Senegal is a contracting party to the Harmonized System Convention. Goods may be entered either for consumption, for transhipment or for warehousing. In general samples which have no commercial value or which have been made unusable by mutilation etc, may enter free of duty. The Dakar Industrial Free Zone is a government-owned and operated free trade zone established to encourage foreign and domestic investors to set up labour intensive export orientated industrial companies to help reduce Senegal's trade deficit and create jobs. Prohibited imports include narcotics, munitions, lump sugar, pornographic materials, matches, explosives and passenger transport vehicles not specifically licensed for import.
Foreign investment is welcome in Senegal.
Quantitative restrictions and prior authorisations requirements for certain imports are being phased out. Quantitative restrictions and prior authorisation requirements for certain imports are now based only on the type of product not on the country of origin or transshipment. There are no special regulations, but marks of identification and name and address of the consignee should be clearly indicated. To ensure prompt clearance by customs the shipping marks and numbers on bills of lading on invoices and on the goods themselves, should correspond exactly. This is necessary for all goods originating in foreign countries in order to establish the true origin of the goods for customs purposes.