Improving Customs Transit Systems
In the Islamic Countries
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 Common External Tariff (CET);
 CET accompanying and trade defense measures;
 Trade facilitation and harmonization and simplification of Customs procedures and
regulations;
 ECOWAS Customs regulations.
Supplementary Act A/SA.2/12/17 of 16 December 2017 adopting Customs Regulations with the
following objectives:
 Ensure the customs procedures for the implementation of tariff measures and other
common policy measures provided for at ECOWAS level in the context of trade in
consignments between the ECOWAS MS and third countries, taking into consideration
the requirements of the common policies;
 Guarantees uniform and consistent implementation of ECOWAS rules through the
Community customs zone;
 Facilitating trade and attract more direct foreign investments.
At the same time, the Act defines the steps for coordinated border management:
 Harmonize the customs procedures and working hours of operation at the common
borders;
 If possible, perform joint or single controls;
 Collaborate whenever possible, to establish a joint post to perform common controls;
 Coordinate the control among birder agencies – police, customs, transport authorities,
and OGA’s.
In 1982 ECOWAS developed a scheme called the Inter-State Road Transit (TRIE) agreement to
facilitate transit by road across borders. ECOWAS MS (Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana,
Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, and
Burkina Faso) have not been successful in implementing these provisions. Out of 15 ECOWAS
MS, 12 are OIC MS (Mauritania left in 2002). The Gambia and Senegal have a bilateral agreement
for its full implementation, but their Bilateral TRIE Protocol has not yet been fully implemented.
The main obstacles to effective application TRIE Convention cover: (i) the collection and
management of funds for guarantee funds for Inter State road transport; (ii) the lack of
harmonization of the approval procedures for vehicles authorized to carry out interstate
transport; (iii) partitioning customs information concerning operations road transit; and (iv)
the organization of the transport of freight. Since the entry into force of the TRIE Convention,
several commitments have been made for its implementation, but each time, problems are
raised and which required studies and / or complimentary consultations.
Senegal has signed various road and transit agreements with Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire,
Guinea-Bissau, Mali, and Niger. These road agreements generally allow for the operation