Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso Impose 0.5% tariff on imports from Nigeria
The military-led alliance of Sahel states has imposed a 0.5% import duty on goods from Nigeria and other ECOWAS nations, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing tensions between the two blocs.
The import duty on ECOWAS states will take immediate effect and aims to finance the activities of the Sahel states, although specific details have not been provided.
The introduction of this levy marks the end of free trade across West Africa, which has been a cornerstone of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for decades.
This move highlights the growing rift between the three Sahel states – Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic and influential democracies like Nigeria and Ghana to the south.
The levy, which takes effect immediately, applies to all imports from ECOWAS nations, except for humanitarian aid.
