d'Ivoire subscribes to the pre-inspection service of the Swiss 
company, Societe General de Surveillance (SGS).  All goods entering Cote 
d'Ivoire that are worth more than CFA/F 1 million or USD 2 thousand (1 
USD equals CFA/F 500) must be inspected by SGS at the point of origin 
and upon arrival to ensure that invoice valuation is consistent with the 
goods actually shipped.  An SGS-approved invoice is then used as the 
basis for customs valuation.   Exporters should note that the SGS 
inspection process is triggered by the local (Ivorian) importer when 
he/she applies for an import license.  SGS' U.S. office is:  SGS 
Government Programs, Inc.  42 Broadway, New York, NY  10004.  Tel: 212-
482-8700; Fax: 212-363-3316. 
 
3. Import Licenses 
 
Quotas 
 
Cote d'Ivoire regulates the importation of certain products by a system 
of so-called quotas.  Importers must apply to the Ministry of Commerce 
for a quota even before applying for an import license.  The quota 
system, in effect, adds a pre-qualifying step to the import process.  
Following is a partial list of key items subject to a quota: fuels and 
lubricants, coffee, cocoa, sugar, certain textiles, used clothing, 
specific types of vehicles. 
 
Import Licenses and Intents to Import 
 
Importers are required to obtain either an Import License from the 
Ministry of Commerce and Industry or an Intent to Import from SGS, prior 
to importing non-prohibited goods.  An import license is required for 
transactions CFA/F 25,000 or USD 50 (CFA/F 500 equal 1 USD) or more of 
goods.  For imports valued at CFA/F 1 million or USD 2 thousand f.o.b. 
or more, an Intent to Import is required. Goods shipped within the West 
African Economic Community (ECOWAS) are not exempt from these 
requirements.  It is expected that import licenses should no longer be 
needed by 1997. 
 
Import licenses and intents to import are valid for six months. Both may 
be extended only once for six months.  Only licenses may be renewed.  
Licenses are prepared in quadruplicate and Intents in quintuplicate, and 
must be submitted with pro-forma invoices in triplicate. Livestock and 
animal products, including hides and skins are subject to prior 
authorization from the Ministry of Agriculture.  
 
The Government no longer imposes strict licensing requirements on rice 
imports.  The Caisse General de Perequation et Prix, which previously 
licensed all rice imports and also imported most rice consumed in Cote 
d'Ivoire, was dissolved by order of the Council of Ministers in April 
1995.  However, in order to qualify to import ordinary (20-35 percent 
brokens) rice, an importer must be qualified by the Interministerial 
Committee on Rice.  Imports of brown (decorticated) rice and deluxe 
(less than 20 percent brokens) rice are fully liberalized.  All rice 
imports are to be liberalized by January 1997. 
 
On May 1, 1995, the GOCI liberalized the importation of wheat and wheat 
flour which had previously been subject to a monopoly by the privately 
owned flour milling group.  However, the Government will pay a subsidy 
to the local flour mill to allow it to price flour on the local market 
at 150,000 CFA/MT, which will make it difficult for private flour 
importers to compete.  The subsidy will be terminated on January 1, 
1996. 
 
Neither an Import License or an Intent to Import is required for the 
following key items: industrial drawings and plans, samples as defined 
in customs regulations, spare parts supplied free of charge by foreign 
manufacturers to replace defective parts, vehicles of any category, 
imported temporarily into Cote d'Ivoire. 
 
Errors/Voiding of a License or Intent 
 
An Import License or Intent to Import becomes void if: 1) the 
importation does not take place, 2) the supplier is changed, 3) the 
importer is changed, 4) the value or quantity is changed by more than 10 
percent.  The importer should contact SGS to make the required changes.   
 
4. Export Controls 
 
Export Licenses are required for any goods for which export is 
restricted.  They are valid for six months and are prepared in 
quadruplicate.  Except for coffee and cocoa whose licenses are prepared 
by the national marketing board (the Caisse de Stabilization et Soutien 
des Prix de Produits Agricoles, or CAISTAB), all export licenses are 
issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. 
 
5. Import Documentation 
 
Documents for most goods shipped into Cote d'Ivoire include: 
 
Commercial Invoice:  Two copies in French are required.  Although there 
is no required form to be used, all invoices must contain the names of 
the exporter and consignee, the number and types of packages, the marks 
and numbers on the packages, the net and gross weights, the c.i.f. 
value, the terms of sale, and a thorough description of the merchandise. 
 
Certificate of Origin:  Two copies in French are required.  They must be 
certified by a Chamber of Commerce. 
 
Packing List:  Packing list are not legally required but such lists are 
usually considered essential in accelerating the time required for 
customs clearance.  This is particularly true for shipments containing a 
number of small items. 
 
Bill of Lading (or air waybill):  As in the case of commercial invoices, 
there are no regulations specifying content of a bill of lading.  
Importers should include clear marks of identification and the name and 
address of the consignee of the goods.  It is important to assure that 
shipping marks and numbers on bills of lading, invoices, and on the 
goods should correspond exactly. 
 
Pro-forma Invoice:  Persons wishing to import goods are required to 
attach six copies of this invoice to the application for an import 
license and/or the intent to import.  A pro-forma invoice may also be 
required when presenting an application to Ivorian authorities to ship 
bonded goods through the country. 
 
SGS Inspection Certificate:  Issued by the inspecting SGS office at the 
point of origin and is delivered to the importer in Abidjan. 
 
6. Temporary Entry 
 
A new or a temporary business may apply to the Ministry of Commerce and 
Industry for Admision Temporaire, or temporary entry, of their goods. 
This status may also be accorded to goods that will be re-exported to 
other countries if a bonded warehouse is not used.  New investments may 
also apply for a priority agreement.  Both are granted on a case-by-case 
basis. 
 
7. Labeling, Marking Requirements 
 
In addition to the requirements described under import/export 
documentation, all packages containing U.S. produced merchandise must be 
clearly labeled "MADE IN THE U.S.A." or they will not be allowed to 
enter the country. 
 
For high-tech equipment such as telecommunications equipment, 
photocopiers, computer hardware and software, French-language key 
boards, symbols, instruction manuals, operating systems and applications 
software are critical to the success of a product.  Do not assume the 
user is a native English speaker.  The equipment must be adapted to run 
as specified by European electrical and metric standards. 
 
Consumer product labels, generally, must be in French for a product to 
be of interest to importers and consumers. Manufactured food products 
must be labeled in French and must have an expiry date.  Health 
officials will often interpret the date of manufacture as an expiry 
date, if one does not appear on the label, and deny entry to the 
product.  Therefore, it is best to include both dates. 
 
8. Prohibited Imports 
 
Goods not eligible for import, or subject to import restrictions into 
Cote d'Ivoire include: live animals, arms or munitions, plastic bags, 
distilling equipment, pornography, saccharin, narcotics, explosives and 
living plants and seeds and illicit drugs. 
 
9. Standards 
 
Cote d'Ivoire uses 220 v 50 cycles for electricity and the metric system 
of measurement.  Operating standards usually follow the French or 
European norm.   
 
10. Free Trade Zones/Warehouses 
 
Cote d'Ivoire operates a transit zone facility in Abidjan for goods 
being shipped to Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.  Bonded warehouse 
facilities are available in Abidjan.  To utilize a bonded warehouse, the 
exporter must engage a local importer.  The exporter ships to the bonded 
warehouse which then accepts payment from the importer for the product 
as the importer withdraws it from the warehouse.  The bonded warehouse 
system allows the importer to avoid the cost of opening a letter of 
credit and of paying high local interest rates.  However, the exporter 
must take into account in his pricing the cost of financing the goods 
while they are in the bonded warehouse.  The importer and exporter 
should agree on a time limit by which the importer must take receipt of 
the full shipment. 
 
11. Membership in Free Trade and Monetary Agreements 
 
Cote d'Ivoire is a member of UEMOA (the Economic and Monetary Union of 
West Africa), which in 1994 replaced and enhanced (with economic 
cooperation) the former UMOA (Monetary Union of West Africa.)  Under 
this treaty, Cote d'Ivoire has undertaken to coordinate its economic, 
financial, and structural policies with those of its francophone 
partners in the region.  Beyond reducing inter-zone tariffs and 
eventually establishing a common external tariff, UEMOA plans to 
harmonize customs regulations and business law and practices among its 
members. 
 
Monetary cooperation already takes place under French franc zone 
arrangements, with a common central bank, the BCEAO (Central Bank of 
West African States), located in Dakar.  To ensure the convertibility of 
the CFA franc, the Banque de France guarantees the money issued by the 
BCEAO (and its Central African counterpart BEAC), in exchange for a 
BCEAO reserve requirement at the French treasury. 
 
Cote d'Ivoire is also a member of ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West 
African States.  ECOWAS, which groups both anglophone and francophone 
states of the region, also has as its goal (as does UEMOA) a customs 
union which is to lead eventually to a full common market, and the free 
movement of labor.  Original ECOWAS arrangements called for full tariff 
exemptions for companies which are at least 25 percent owned by citizens 
of member states, and exemptions for goods which are at least 40 percent 
manufactured within ECOWAS.  Member countries were allowed to "phase-
out" their inter-community tariffs over the coming decade, however, and 
little has been accomplished to date.  The Government of Cote d'Ivoire 
has agreed to re-examine its moribund relationships with ECOWAS in the 
context of its commitment to greater regional  integration in the 
future, but UEMOA seems to have the government's priority. 
 
Cote d'Ivoire is a signatory to the Lome Convention, a trade and aid 
agreement between the European Union and 46 of Europe's former colonies 
and dependencies in African, the Caribbean and the Pacific (the ACP 
group).  Lome arrangements guarantee duty free entry into EU member 
states for a number of commodities and products produced in ACP 
countries.        
 
VII.  INVESTMENT CLIMATE 
 
1. Openness to Foreign Investment 
 
Cote d'Ivoire actively encourages foreign investment.  The National 
Assembly has before it a new Ivorian Investment Code in the spring of 
1995, containing provisions that modify the Code of June, 1985 which are 
designed to encourage additional private sector investment in the 
economy.  For all practical purposes, there are no significant limits on 
foreign investment -- or difference in the treatment of foreign and 
national investors -- either in terms of levels of foreign ownership or 
sector of investment.  The former investment code was aimed at helping 
small and medium-sized firms; the new code provides incentives for 
larger investments as well.  Additional incentives are offered to those 
who choose to invest outside of Abidjan and other established urban 
industrial areas. 
 
An important, new feature of Cote d'Ivoire's investment promotion 
efforts was the establishment, in February, 1995, of the Ivorian 
Investment Promotion Center, or "CEPICI," to use its French acronym.  
CEPICI is designed to provide investment information and assistance for 
entrepreneurs interested in starting a business or investing in Cote 
d'Ivoire.  CEPICI operates three basic programs: a "one-stop-shop" for 
investors; an outreach program, designed to match opportunities with 
potential investors; and a liaison program between the public and 
private sectors.   
 
Investments from outside the franc zone must be approved by the external 
finance and credit office of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, but 
this is essentially a foreign exchange control/monitoring measure.  For 
limited partnerships, one or more shareholders must be resident in Cote 
d'Ivoire.  Though regulations exist to control land speculation by 
foreigners, foreigners in fact own significant amounts of land in Cote 
d'Ivoire. 
 
2. Conversion and Transfer Policies 
 
Cote d'Ivoire is a member of the CFA franc zone, which means that the 
convertibility of the CFA franc is guaranteed by the French Treasury.  
From 1948 until January 1994, the exchange rate was fixed at 50 CFA 
francs for one French franc; the rate is now 100 CFA francs for one 
French franc.  Remittances within the Franc Zone are freely permitted; 
otherwise, prior permission is required.  
 
For investments coming into the zone from outside, prior permission is 
required and routinely granted.  Once an investment is established and 
documented, remittances of dividends or repatriation of capital must 
also be approved, and routinely are.  The same holds true, in general, 
for requests for other sorts of routine transactions -- e.g., imports, 
license and royalty fees, etc.  Occasionally, delays have arisen as a 
result of temporary liquidity shortfalls in the banking system. 
 
3. Expropriation and Compensation 
 
Cote d'Ivoire has a general purpose public expropriation law, with 
built-in compensation provisions, similar to that in the United States.  
The embassy is not aware of any specific cases of expropriation of 
private property by the government. 
 
4. Dispute Settlement 
 
Enforcement of contract rights can be a time consuming and expensive 
process.  Not all cases are decided quickly, and some do not appear to 
be judged on their legal or contractual merits.  This has led to a 
widely-held view within the business community that there are elements 
within the judiciary which can be corrupted.  A new Arbitration Tribunal 
is being established, under the auspices of the Chamber of Commerce, 
where businesses may go to settle their commercial disputes.  This is 
designed as a reform measure to avoid the backlogged and inefficient 
court system.  Only time will tell whether dispute settlement will 
become less of a problem under the new system. 
 
Subject to the vagaries of the legal enforcement system, property rights 
do exist and are respected.  Enforcement of real property, however, can 
be complicated by the clash between the traditional property rights of a 
village or ethnic group and the more modern system of long-term 
leaseholds (freehold tenure is generally not granted to private 
individuals or entities).   
 
There is no specific Ivorian legislation providing for arbitration for 
investment disputes, though the use of arbitration provisions was upheld 
in a 1989 Supreme Court decision.  Cote d'Ivoire is a member of the 
International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). 
 
5.  Political Violence 
 
There have been a few incidents of civil disturbances over the past 
several years, but they have generally taken place in the context of the 
newly introduced system of multiparty democracy or of student demands 
for better conditions and more financial support.  One exception was a 
brief mutiny by the Presidential guard over pay and benefits issues in 
March 1993.  Another exception, and the most severe incident, involved 
violence following a soccer match against a Ghanaian team in November 
1993.  Notably, the fifty percent devaluation of the CFA franc in 1994 
was not accompanied by disturbances, despite the government's decision 
to hold average wage increases to only 10 percent.  As the 1995 
elections approach, there is some possibility of further civil 
disturbances, but violence has not characterized Ivorian political life 
in the past and is not expected to do so in the foreseeable future.  
When there have been incidents, private investment has not been targeted 
by those involved.   
 
6. Performance Requirements/Incentives 
 
There are no general performance requirements or incentives applied to 
investments, though benefits accorded to an investor under one of the 
investment regimes may vary depending on the nature of the investment 
made, and preferences may be granted to investors seeking to establish 
themselves outside of Abidjan.  Should a company seek designation as a 
priority enterprise eligible for the tax and other benefits provided in 
the investment code, Ivorian participation becomes negotiable and the 
firm may be required to purchase Ivorian products.  Under the old 
investment code, designation as a priority enterprise was available to 
investors in agriculture, livestock and fishing, storage and treatment 
of agricultural and food product, low-cost housing construction, 
extractive industries, power production, and manufacturing and 
assembling.  It is unclear how the new code will treat so-called 
priority investments. 
 
7. Right to Private Ownership and Establishment 
 
Generally speaking, foreign investors have access to all forms of 
remunerative activity on terms equal to those granted private Ivorians.  
Foreign investment in privatization of parastatal firms is encouraged, 
though there are plans to reserve shares for Ivorian citizens in certain 
key sectors. 
 
8. Protection of Property Rights 
 
The acquisition and disposition of property rights, including 
intellectual property, is covered by the Ivorian Civil Code. 
 
Cote d'Ivoire is a party to the Paris Convention, its 1958 revision, and 
the 1977 Bangui Agreement grouping thirteen Francophone African 
countries in the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI).  In 
OAPI, rights registered in one member country are valid in all.  Patent 
validity is ten years, with two five year extensions possible.  
Trademarks are valid for ten years and are renewable indefinitely.  
Literary copyrights are protected for fifty years following the author's 
death (or posthumous publication).  Other intellectual property rights 
are valid for five years with various renewal periods; we are not, 
however, aware of domestic legislation specifically covering 
semiconductor chip layout design. 
 
Though in theory prohibited, counterfeit clothing, textiles, footwear, 
watches, and audio and video tapes can be found, particularly among 
street vendors. 
 
9. Regulatory System:  Laws and Procedures 
 
The Ivorian government, working with the IMF and the World Bank, has 
taken a number of steps to encourage a more transparent and competitive 
economic environment.  (See Chapter II: Economic Trends and Outlook)  
Nevertheless, much remains to be done.  Corruption is widely assumed to 
exist in all branches of government and, despite considerable progress, 
the marketing of the country's key export crops remains subject to 
control by vested interests.  Tax and duty rates have been significantly 
lowered, yet they remain, on balance, high as the government seeks to 
earn revenues with which to clear its large arrears; until those rates 
come down further, they will continue to distort the allocation of 
resources and encourage corruption.  Bureaucratic procedures have also 
been simplified in a number of cases, but they remain cumbersome.  
 
The government has shown a laudable interest in streamlining the 
regulatory system, and its programs with the IMF and World Bank address 
most of the problems identified above.  Among objectives that have been 
set by the government are:  a lowering of tax and duty rates along with 
a broadening of the tax base; the drafting of new investment, labor, and 
mining codes; establishment of a one-stop investment registration 
bureau; and audits of a number parastatal entities.  As these plans are 
pursued, the regulatory environment should improve significantly. 
 
10. Bilateral Investment Agreements 
 
There are no formal investment treaties in force.  The U.S. has neither 
investment nor tax treaties but does have an OPIC agreement in force. 
 
Cote d'Ivoire has double taxation treaties (based on the OECD model 
treaty) in force with France, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Norway, 
Canada, Italy, and in Africa with Benin, Burkina Faso, Congo, the 
Central African Republic, Gabon, Mauritius, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, 
Rwanda, Senegal and Togo.  These treaties relate to both personal and 
corporate income taxes. 
 
11. OPIC and Other Investment Insurance Programs 
 
OPIC insures a number of U.S. investments in Cote d'Ivoire; it became 
part owner of a hotel that had gone bankrupt, and is involved in a gold 
mine which began production in 1992.  Nevertheless, its exposure is 
relatively small.  In addition to OPIC, the African Project Development 
Facility (APDF) and the African Investment Program of the International 
Finance Corporation and the Africa Growth Fund are sources of 
information for interested investors. 
 
Cote d'Ivoire is a member of the Multilateral Investment Guarantee 
Agency (MIGA).  MIGA has not completed an operation here but has 
received preliminary applications for investments in the areas of 
natural resources, manufacturing, and financial services. 
 
12. Labor 
 
By regional standards, Cote d'Ivoire has a highly-trained and highly-
capable work force.  The government has traditionally encouraged the 
hiring of Ivorian nationals, and work permits for expatriates from 
outside of the franc zone have sometimes been hard to obtain.  The 
Ivorian labor market is segmented.  Unskilled and day labor is readily 
available, while clerical, technical, managerial, and professional 
talent is more difficult to find.  Wage rates are relatively high by 
regional standards, but costs of capital goods, transport, and energy 
are also high;  it is therefore not obvious that high labor costs 
provoke overspending on labor-saving technology. 
 
Previous labor laws were relatively rigid, and made it hard to separate 
workers for cause.  The adoption of a new labor code in January 1995 has 
introduced greater flexibility into the functioning of the labor market, 
with less restrictions on recruitment and dismissal, for example.  With 
the aim of promoting employment, the government has also eliminated or 
reduced taxes effecting wage costs.  
 
13. Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports 
 
Bonded warehouses exist, and bonded zones within factories are allowed.  
High port costs and maritime freight rates have inhibited the 
development of in-bond manufacturing or processing, and there are 
consequently no foreign trade zones.  Bonded warehouses serve mostly for 
transhipment of goods to Mali and Burkina Faso. 
 
14. Capital Outflow Policy 
 
Capital may be freely transferred within the franc zone, including to 
France.  Transfer of capital outside of the zone requires prior 
approval, which is routinely granted to foreigners with registered 
investments in Cote d'Ivoire.  Banknotes may not be transported outside 
of the zone, and the Central Bank announced in late 1993 that it would 
no longer repurchase banknotes presented to it by other central banks. 
 
15. Major Foreign Investors 
 
France continues to be the most important foreign investor in Cote 
d'Ivoire, providing well over half of the total stock of direct foreign 
investment.  Important French investors include the major French banks, 
Total and Elf (petroleum distribution), Delmas (shipping), SGB 
(agriculture-bananas), and Saur/Bouygues (public utilities and 
construction).  Values of Ivorian subsidiaries or operations of foreign 
investors generally are not publicly available.  British investment, 
largely in commerce and agriculture, has traditionally been the second 
largest in Cote d'Ivoire, following France.  Swiss investment is 
concentrated in banking and food processing.  Canadian investment in 
mining will make that country a significant investor here. 
 
The biggest U.S. investment is provided by a group led by the Houston-
based petroleum exploration and development company United Meridian.  
The consortium has invested approximately USD 160 million over the past 
two years, with about half of this being American investment (USD 80 
million), and will invest substantially more over the coming years to 
develop offshore gas and oil fields.  American investments in offshore 
oil and gas developments, by United Meridian and by other U.S. oil 
companies doing business here, means that the U.S. will most probably 
move into second place as an investing nation, behind France.   
 
An American-controlled Canadian firm (Marshall Minerals/Eden Roc) has 
invested substantially (est. over USD 10 million) in gold mining and is 
expected to increase that investment several fold.  Other U.S. mining 
and telecommunications investments could occur in the future thereby 
increasing the U.S. presence in Cote d'Ivoire. 
 
VIII. TRADE AND PROJECT FINANCING 
 
1. The Banking System 
 
The Cote d'Ivoire is a member of the Communaute Financiere Africaine, a 
financial grouping of Francophone African countries.  Within that 
grouping, it belongs to the Union Economique et Monetaire de l'Afrique 
de l'Oeste (UEMOA). The BCEAO is the central bank, located in Dakar, is 
the central bank for UEMOA members.  The currency issued by the BCEAO, 
the CFA franc, is convertible against the French franc at a rate of 
100:1; convertibility is guaranteed by the French Treasury.   
 
There are 10 commercial banks in operation and they are listed in rank 
order with their correspondent U.S. Banks in Section 6 below.  A small 
stock exchange (purported to become a regional exchange in 1996), over 
30 insurance companies and the African Development Bank are 
headquartered in Abidjan.  The World Bank and the International Finance 
Corporation also maintain regional offices. 
 
2. Foreign Exchange Controls Affecting Trading 
 
Exchange control within the Cote d'Ivoire is administered by the 
Directorate of External Finance and Credit.  According to Ivorian law, 
all exchange transactions relating to foreign countries must be handled 
by authorized banks or the Postal Administration.  If an imported item 
has a value in excess of approximately CFA/F 500,000 or USD 1,000 (CFA/F 
500 equals 1 USD) the transaction must involve an Ivorian bank. 
Transactions involving goods valued at less than this amount must be 
handled by an authorized Ivorian bank if a financial transaction is to 
be undertaken before customs clearance.  Import licenses or import 
attestations allow importers to purchase any necessary foreign exchange, 
but no earlier than eight days before the scheduled shipment of the 
goods.  All foreign exchange to be used for import payment must be 
purchased either on the date of settlement specified in the commercial 
contract, or at the time when the required down payment is made. 
 
French franc based-transactions are the easiest and most common.  
Dollar-based transactions take longer.  The fees associated with 
processing exchange transactions are high and vary slightly between 
banks. The required import license for goods valued at USD 50 (CFA/F 
25,000) f.o.b. or more is also an authorization to remit payments for 
imports denominated in other currencies.   
 
3. General Financing Availability 
 
Commercial lenders tend to lend against collateral, not prospective 
income and cash flow.  Financing is generally available for short term, 
(one year or less) private sector projects.  Prior to the devaluation, 
lending was highly restricted and loan rates were high (18 percent 
interest); in an effort to control the inflationary impact of 
devaluation, rates rose even higher.  Since the devaluation, flight 
capital has returned and the liquidity within the system has increased 
substantially, however, few loans have been made due to limited 
opportunities, high interest rates, repayment concerns and apprehension 
that the Ivorian government has yet to address the huge public debt. The 
current lending rate ranges from 10-16 percent. Consequently, it is the 
general rule that medium to long term public sector projects are 
financed by multilateral lending institutions such as the World Bank or 
the African Development Bank or by European foreign aid programs. 
 
4. How to Finance Exports/Methods of Payment 
 
Traditional trade finance instruments such as letters of credit, 
collections, and funds transfer are available to the exporter however, 
the associated fees are high compared to other regions.  If a letter of 
credit is chosen, the exporter should require an irrevocable, confirmed 
letter of credit to ensure prompt, reliable payment.  The OPIC/Citibank 
African Trade Facility of USD 100 million is now on-line.  The Cote 
d'Ivoire country limit is USD 10 million.  
 
The USDA's West Africa Regional GSM-102 Credit Guarantee Program 
provides access to financing for imports of wheat, rice, feed grains, 
vegetable oil, protein meal, and dairy products.  The payment guarantee 
to the U.S. exporter is for a minimum of 90 days and a maximum of one 
year.  The guarantor banks in Cote d'Ivoire are Citibank, N.A and 
BICICI.  The country limit for Cote d'Ivoire is USD 25 million.  The 
GSM-102 program is generally available only to high quality importers 
with a good credit history and substantial assets with the guarantor 
bank. 
 
5. Types of Available Export Financing and Insurance 
 
For private sector projects, the following Washington-based agencies 
offer the U.S. exporter financing and insurance programs: International 
Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Overseas Private Investment 
Corporation (OPIC).  OPIC's programs include loans, loan guarantees and 
insurance products.  The Export Import Bank of the United States (Exim 
Bank) is off-cover for both private and public sector transactions at 
this time.  If Cote d'Ivoire's rating were to change, in addition to 
short and medium term loan guarantees, Exim Bank has a Direct Loan 
Program that would offer foreign buyers medium and long-term loans for 
up to 85 percent of the contract price at fixed interest rates for the 
purchase of U.S. capital equipment and services that face officially 
subsidized foreign competition.   
 
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency, The World Bank and the African 
Development Bank offer funds to finance feasibility studies and loans to 
finance Ivorian government sponsored procurement. 
 
6. Ivorian Banks and Their Correspondent U.S. Banks 
 
SGBCI - Societe Generale de Banque (SGB) 
BIAO - Credit Commercial de France 
BICICI- Banque Nationale de Paris (BNP) 
SIB - Credit Lyonnais 
Citibank - Citibank 
Banque Atlantique - Credit Industriel et Commercial (CIC) et de 
l'Union Europeenne, New York 
Paribas - Paribas 
Eco Bank - none 
Banque de l'Habitat de Cote d'Ivoire (BHCI) (specializes in housing) - 
none 
Barclays Bank - Purchased in April 1995 by Financial Bank, a Franco-
Swiss financial consortium with operations in Benin, Senegal and Togo.  
The sale will be finalized later this year. 
 
 
IX. BUSINESS GUIDELINES: TRAVEL AND INFRASTRUCTURE 
 
1. Business Customs 
 
French is the official language of Cote d'Ivoire and is widely used in 
business and commerce.  It is not common or easy to find English 
speakers locally.  Business correspondence, catalogs and advertising 
materials prepared in French are essential and readily understood by 
most potential buyers.  Business cards or "cartes de visite" are widely 
used.  The range from the simple: black and white, standard 2" x 3.5" 
cards, to colorful:  oversized, multi-colored cards with fancy logos.  
Academic titles and degrees are frequently used by members of the 
expatriate community or those who have received their schooling abroad.  
U.S. business people ordinarily use their firm's name and their title 
translated into French. 
 
As a rule, business customs in Cote d' Ivoire are similar to but perhaps 
more formal than those in the United States.  Ivorians in large 
commercial enterprises tend to follow a western-style business dress 
code comparable to those in any large U.S. city.  Tropical weight suits 
and clothing are appropriate throughout the year and an umbrella is 
essential during the June to August rainy season.  Please refer to 
Chapter IV. Section 7: Selling Factors/Techniques for further 
information. 
 
2. Travel Advisories and Visas 
 
Entry Requirements  
 
Health:  A valid U.S. passport and international health certificate 
showing current yellow fever and cholera immunizations are required for 
entry into Cote d'Ivoire.  Otherwise, the traveler risks being subjected 
to inoculation at the point of entry which is highly inadvisable.  
Inoculation against typhoid, tetanus, diphtheria, typhus is also 
recommended.  Malaria prophylaxis is strongly advised. The traveler is 
also advised to keep their passport on their person at all times.  
Failure to do so may result in detention at a local police station.   
 
Entry Visas:  American citizens do not need a visa to enter or depart 
Cote d'Ivoire if their visit is for less than ninety days.  All visitors 
should ensure their passport is stamped by Ivorian officials at port of 
entry. 
 
A long term visa (Visa de Long Sejour) is required for business people, 
tourists and diplomats if the visit will exceed ninety days.  Visas are 
issued by the Embassy of Cote d'Ivoire, 2424 Massachusetts Ave. N.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20008 tel: 202-797-0300, fax: 202-387-6381 (and by the 
French Embassy in Washington on an emergency basis.)  Airport visas are 
not available.  Visas may be for either single or multiple entries and 
must be accompanied by a letter of recommendation from the company 
represented by the traveler.  If the visa expires while in Cote 
d'Ivoire, it is necessary to apply for renewal at the Surete Nationale.  
 
Work and Residency Permits:  Requirements for persons wishing to seek 
long-term employment in Cote d'Ivoire are stringent as the country is 
emphasizing "Ivorianization" of its work force.  In the case of skilled 
employment, permission is granted only if personnel with comparable 
skill are not locally available.  A Security Bond is required for each 
alien so employed. 
 
American citizens who expect to work and reside in Cote d'Ivoire for an 
extended period of time, must apply for a residency permit (Certificat 
de Residence) and a work permit (Carte de Sejour) at the Surete 
Nationale.  The following are the basic documents required in support of 
a residence and work permit applications: 
 
a. Valid passport 
b. Completed application form 
c. Photos (3) and fingerprints (taken at the Surete Nationale) 
d. Statement by the applicant regarding his/her activities in Cote 
d'Ivoire 
e. A fee of approximately USD 85.  Your receipt is a permanent record. 
You will need to show it until the Carte de sejour is delivered. It is 
also required for the application for an exit visa. 
 
It is also a good idea to register with the U.S. Embassy if the visit 
will exceed ninety days or if the visitor plans to work in the Cote 
d'Ivoire. 
 
Departure/Exit Visas:  Departure or exit visas are required of all 
visitors who have stayed in Cote d'Ivoire longer than ninety days.  When 
applying for this type of visa, you will need a photocopy of your 
Certificate de Residence and its fee receipt.  The charge for an exit 
visa is approximately USD 35.  Visitors who depart Cote d'Ivoire prior 
to ninety days (verified by the entry stamp in the passport) do not need 
an exit visa. 
 
Other Entrance Requirements - Personal/Professional Goods 
 
Free entry is permitted of necessary wearing apparel and personal 
effects that are proved to have been in personal or household used by 
the traveler and are not for sale, and of instruments and tools for 
professional use.  All other goods including tobacco and alcoholic 
beverages, whether imported for personal use or sale, including goods 
intended for residents of the Cote d'Ivoire are subject to duty. 
 
Travelers deciding to import any vehicle (including trailers or cycles) 
or other goods intended for their use, convenience or comfort, but not 
for consumption, must deposit at the time and place of importation a sum 
equal to the duty that would be imposed.  Simultaneously, a claim for 
temporary exemption should be presented.  The vehicle or goods must then 
be exported at the end of the stipulated period.  These conditions also 
apply to articles imported for exhibition or demonstration and 
subsequent reexport.  If the prescribed conditions are not met, the 
visitor will be liable for the full duty of the vehicle or goods 
imported.  A guarantee may be made by an authorized organization, 
however, in which case no deposit is required.  The organization thereby 
assumes the liability for the duty if the vehicle or goods is not 
reexported within the prescribed period. 
 
3. Public Holidays 
 
January 1  (New Year's Day) 
March (End of Ramadan)** 
April 17 (Easter Monday) 
May 1 (Labor Day) 
May (Ascension Day) 
May (Tabaski)** 
June 5 (Pentecost Monday) 
August 15 (Assumption Day) 
August (Prophet Mohammed's Birthday)** 
November 1 (All Saint's Day) 
November 15 (National Peace Day) 
December 7 (Independence Day) 
December 25 (Christmas Day)  
 
**Business travelers should verify the dates of these holidays prior to 
undertaking their trip.  These holidays vary from country to country and 
depend on the sighting of the moon.  Business establishments are 
normally closed during public holidays in Cote d'Ivoire. 
 
4. Business Infrastructure 
 
Cote d'Ivoire has an outstanding infrastructure by developing country 
standards and arguably the best in sub-Saharan West Africa: things work 
most of the time.  This includes an excellent system of paved roads, 
very good telecommunications, two modern seaports, two airports, rail 
links, modern real-estate developments for commercial, industrial and 
retail use, modern supermarkets, modern hotels, a number of recognized 
international banks and a small, national stock exchange.  
 
Currency Exchange 
 
The CFA franc, the official currency of Cote d'Ivoire, is the currency 
of the Communaute Financiere Africaine, a financial grouping of 
Francophone African countries.  Coins of 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 250 
CFA/F and bills of 500, 1,000, 2,500, 5,000 and 10,000 CFA/F are in 
circulation.  Currently the rate is approximately 500 CFA/F to USD 1 
although any exchange to CFA/F from dollars will be at the daily 
prevailing rate.  You may exchange funds at local banks, hotels and at 
the airport. Expect to receive lower than the daily published rates.  
French francs can be exchanged at the fixed rate of 1 French franc 
equals 100 CFA/F. 
 
There are no limitations on the importation of dollars, travelers checks 
as long as they are declared upon entry.  Permission from an authorized 
Ivorian bank is required to export dollars.  The importation and 
exportation of Ivorian currency (the CFA/F) is strictly prohibited. 
 
Labor Costs and Legislation 
 
The guaranteed minimum monthly wage (SMIG) in Cote d'Ivoire was USD 58.  
On May 1, 1995, the Government of Cote d'Ivoire announced a salary 
increase ranging from 3 to 15 percent in the public sector effective 
June 1, 1995.  This increase will depend upon the worker's rank.  In 
addition to the basic salary, employers pay social insurance premiums of 
9.9 percent of the base salary and employees contribute 1.6 percent of 
salary towards retirement.  Numerous mandatory allowances are also paid 
and include: meal, transportation, housing, and seniority allowances.  
Health insurance is also required.  Employees receive 2.5 days of paid 
vacation for each month of work.  Workers in any company with 10 or more 
employees have the right to union representation.  
 
Beyond the SMIG, there is a scale of monthly base salary for certain 
occupational categories.  Below is a listing of these categories and the 
approximate monthly salaries including allowances.  Effective June 1, 
1995, salaries in the public sector will be increased from 3 to 15 
percent. 
 
Unskilled worker:                  USD 58 
Semi-skilled worker:               USD 105 
Skilled worker:                    USD 122-140 
Bi-lingual Skilled Office Worker:  USD 1500 
Typist:                            USD 90-108 
Bi-lingual Receptionist:           USD 660 
Secretary:                         USD 128 
Bi-lingual Accountant/MBA:         USD 3000 
 
Overland Transport 
 
In 1994, Cote d'Ivoire had over 31,000 miles of roads of which 3,750 
miles were primary roads and 4,375 miles were paved secondary roads. All 
major cities can be accessed by paved roads in an ordinary passenger 
car.  Gasoline stations are readily available.  Fuel prices are subject 
to government control range from 66 cents per liter for regular gasoline 
and 48 cents per liter for diesel fuel.  There is an external rail line 
that runs to Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, approximately 700 miles from 
Abidjan.  In general, barring the red tape, large shipments can be 
accommodated within and external to Cote d'Ivoire. 
 
Air and Maritime Transport 
 
The Felix Houphouet Boigny International airport in Abidjan is the main 
airport of Cote d'Ivoire.  In 1994, it handled over 791,900 passengers 
and over 22,000 tons of freight.  About 19 international airlines serve 
Abidjan.  There are twenty-five domestic and regional airports serviced 
by Air Ivoire, the national airline.  The other international airport is 
located at Yamoussoukro. 
 
The Cote d'Ivoire has two major ports at Abidjan and San Pedro. Total 
freight traffic in 1994 for both ports exceeded 11.5 million tons of 
which over 50 percent was petroleum products (Abidjan) while San Pedro 
is used mostly for timber and other agricultural products.  While the 
Port of Abidjan is one of the most modern in West Africa, unfortunately, 
it is not one of the most productive.  The main problem is paperwork 
related delays caused by the monopolistic customs and freight handling 
system.  Use of a freight forwarder (transitaire) is mandatory. 
 
There are two national shipping companies, Sitram and Sivomar.  Sivomar 
has ventures with France's Delmas line, with Italy's Grimaldi line, and 
recently with a South African shipping line.  Sivomar serves West and 
Southern African and Mediterranean ports.  Sitram recently declared 
bankruptcy and the government is in the process of reorganizing the 
company in preparation for its sale. 
 
Communications 
 
As of March 1995, there were 110,000 telephone subscribers in Cote 
d'Ivoire with 80 percent in the Abidjan area.  CI-Telcom, the government 
controlled telecommunications company estimates that the number of 
subscribers will exceed 135,000 by year-end.  CI-Telcom services 
include: mobile radio telephone, telex, telegraph and facsimile 
services, and an X.25 based packet switched network for large data 
communications applications and the MINITEL directory.  The average wait 
for a telephone line to be installed is 2 to 3 months. 
 
Utilities 
 
Electricity:  In May, 1994, the Ivorian government announced new rates 
for electricity but has not yet published a schedule.  The increase 
primarily affects businesses and middle class households and above and 
will average approximately 19.5 percent.   
 
All subscribers choose a service capacity level and pay a security 
deposit plus an upgrade charge (for a higher level of capacity) upon 
initiation of service.  This amount has been approximately USD 900 for 
U.S. Embassy houses which are invariably upgraded to an average of 39.6 
KW rating of installed capacity.  The deposit is partly refunded upon 
cancellation of service.  Customers receive a bill every two months.  
Rates consist of a fixed monthly fee, usage fees based on a variable 
rate per kilowatt hour, community tax (around 1 percent of the total 
consumed), a contribution for rural electrification (around 5 percent of 
the total consumed) and a government "stamp" tax (around 77 cents).  The 
fixed monthly fee is approximately USD 4.30 per KW of the installed 
capacity and the variable rates per kilowatt hour are 10.3 cents for the 
first 8,297 hours and 8.2 cents for the balance.  The average Embassy 
house electrical bill exceeds USD 1,100 every two months. Peak hours: 
19:30 until 23:30, Busy hours are: 06:30 to 18:00, Off Peak hours are: 
24:00 to 06:30.  
 
Business users (factories) pay a fixed charge for an industrial hookup 
(USD 2.60 per KW of installed capacity), a fee for a transformer 
(varies), plus 1 month's billing as a refundable deposit.  Medium 
tension rates vary from 4.8 cents to 10 cents (off-peak versus peak 
hours) and high tension users pay between 1.9 and 3.0 cents per KWH plus 
USD 7 per month per KW of installed capacity. 
 
Water:  In May, 1994, the Ivorian government announced new rates for 
water but has not yet published a schedule.  The increase primarily 
affects businesses and middle class households and above and will 
average approximately 15 percent. 
 
All customers are billed on a quarterly basis.  A deposit of 
approximately USD 53 is required to initiate service.  The current rates 
are 0 to 30 cubic meters at 28 cents, 31 to 60 cubic meters at 46 cents 
and over 60 cubic meters at 54 cents.    
 
Taxes 
 
Corporate Taxes:  The following taxes are applicable to all legally 
registered corporations: Tax on corporate profits: 35 percent; National 
Contribution Tax: 1 percent; Personal Property Tax: 6 percent of the 
income of subsidiaries of foreign corporations and 12 percent of the 
income of Ivorian firms; Payroll Taxes: 2.5 percent for local workers 
and 16 percent for foreign workers;  Workers Compensation: 5 percent for 
family allowances, 2-5 percent toward industrial injury costs, and 1.8 
percent pension contribution. 
 
Personal Income Taxes:  Called employee taxes, they are subject to 
numerous adjustments depending on the number of dependents an individual 
is responsible for supporting.  Taxes come in the form of payroll, 
unemployment, income, and pension contributions (always 1.2 percent of 
personal income). 
 
Other taxation:  A value-added tax (VAT) of 20 percent is included in 
the purchase price of domestic or imported goods.  A filing fee is 
assessed on documents and legal transactions.  Additionally, real estate 
taxes may be levied depending on the nature of the building or property. 
 
Rents: Office and Residential 
 
With the exception of the industrial zone of Vridi, which is controlled 
by the Port of Abidjan, the Ivorian government does not set any minimum 
rates.  Rates depend upon the location, use of the property and the 
length of the tenancy.  Current average monthly rates are: 
 
Industrial zone of Vridi:  USD  1.73 per square meter 
 
Office lease-downtown 
3 or more years,           
includes parking and 
maintenance               USD  5.26 per square meter plus 15 percent per 
                          year 
 
Residential zones:        USD 13.31 per square foot (USD 12,000 or more 
                          annually) 
 
There have been a few long term leases (99 years) negotiated by members 
of the oil industry.  Following the 1994 devaluation, the cost of a 
basic business lease did not increase. 
 
Housing/Business Services/Schools 
 
In Abidjan, residential housing is good and there is a varied selection 
of apartments, duplexes and single family homes available.  Abidjan also 
offers a wide range of professional business services including but not 
limited to: accountants, tax advisors, appraisers, architects, lawyers, 
engineers, computer consultants, real estate managers, and construction 
contractors.  There is an excellent American-curriculum International 
school and several excellent French schools.  Multinationals prefer to 
locate their regional headquarters in Abidjan because they are assured 
relatively trouble free communications and a higher standard of living 
compared to other West African countries.   
 
Security 
 
Crime is a major problem in Abidjan as in New York and other major 
metropolitan areas.  Crimes against foreigners have ranged from routine 
street crime to violent crime resulting in death.    
 
Stay in well-lit areas as much as possible.  At all times walk 
confidently and at a steady pace on the side of the street facing 
traffic.  Walk close to the curb.  Avoid crowds, mass transit, doorways, 
bushes and alleys and any areas with a few people.   
 
If you are going out at night, take a taxi.  Especially avoid walking 
across the main bridges: the Charles de Gaulle and the Houphouet-Boigny 
Bridges---they are not safe.   
 
Be discreet with your transactions especially if it is on the street in 
full public view. The normal spending money of Western visitors is 
extravagant in comparison to the average Ivorian.  
 
Register with the U.S. Embassy if your visit will exceed ninety days. 
 
Health Precautions 
 
Business visitors to Cote d'Ivoire find the climate hot and humid.  It 
is advisable to SLOW DOWN - you'll last longer!  Increase your non-
alcoholic liquid intake - water and juices.  Add extra salt to your food 
to replace what your body loses in perspiration.  Keep your diet light- 
the more you eat, the more heat you generate in digesting it.  The 
looser and lighter your clothing, the better.  Avoid excessive exposure 
to the sun unless you are accustomed to it.  
   
Malaria prophylaxes are strongly recommended while in Cote d'Ivoire.  
Mefloquine or Lariam is preferable.  Treatment should be started two 
weeks before arrival and should be continued for six weeks after 
departure from the country.    
 
Water and ice at the major hotels (Hotel Ivoire, Hotel Sofitel and Hotel 
Golf) are considered safe for consumption since these hotels have their 
own purification plants.  Water and ice served in other establishments 
should be avoided.   Drink only bottled water which is available in most 
restaurants.  Beer and soft drinks are safe to consume as long as they 
are not served over ice.  Avoid eating raw fruits (unless peeled), 
salads and vegetables.  Meat, no matter what kind, should be well done. 
Fish, if fresh, is safe.  Milk and milk products from sealed cartons or 
bottles is considered safe, as are imported cheeses, butter, cream, and 
ice cream if storage has been adequate.  Most dairy items served in 
restaurants are imported, but if there is any doubt, do not eat them. 
 
The inner lagoons of Abidjan are badly polluted and should be avoided.  
While the salt water at the ocean beaches near Abidjan is relatively 
clean, the strong surf and treacherous undertow are extremely dangerous.  
The pools at the large hotels are filtered and cleaned regularly.  The 
salt water pools at the beach hotels are generally safe. 
 
Sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS, are prevalent among the 
local population. 
 
Insurance 
 
Visitors are advised to examine their insurance needs prior to their 
departure from the United States.  Several U.S.-based companies provide 
very reasonably priced accident, sickness, liability, and medical 
evacuation insurance world-wide. 
 
Hotels 
 
Following is a list of local hotels most frequented by U.S. business 
travellers: 
 
Hotel Ivoire  Tel: (225)44-10-45       Fax: (225)44-00-50 
Sofitel       Tel: (225)22-00-00       Fax: (225)21-20-28 
Hotel Golf    Tel: (225)43-10-44       Fax: (225)43-05-44 
Hotel Tiama   Tel: (225)21-08-22       Fax: (225)22-40-17 
 
CNN and the French pay-TV program Canal Horizon are available locally. 
 
International Mail and Long Distance Telephone Calls 
 
International Postage Rates to U.S.: 
- An airmail letter to the U.S weighing up to 20 gms. requires a 400 
CFA/F 
- stamp and CFA/F 850 for letters weighing 40 gms. 
- A post card without an envelope requires a 400 CFA/F stamp. 
- The large hotels sell stamps and accept mail from guests.   
 
For long distance calls to the U.S., use an AT&T calling card if you 
have one, especially when calling from your hotel.  The access code is 
00-1111.  You may also use an AT&T card from Cote d'Ivoire to access the 
following countries using their World Connect Service:  Cape Verde 
Islands, Liberia, Gabon, Nigeria, Gambia, Zambia, Ghana, Zimbabwe, 
Kenya.  Sprint and MCI do not provide direct connect type service to the 
Cote d'Ivoire at this time. 
 
Transportation in Abidjan 
 
If you plan to spend a week or more in Abidjan, it is advisable to hire 
a car and driver for transportation around the city.  Inquire about 
these services through the concierge at your hotel.  It is possible to 
find English-speaking drivers. 
 
Buses:     It is not advisable to use the city buses for reasons of 
safety, security and reliability. 
 
Taxis:     City taxis (orange-red in color) are reasonably priced, 
numerous, and available on the main streets and boulevards in most 
sections of the city, day or night.  All are metered.  These rates are 
doubled (legally) between midnight and 5:00 AM.  Some taxi drivers may 
not speak much French and may not know the city as well as one would 
expect.  Before taking a taxi, check to see if the driver really knows 
where you want to go.  Abidjan's taxi drivers are notoriously reckless; 
when taking a taxi, don't hesitate to instruct the driver to drive slow 
down. If a driver is driving too fast and you want him to stop, tell him 
to stop here ("Arretez ici!").  
 
If you plan to spend more than a few days in Abidjan, you may wish to 
purchase an Abidjan city map at a local book store. 
 
Dining Out 
 
Abidjan's restaurants are many and varied, and offer international 
specialties, excellent fish and French cuisine.  Luncheon is usually 
served between 12:30 pm and 3:00 pm and dinner from about 7:30 pm 
onward.  Prices are reasonable by American standards and a wide range 
(from the inexpensive maquis to elegant Continental restaurants) is 
available.   
 
Opinions differ on the subject of tipping in Abidjan.  Some recommend 
leaving only a nominal amount of change; others suggest leaving at least 
10 percent of the bill where service is not already included in the bill 
(Service Compris).  It is recommended that you tip at least 10 percent 
of the bill under reasonable and normal circumstances.  Bon appetit! 
 
6. General Advice 
 
Visitors to Cote d'Ivoire should show respect for the flag, the 
President, his government and all that he symbolizes.  They should stop 
for a presidential motorcade, stand for the national anthem, and under 
no circumstances destroy or deface a portrait of the President.  The 
import and unauthorized use of illicit drugs or firearms are 
particularly serious offenses. 
 
7. Embassy Assistance 
 
Prior to their trip to Cote d'Ivoire, U.S. business visitors are 
encouraged to contact the Commercial Service located at Immeuble Eco 
Bank/Paribas, 5th floor, Plateau, Abidjan or the Foreign Agricultural 
Service located at Immeuble Tropique Trois, Mezzanine Level, Plateau, 
Abidjan (across the street from the U.S. Embassy).  The U.S. Embassy is 
located at 5, Rue Jesse Owens on the Plateau.  For specific contacts, 
their U.S. addresses, telephone and fax numbers, please refer to the 
Appendix, Section C. 
   
The Embassy of the Cote d'Ivoire in the United States is located at 2424 
Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008, tel: 202-797-0300, 
fax: 202-387-6381.  The Cote d'Ivoire Mission to the United Nations is 
located at 46 East 74th Street, New York, NY 10021, tel: 212-717-5555, 
fax: 212-717-4492. 
 
A useful international guide is the KEY OFFICERS OF FOREIGN SERVICE 
GUIDE FOR BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVES published by the U.S. Department of 
State.  It is for sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. 
Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402, Document:  7877. 
 
APPENDICES 
      
A. Country Data: 
 
Area:  124,500 square miles (slightly larger than New Mexico) 
 
Population:  13.2 million.  About one-third of Cote d'Ivoire's 
population is non-Ivorian, most of them immigrant workers from 
neighboring countries such as Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Ghana.  
They have been attracted to Cote d'Ivoire by the country's economic 
prosperity and its hospitality toward them, reflected in its relatively 
open immigration policies. 
 
Population 
Growth Rate:  3.8 percent 
 
Religions:  Animists 15-30 percent; Christians 26 percent and Moslems 38 
percent. 
 
 
Government System:  Unitary republic.  The legal system is based on the 
1960 constitution and the Napoleonic Code. 
 
Head of State:  Henri Konan Bedie became President following the death 
of President Houphouet Boigny on December 7, 1993 as stipulated in the 
constitution.  The next presidential election will be held in November, 
1995. 
 
Prime Minister:  Daniel Kablan Duncan who also holds the Economy and 
Finance portfolio. 
                     
Cabinet:  The appointed Council of Ministers consists of nineteen 
Ministers sworn in December, 1993. 
 
Key Ministers: Economy and Finance (delegue): N'Goran Niamien 
               Commerce:  Ferdinand Kacou Angora 
               Mines and Energy: Admiral Lamine Fadika 
               Equipment, Transport, and Telecommunications:  Ezan Akele 
               Foreign Affairs:  Amara Essy 
               Defense and Marine:  Leon Konan Koffi 
               Agriculture:  Lambert Kouassi Konan 
      
National Assembly:  175 elected members 
                    Charles Bauza Donwahi, President 
 
Political Parties      
represented:        Parti Democratique de Cote d'Ivoire (PDCI-RDA): 165 
                    Front Populaire Ivoirien (FPI):  9 
                    Parti Ivoirien des Travailleurs (PIT):  1 
Note: There are twenty-six registered political parties 
 
Languages:  French (official), Baoule, Dioula and over 65 other ethnic 
dialects 
 
Work Week:  Monday-Friday Business Hours:  7:30-12:30 and 15:00-18:00.  
Some offices and shops are open on Saturdays during these times. 
 
Climate:  Tropical.  In Abidjan, the hottest weather is February-April; 
the coldest month is August; the driest month is January; the wettest 
month is June. 
 
Time:  Abidjan time is 0 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), five hours ahead of 
Washington, D.C. - four hours during daylight savings time. 
 
B. Domestic Economy: (USD millions, except as noted) 
 
                              1994E           1995E       1996E 
 
GDP (current)*                6,700           7,035       7,422 
GDP Growth Rate ( percent)      1.7             6.4         6.5 
GDP per capita (USD)            500             505         510 
Government spending as 
percentage of GDP ( percent)     32              30         N/A 
Inflation (percent)            32.2              10           5 
Unemployment-1988 Census (percent) 7              7         N/A 
Foreign Exchange Reserves**      0              0          0 
Average Exchange Rate for 
USD 1                           555             500         480 
Foreign Debt (new parity)    20,700             N/A          N/A 
Debt service ratio (ratio of 
principal and interest 
payments on foreign debt to 
foreign income - pct)            35             N/A         N/A 
 
GDP growth rate is embassy's estimate of constant price growth rate. 
 
** Reflects a gross position of a negligible amount and an overdrawn 
position in the Central Bank/French Treasury operations account. 
 
Sources:  
U.S. Embassy estimates                 
Institute National de Statistique      
EIU Country Reports                 
World Bank 
IMF 
 
C. Trade (USD millions except where noted) 
 
                                  1994E          1995E          1996E 
 
Total Country Exports             2,830          3,011          3,207 
Total Country Imports             1,903          2,025          2,156 
Exports to the U.S.                 114            121            129 
Imports from the U.S.               128            138            145 
U.S. share of the host 
country imports (percent)             7              7              8 

Principal U.S. Exports:  Rice and wheat, Plastic materials and resins, 
Kraft paper, agricultural chemicals, telecommunications equipment 
 
Principal U.S. Imports:  Cocoa and cocoa products, rubber, coffee 
 
C?te d'Ivoire Customs Statistics - December, 1993  
 
D. Investment Statistics 
 
1.  FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT STATISTICS 
 
Direct foreign investment (DFI) is an important part of the Ivorian 
economy.  France is overwhelmingly the most important foreign investor.  
In recent years, the French have accounted for about one-quarter of the 
total capital in Ivorian enterprises.  France accounts for about 60 
percent of the total stock of foreign investment. 
 
                      TOTAL STOCK OF DFI 
     (millions of U.S. dollars) 
 
COUNTRY          1990  (pct)          1991  (pct)          1992  (pct) 
                                             (incomplete) 
 
France          426.0 (57.4)          483.7 (61.2)          454.6 (59.5) 
United Kingdom   56.4 ( 7.6)           70.6 ( 8.9)           72.8 ( 9.5) 
Switzerland      39.4 ( 5.3)           35.0 ( 4.4)           39.0 ( 5.1) 
Lebanon/Syria    33.9 ( 4.6)           32.2 ( 4.0)           27.2 ( 3.6) 
United States    33.4 ( 4.5)           32.0 ( 4.0)           31.1 ( 4.1) 
Benelux          21.6 ( 2.9)           23.9 ( 3.0)           24.3 ( 3.2) 
Italy            21.0 ( 2.8)           20.8 ( 2.6)           13.0 ( 1.7) 
Germany          12.8 ( 1.7)           12.4 ( 1.6)           12.7 ( 1.7) 
Canada            5.5 ( 0.7)           11.3 ( 1.4)           12.1 ( 1.6) 
Japan             3.5 ( 0.5)            6.8 ( 0.9)            7.4 ( 1.0) 
African countries 20.3 ( 2.7)          32.2 ( 4.1)           29.9 ( 3.9) 
 
TOTAL DFI          742.2               790.1                    763.5 
 
 
Source: Financial database, National Statistics Institute of Cote 
d'Ivoire. 
 
Exchange rates used in above:          1990: CFA/F 272=$1 
                              1991: CFA/F 282=$1 
                               1992: CFA/F 265=$1 
 
 
Notes:  Flow data on foreign direct investment, disaggrated by country, 
is not available in Cote d'Ivoire.  There are no statistics on Ivorian 
direct investment abroad.  In recent years, the total stock of DFI has 
represented approximately 8 percent of Ivorian GDP. 
 
E. U.S. and C?te d'Ivoire Contacts 
 
1. C?te d'Ivoire Contacts: 
 
U.S. Embassy Personnel 
 
U.S. Embassy - Abidjan 
Department of State 
Washington, D.C. 20521-2010 
Tel: 225-21-09-79 
Fax: 225-22-32-59 
Ambassador Lannon Walker 
Deputy Chief of Mission Peter Reams 
Mr. Kenneth Kolb, Economic Counselor 
Ms. Margaret Hanson-Muse, Commercial Attache 
Mr. Jonathan Gressel, Agricultural Attache 
 
The local mailing address is: 
Ambassade des Etats Unis d'Amerique 
01 B.P. 1712 Abidjan 01,  
Cote d'Ivoire.   
 
Trade Associations/Chambers of Commerce 
 
American Chamber of Commerce of the C?te d'Ivoire (AMCHAM) 
Mr. Robert Thornton, President 
01 B.P. 3394 Abidjan 01, C?te d'Ivoire 
Tel: 225-21-46-16  
Fax: 225-22-24-37 
 
Chambre de Commerce et de l'Industrie de C?te d'Ivoire 
(CCI-CI) 
(Ivorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry) 
M. Seydou Diarra, President 
M. Koffi Konan, Directeur General 
6, Avenue Joseph Anoma - Plateau 
01 B.P. 1399 Abidjan 01, C?te d'Ivoire 
Tel: 225-33-16-00 
Fax: 225-32-39-42 
 
Centre de Promotion des Investissements de Cote d'Ivoire (CEPICI) 
Mr. Jean-Claude Kouassi, Director General 
CCIA Building (5th floor), Plateau 
01 B.P. V 152, Abidjan 01, Cote d'Ivoire 
Tel: 225-21-40-70 
Fax: 225-21-40-71 
 
Federation Nationale des Industries de Cote d'Ivoire 
Mr. Pierre Magne, President 
CCIA Building (13eme Etage), Plateau 
Tel: 225-21-71-42/21-77-27 
Fax: 225-21-72-56 
 
Conseil National du Patronat Ivoirien (CNPI) 
Immeuble CCIA, (13eme etage) - Plateau 
01 B.P. 1340, Abidjan 01, C?te d'Ivoire 
Tel: 225-22-69-37 or 22-70-33 
Fax: 225-22-70-37 
M. Marcel Zady Kesse, President   
 
Ivorian Publicity/Marketing Research Firms 
 
Lintas Abidjan 
M. Yannick Merand, Directeur General et Directeur de Creation    
Mme. Ginette Cuxac, Directrice Commercial (speaks English) 
16 B.P. 1340 Abidjan 16, C?te d'Ivoire 
Tel: 225-21-46-78 or 21-80-04 or 21-88-91 
Fax: 225-22-81-82 
 
Nelson McCann Erickson 
M. Bernard Azria, General Manager 
Immeuble CNA - 8eme etage (face Galeries Peryissac) 
Plateau, Abidjan 
Tel: 225-33-14-77 or 33-14-77 or 21-01-36 or 22-01-43 
Fax: 225-22-01-52 
 
Publicite Ocean 
Mme. Martine Coffi-Studer, Directeur Agence 
M. Fode Kone, Charge d'Etudes (speaks English) 
01 B.P. 7759 Abidjan 01, C?te d'Ivoire 
Tel: 225-21-84-51 or 22-02-72 
Fax: 225-21-86-90 
 
Dialogue Production (video productions) 
M. Cyril Durand 
Residence les Capucines, Rue Canebiere, Cocody 
01 B.P. 2081 Abidjan 01 
Tel: 225-44-18-49 
Fax: 225-44-61-30 
 
Contact information for advertising in radio and TV: 
 
TV/Radio: 
 
RTI-PUBLICITE 
Television Chaine 1 and 2 
Mr. Sidiki Aboubakar, Directeur 
Tel: 225-32-27-71 
Fax: 225-32-41-86 
 
Cinema: 
 
PUBLICITE COTE D'IVOIRE 
Mr. Ibrahima Sy Savane, Director 
Immeuble Fraternite Matin (220 Logements) 
01 B.P. 1807, Abidjan 01, Cote d'Ivoire 
Tel: 225-37-04-66 
Fax: 225-37-25-45 
 
Bus/Billboards: 
 
PUBLICITE COTE D'IVOIRE 
Immeuble Fraternite Matin (220 Logements) 
01 B.P. 1807, Abidjan 01, Cote d'Ivoire 
Tel: 225-37-04-66 
Fax: 225-37-25-45 
 
Weekly Press: 
 
LE GUIDO 
Contact: Mlle. Lougbo 
Tel: 225-37-06-66  
Fax: 225-37-16-67 
 
ABIDJAN 7 JOURS 
Contact: Mme Antigny 
Tel: 225-35-39-39 or 35-72-23 
 
Daily papers: 
 
FRATERNITE-MATIN 
Boulevard du General de Gaulle (220 Logements), Adjame 
01 B.P. 1807, Abidjan 01, Cote d'Ivoire 
Contact: Madame Wadja 
Tel: 225-37-06-66 
Fax: 225-37-25-45 
 
LA VOIE 
Contact: Mr. Denahoa 
Tel: 225-37-68-23 or 37-68-25 
 
LE JOUR 
26, avenue Chardy, Abidjan Plateau 
Tel: 225-21-95-78 
Fax: 225-21-95-80 
 
SOIR INFO 
Rue Louis Lumiere, Zone 4C 
Tel: 225-25-32-77 
Fax: 225-35-85-66 
 
Commercial Banks in C?te d'Ivoire 
 
Citibank 
Mr. Robert Thornton, Vice President-Directeur General 
28, Avenue Delafosse, Plateau 
01 B.P. 3698 Abidjan 01, C?te d'Ivoire 
Tel: 225-21-46-10 
Fax: 225-21-76-85 
 
Banque Internationale pour le Commerce et de l'Industrie de C?te 
d'Ivoire (BICICI) subsidiary of the Banque Nationale de Paris (BNP) 
M. Michel Vayssie, Directeur General  
Avenue Franchet d'Esperey 
01 B.P. 1298 Abidjan 01, C?te d'Ivoire 
Tel: 225-20-16-00 or 20-16-02 
Fax: 225-20-17-00 
 
Societe Generale de Banques en C?te d'Ivoire (SGBCI) 
M. Luc Baras, Directeur General (speaks fluent English) 
01 B.P. 1355, Abidjan 01, C?te d'Ivoire 
Tel: 225-32-77-06 
Fax: 225-20-14-15 
 
Societe Ivorienne de Banques (S.I.B.) 
M. Robert Sabatier, Administrateur Directeur General 
01 B.P. 1300 Abidjan 01, C?te d'Ivoire 
Tel: 225-20-00-00 or 20-00-80 (M. Anghoura/speaks English) 
Fax: 225-21-97-41 
 
Ecobank 
M. Louis Nallet, Directeur General (speaks fluent English) 
01 B.P. 4107,  Abidjan, C?te d'Ivoire 
Tel: 225-21-10-41 
Fax: 225-21-88-16 
 
Banque Paribas 
M. Christian Arlot, Directeur General  
17 B.P. 9, Abidjan 17, C?te d'Ivoire 
Tel: 225-21-30-32 or 21-86-86 
Fax: 225-21-88-23 
 
Multilateral Financial Institutions in C?te d'Ivoire 
 
African Development Bank  (AFDB) 
Ms. Alice Dear, U.S. Executive Director (U.S.E.D.) 
Mr. Dan Duesterburg, Alternate U.S.E.D. 
Ms. Sheila Herrling, Assistant to the U.S.E.D. 
01 B.P. 1387 Abidjan 01, C?te d'Ivoire 
Tel: 225-20-40-15 or 20-42-18 or 20-42-82 
Fax: 225-33-14-34 
 
The World Bank 
Mr. Shigeo Katsu, Resident Representative 
Rue Jacques Aka, Cocody 
01 B.P. 1850, Abidjan 01, C?te d'Ivoire 
Tel: 225-44-22-27 
Fax: 225-44-16-87 
 
The International Finance Corporation 
Mr. Pierre Bouvary, Resident Representative 
Rue Jacques Aka, Cocody 
01 B.P. 1850, Abidjan 01, C?te d'Ivoire 
Tel: 225-44-22-27/44-32-44 
Fax: 225-44-16-87/44-44-83 
 
Africa Project Development Facility (APDF) 
Mr. Robert Shakatko 
01 B.P. 8669, Abidjan 01, C?te d'Ivoire 
Tel: 225-21-96-97 
Fax: 225-21-61-51 
 
2. Washington, D.C. Contacts for Cote d'Ivoire 
 
U.S. Government Agencies 
 
U. S. Department of Commerce 
14th and Constitution Aves., N.W. 
Washington, D.C.  20230 
 
International Trade Administration/Office of Africa 
Philip Michilini, Desk Officer - C?te d'Ivoire 
HCHB Room H3318 
Tel: (202) 482-4388 
Fax: (202) 482-5198 
 
Multilateral Development Bank Operations 
Ms. Brenda Ebeling, Director 
HCHB Room H1107 
Tel: (202) 482-3399 
Fax: (202) 273-0927 
 
U.S. Department of State 
Africa Bureau-AF/W 
Room 4250 
Richard Appleton, Desk Officer - C?te d'Ivoire 
Washington, D.C.  20520 
Tel: (202) 647-3066 
Fax: (202) 647-4855 
 
U.S. Department of Treasury 
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. 
Washington, D.C.  20220 
Mr. Ed Barber 
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Int'l Affairs 
IDB Room 5400 
Tel: (202) 622-1231 
Fax: (202) 622-1228 
 
U.S. Department of Agriculture 
Foreign Agricultural Service 
14th & Independence Ave., S.W. 
Washington, D.C. 20250 
Trade Assistance and Promotion Office 
Tel: (202) 720-7420 
Fax: (202) 690-4374 
 
U.S.A.I.D. AFR/ONI 
Mr. Douglas Jerome Brown,  
Agribusiness Advisor 
1111 N. 19th Street, Rm. 210 
Rosslyn, VA 22209 
Tel: (703) 235-9082 
Fax: (703) 235-5423 
 
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) 
Mr. Michael Delia, Senior Investment Officer 
Ms. Dureka Lang, Regional Manager, Insurance 
811 Vermont Ave., N.W. 
Washington, D.C.  20521 
Tel: (202) 336-8495 
Fax: (202) 408-9866 
 
U.S. Trade and Development Agency 
Mr. John Richter, Regional Director for Africa 
1815 N. Fort Meyer Drive   
Rosslyn, VA  22209 
Tel: (703) 875-4357 
Fax: (703) 875-4009 
 
Export Import Bank of the United States (EXIM BANK) 
Ms. Ann Marie Emmett 
Loan Officer for Africa 
811 Vermont Avenue, N.W., 7th Floor 
Washington, D.C.  20571 
Tel: (202) 566-8008 
Fax: (202) 566-7524 
 
TPCC Trade Information Center 
Tel: (800) USA-TRADE 
 
U.S. Based Multilateral Financial Institutions 
 
The World Bank 
1818 H Street, N.W. 
Washington, D.C. 20433 
Tel: (202) 477-1234 
Fax: (202) 477-6391 
 
The International Finance Corporation 
1818 N Street, N.W.  
Washington, D.C. 20433 
Tel: (202) 477-1234 
Fax: (202) 477-3112 
 
Multilateral Insurance Guarantee Agency (MIGA) 
Dr. Kenneth Kwaku 
1818 H Street, N.W. 
Washington, D.C. 20433 
Tel: (202) 473-3075 
Fax: (202) 477-6391 
 
Africa Growth Fund 
1850 K Street, N.W., Suite 390 
Washington, D.C. 20006 
Tel: (202) 293-1860 
Fax: (202) 872-1521 
 
F. Market Research 
 
A complete list of market research is available on the NTDB.  Beginning 
October 1, 1994, the Commercial Service has filed the following IMI 
reports also available on the NTDB:  
 
Title                                             Date 
 
Transportation Costs: DHL**                         December 1995 
Business Climate and the New Investment Code        December 1994 
Cellular Telecommunications Update                  January 1995 
The Ivorian Stock Exchange                          March 1995 
African Trade Finance Facility**                    April 1995 
Used Medical Equipment                              May 1995 
Electric Power Generation (Cote d'Ivoire/Ghana)**   May 1995 
The Ivorian Investment Promotion                    May 1995 
Generic Pharmaceutical Products**                   May 1995 
Country Commercial Guide - Cote d'Ivoire            June 1995 
 
** Denotes a regional report 
 
Reports in process include: 
 
The Ghana Stock Exchange**  
CI-Telcom: 1995 Guide 
Privatization in Cote d'Ivoire 
Business Climate: The New Mining Code 
Business Cost Comparison: Cote d'Ivoire vs. Ghana** 
The Ghana Investment Promotion Center 
 
Reports produced by the Office of Agricultural Affairs, Abidjan include: 
 
--Oilseeds & Products Annual 
--Cocoa Annual & Semi-Annual 
--Coffee Annual & Semi-Annual 
--Cotton Annual 
--Grain & Feed Annual 
--Forest Products Annual 
--Agricultural Situation Annual 
--Annual Marketing Plan Information Report 
--Foreign Buyer List Annual 
 
These reports are available for purchase from: 
Reports Office, Rm 6072 South 
USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service 
14th & Independence Ave., S.W. 
Washington, D.C.  20250 
Tel: (202) 720-6136 
Fax: (202) 720-7729 
 
G. Trade Event Schedule 
 
Regional Foreign Buyer Program (FBP) Trips: 
 
Event Name:          California Farm Equipment Show 
Event Date:         February, 1996 
Industry Theme:     Agriculture 
Type of Event:      Foreign Buyer Program 
Location:           Tulare, California     
Recruiter's Name:   Emmanuel Morrison  
Tel:                (225) 21-09-79, 21-46-16 
Fax:                (225) 22-24-37, 22-32-59 
  
Event Name:         PC Expo '96 
Event Date:         June 1996 
Industry Theme:     Computers 
Type of Event:      Foreign Buyer Program 
Location:           New York, New York     
Recruiter's Name:   Emmanuel Morrison  
Tel:                (225) 21-09-79, 21-46-16 
Fax:                (225) 22-24-37, 22-32-59
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