Importing into Mali: ports, corridors, customs duties and transit (2026)
Mali has no coastline. What to know to import in 2026: the agreements with Guinea on the port of Conakry and the Kankan warehouses, the port of Dakar, the duties and levies charged on imports, temporary admission and risks on the roads.
Mali is landlocked: everything that reaches Bamako by sea passes through a neighbouring country's port, then by road. For an importer, the choice of corridor, the duties payable and road security weigh directly on costs and lead times. Here is what the official sources say in 2026.
Key points (sources checked on 19 October 2026)
- Two agreements with Guinea give Mali the right to use the port of Conakry, port space and handling facilities for its goods.
- Guinea has made 20 hectares in Kankan available for the Malian Warehouses in Guinea; Mali is ceding 10 hectares near the Kouremalé-Bamako road for a Guinean storage area.
- On imports, the 2026 texts list customs duty, the statistical fee, the PCS, the PC-AES, the special tax on certain products and VAT.
- In October 2026 the UK reports blockades targeting fuel trucks on routes in the south and west, including around Bamako.
Ports and corridors
Conakry and the Guinean route
The Council of Ministers of 28 January 2026 recalls that Mali and Guinea signed an agreement on maritime transport and transit and an agreement on road transit. They grant Mali:
- the right to use the port of Conakry;
- port space;
- handling facilities for goods to or from Mali.
To implement them, Guinea has made a 20-hectare plot in Kankan available to Mali for the Malian Warehouses in Guinea (Entrepôts maliens en Guinée). In return, Mali is ceding free of charge 10 hectares near the Kouremalé-Bamako road, at Tomodo-Koumacra (rural commune of Benkadi, Kangaba district), for a storage area and logistics infrastructure.
Dakar and the northern Bamako-Dakar route
By decree of 10 April 2026, the State declared of public utility the rehabilitation works on two sections of the Bamako-Dakar corridor via the north: Didiéni-Diéma-Sandaré (313 km) and Kayes-Diboli (96.5 km). Private property affected is expropriated for public purposes, with compensation paid from the national budget.
The Minister of Transport attended the Port autonome de Dakar's port season opening on 10 February 2026, devoted to the port's 2025-2029 repositioning plan, which aims at an "efficient, secure and sustainable" platform.
What you pay on imports
The official 2026 texts that set special regimes (see our page on tax and customs exemptions) list the duties and taxes charged at the border:
| Duty or levy | Note |
|---|---|
| Customs duty (DD) | per the tariff |
| Statistical fee (RS) | payable even on expatriate staff's exempt personal effects, in the 2026 order |
| Community solidarity levy (PCS) | WAEMU levy |
| AES community levy (PC-AES) | levy of the Confederation of Sahel States |
| Special tax on certain products (ISCP) | on certain products only |
| VAT | on imports |
Rates depend on the type and origin of the goods: check them with the Directorate General of Customs or a licensed customs broker before ordering. The Customs Code in force is law no. 2022-013 of 23 June 2022.
Temporary admission
Equipment entering Mali only for a time (site machinery, professional equipment, a project's utility vehicles) can be placed under temporary admission: duties are suspended during the operation, then the equipment is re-exported or released for consumption with the authorisation of the Director General of Customs. The rules are set by order no. 2025-1325/MEF-SG of 25 April 2025, cited by the 2026 orders.
Risks on the road
In October 2026 the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office reports blockades targeting fuel trucks on routes in southern and western Mali, including around Bamako. For the impact on supply and the national petroleum security stock created in 2026, see our page on fuel and electricity. Read our safety advice too.
Going further
- Business taxation, including 18% VAT.
- Starting a business at the one-stop shop before importing in your own name.
- Agriculture and cotton: imported sugar and rice.
Frequently asked questions
Which port do goods for Mali go through?
Mali has no sea access. The official 2026 sources cite the port of Conakry, whose use is guaranteed by agreements with Guinea, and the port of Dakar.
What are the Malian Warehouses in Guinea?
The warehouses for which Guinea has made a 20-hectare plot in Kankan available to Mali, under the Mali-Guinea transit agreements.
What is the PC-AES?
The community levy of the Confederation of Sahel States, charged on imports along with the other duties and taxes.
Sources (checked on 19 October 2026)
- General Secretariat of the Government, Council of Ministers statements of 28 January 2026 and 25 February 2026 (French).
- Official Journal no. 11 of 2026, order no. 2026-0054/MEF-SG of 3 February 2026 (import duties and taxes, temporary admission; French).
- Official Journal no. 15 of 2026, decree no. 2026-0396/PT-RM (reference to the Customs Code, law no. 2022-013; French).
- Official Journal no. 8 of 2026, decree no. 2026-0195/PT-RM of 10 April 2026 (French; rehabilitation of the Bamako-Dakar corridor via the north).
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Foreign travel advice: Mali.
- French Directorate General of Customs and Excise, "10 questions export: Mali" (2021, French): nature of the PCS and statistical fee.