“After consultation and bringing our approaches closer, we now expect visible results on the ground.”
— Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, Prime Minister of Burkina Faso, opening the meeting, as reported by APA News (translated from French; original: « Après la concertation et le rapprochement des approches, nous attendons désormais des résultats visibles sur le terrain. »)
What happened
Customs chiefs from the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) – Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger – and Togo’s revenue authority, the Office togolais des recettes (OTR), wrapped up their fifth joint meeting in Ouagadougou on 16 October. According to a closing report published by Faso7 on 19 October, the meeting finalised a preliminary draft decision that would create a confederal preferential tariff regime and set rules of origin within the AES. The text covers how goods are approved and certified as originating in the bloc, and what goes into an ex-works price. Delegates also agreed to use secured certificates of origin carrying guilloche patterns, QR codes and barcodes. Niger’s customs director general, Colonel Mohamed Yacouba Sido, told Burkina Faso’s president that the delegations had validated the draft decision, Burkina24 reported. The text still needs approval by the confederation’s decision-making bodies; no tariff rates, product list or start date have been published.
The meeting also set practical deadlines for linking customs systems. Member states are to submit lists of companies so that a regional identifier code can go live by 1 January 2027, and a technical unit supervising data exchange is due to be running by 31 January 2027. Faso7 reported that a new transit route from Lomé to Djado in Niger, via Sanvee-Condji and Tounga, was created to supply Niger from Togo; a field mission to the Cinkansé border post on 15 November 2026 will look at parking and bottlenecks; migration to ASYCUDA (SYDONIA) version 5 is planned by March 2027; and talks on an interconnection with Ghana are to start. The first phase of the customs link went live on 10 March 2025 on the Lomé–Bamako corridor via Burkina Faso, Togo First notes. Trade is significant: Africa24 puts Togo’s 2025 goods trade with the three AES countries at about US$422.7 million, of which US$341.7 million were Togolese exports.
What this means for shippers
For overseas exporters and freight forwarders, the headline is simple: nothing changes on today’s bookings. The preferential regime is a draft, and it is designed for goods that originate inside the AES, not for containers arriving from Asia, Europe or the Middle East. Shipments to Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso still need the correct cargo tracking note for the final destination, and cargo discharged at Lomé for onward transit should be documented with that destination in mind. If you ship through Togo, make sure the bill of lading, commercial invoice and ECTN all show the same consignee and final destination before the vessel sails.
The more immediate impact is on transit. Linked customs systems, a single cargo-tracking approach proposed by Togo and a regional operator identifier mean that data on the documents will increasingly be checked electronically from Lomé to the inland border. Mismatched weights, HS codes or consignee details are more likely to be caught, and corrections at the border cost time, storage and demurrage. Importers in Bamako, Niamey and Ouagadougou should expect their customs brokers to ask for registration details ahead of the January 2027 deadline.
The new Lomé–Djado routing and the Cinkansé review could ease delays for Niger-bound cargo, but we advise forwarders to treat these as plans until operating guidance is issued. Keep planning transit times conservatively, prepare documents before loading rather than at discharge, and watch for the final adoption of the tariff decision. If you are unsure which certificate your Sahel shipment needs, contact HMG and our team will check it with you before your cargo leaves port.
Key points
- AES customs chiefs and Togo’s OTR finalised a draft decision on a confederal preferential tariff regime and rules of origin on 16 October 2026.
- Secured certificates of origin with guilloche, QR codes and barcodes were adopted; rates, product lists and a start date are not yet public.
- A regional operator identifier is due by 1 January 2027 and a supervision unit for linked customs systems by 31 January 2027.
- A new Lomé–Djado transit route for Niger was reported, with a Cinkansé border field mission set for 15 November 2026.
- Cargo tracking note requirements for Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso are unchanged.
Frequently asked questions
Does the AES preferential tariff apply to goods shipped from Asia or Europe?
No. The draft regime concerns goods that meet AES rules of origin, so imports from outside the bloc are not covered. It is also not yet in force.
Do I still need an ECTN for cargo to Mali, Niger or Burkina Faso transiting Lomé?
Yes. Nothing in the Ouagadougou outcome changes cargo tracking note requirements. Prepare the certificate for the final destination before loading.
When will the new tariff regime start?
No date has been announced. The draft decision must still be adopted by the confederation’s bodies, while the customs data deadlines run to January and March 2027.
Sources
- Faso7 — Espace AES : Les douanes accélèrent l’harmonisation de leurs procédures (in French)
- Burkina24 — Les Directeurs généraux des Douanes de la Confédération AES et du Togo rendent compte de leurs travaux au Capitaine Ibrahim Traoré (in French)
- APA News — AES-Togo : les douanes veulent fluidifier les échanges (in French)
- Togo First — Togo and Sahel Confederation Move to Harmonize Customs Rules
- Africa24 — Togo : 422,7 millions USD d’échanges avec l’AES en 2025 (in French)
