Africa: Niger, Mali, And Burkina Faso Introduce 0.5% Import Levy On Goods

Three African countries Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have imposed a 0.5% levy on imported goods to fund their new three-state union after exiting the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The military-led governments announced that the levy agreed upon on Friday would take immediate effect.

It applies to all goods imported from outside the three countries, excluding humanitarian aid. However, details on how the funds will be utilised were not disclosed.

The three nations formed the Alliance of Sahel States in 2023 as a security pact, which has since evolved into an economic and military bloc with plans for biometric passports and closer cooperation.

This move effectively ends free trade within West Africa under ECOWAS and underscores the growing rift between the Sahel states and regional powers such as Nigeria and Ghana.