Buying and Selling

flag Chad Chad: Buying and Selling

In this page: Market Access Procedures | Reaching the Consumers | Distributing a Product | E-commerce | Organizing Goods Transport | Identifying a Supplier

 

Market Access Procedures

International Conventions
Member of the World Trade Organization (WTO)
International Economic Cooperation
Chad is a member of the main regional economic communities: the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), the Economic Community of Central African states (ECCAS) and the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD). Chad has been a member of WTO since 1996.
Non Tariff Barriers
Chad trade environment is poor, and the country was ranked second last out of 136 countries in the World Economic Forum's Enabling Trade Index 2016 (latest version), which measures institutions, policies and services to facilitate trade in countries around the world. Burdensome procedures and corruption represent serious hinders to trade.
Other non-tariff barriers still persist, such as overtaxing of goods; random checkpoints along corridors; highway robbers; and the country's landlocked location and the poor infrastructures.
Customs Duties and Taxes on Imports
As a member of the Customs Union of CEMAC, Chad adopts the common external tariff (CET), whose most favoured nation simple average is estimated at 18.1% by the WTO. However, the CET is difficult to be applied because members invoke country-specific exceptions and "safeguard" measures. Chad applies the exceptions to a varied range of product and therefore its average tariff rate is lower than the CET by being 16.4% (Heritage Foundation).
Products imported from outside the CEMAC region are subject to customs duties according to four tariff rate categories:
products of first necessity (e.g. flour, rice, etc.): 5%
primary materials and equipment: 10%
intermediate goods (e.g. tools, tires, etc.): 20%
consumer gGoods (e.g. canned foods, electronics, etc.): 30%.
In addition to the above customs duties, there are other supplementary taxes, including excise taxes of 20% on luxury products (such as televisions, audiovisual equipment, air conditioners, automobile radios, CD laser discs, home appliances, etc.), 25% on alcoholic beverages and tobacco, and 51% on new automobiles.
The government of Chad applies an 18% VAT and a 2% “statistical tax” to all goods entering or leaving Chad.
In line with CEMAC legislation, Chad collects the Community Integration Levy (TCI), the OHADA levy, and the Community Integration Contribution (CCI), amounting to 1.45% of import value. Other levies include a 0.4% Community Preference Levy (TPC) on fish, meat, dairy, and other animal products; an Advance Corporation Tax (IS) or Personal Income Tax (IRPP) of 4% of import value; and the Rural Intervention Fund (FIR) duty of 1 to 4% on agricultural products.


Customs Classification
Chad is a member of the World Customs organisation and does comply with the harmonised customs system.
Import Procedures
The following documents must be filed with the Ministry of Economy, Commerce, and Tourism before importing goods:
commercial Invoice: in four copies, containing the names of the exporter, consignee, the product name, quantity of each unit, declared value of each unit, gross weight, net weight, and total declared value. The documents should be preferably in French or with a French translation and description of the goods
certificate of origin: in two copies, issued or notarized and certified by an official Chamber of Commerce in the country of the products origin, or by the local Chadian branch of the foreign Chamber of Commerce. The documents should be preferably in French or with a French translation and description of the goods
packing list: in numeric series, including the number and quantity per carton. This document is not mandatory, but it can help speeding up the customs clearance procedure
bill of lading/airway bill: including the name and address of the consignee/importer of the goods. Identification numbers on bills of lading, airway bills, and invoices must be full and correct
when applicable, an “halal certificate” stating that the fresh or frozen meat or poultry products were slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law. It must be certified by an appropriate Chamber of Commerce.

Special import certification may be required for pharmaceuticals. Organization for Coordination of the Fight against Endemic Diseases in Central Africa (OCEAC, the CEMAC’s public health body), is overseeing the process of harmonization of national pharmaceutical policies.
Importing Samples
Samples can generally be imported duty-free. After their use, they must be re-exported or destroyed, with the process being certified by a custom agent.
 
 
For Further Information
Directorate General for Customs
Business Portal for Africa

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Reaching the Consumers

Marketing opportunities

Main Advertising Agencies
Ial Tchad

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Distributing a Product

Evolution of the Sector
The retail market in Chad is still in its infancy. In fact, most of the country’s population is active in subsistence farming, hence cultivate their own food. For the groceries that cannot be cultivated directly, Chadians prefer to buy from neighbours or in local markets: the latter, in particular, are a social event, with the villages getting crowded on market days.
The group Foberd (from Cameroun) claims to have a retail market share of 65% in the country, with three outlets in Djamena, Moundou and Dembé. However, reliable figures on the Chadian market are not available. Other chains are Alimentation Générale, Alimentation La Tchadienne, La Gastronomie and Modern Market.
Market share
Foberd Tchad (Fokou group)
Alimentation Générale
Alimentation La Tchadienne
La Gastronomie
Modern Market

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E-commerce

Internet access

According to the Digital 2019 report for Chad by Hootsuite and WeAreSocial, out of a population of 15.6 million people, only 5% have access to the internet (mostly located in urban areas). In the country there are around 5.7 million mobile subscriptions, however only 4.6% of the population are mobile internet users. The country has poor internet infrastructures, with just 19% of mobile connections having broadband access (3G and 4G). According to the Mobile Connectivity Index 2018, Chad has an overall index score of 18.7% out of a maximum of 100%.
In Chad, a mere 0.8% of the population are active social media users (of which 92% login via mobile). The country’s Facebook total advertising audience amounts to 130,000 people, with much lower audiences for Instagram and Twitter (19,000 and 3,200 ,respectively), while there are 30,000 active LinkedIn profiles (data WeAreSocial). However, social media was blocked by the government during 2018, thus users must use Virtual Private Network (VPN) to access most platforms. There have been widespread speculation that the government of Chad monitored private online communications, and that activists were arrested for postings on social media.

E-commerce market
E-commerce is almost non-existent in Chad as low bandwidth and low internet penetration rate hamper internet entrepreneurs and shoppers. The government is trying to improve the situation by working on a fiber-optic connectivity via Cameroon, Algeria and Sudan, and in 2015 it approved several laws to regulate cyber security and online transactions.
Only 3% of people aged 15 or more have credit cards and 15% have mobile money accounts (World Bank Financial Inclusion data). A mere 2.5% purchases online. Online payment is not yet available in Chad. However, through Tigo Cash and Airtel Money services, consumers can pay their electric bills, purchases at shops and transfer money using mobile phones.
The country has only one online marketplace, MossoSouk, which was launched in 2016. The platforms offers car rental services and small items for purchase, and is currently limited to the capital N’Djamena. Another platform - DaariShop - has been recently launched, offering food products, medicaments and construction materials. At the moment, there is no B2B or cross-border e-commerce in Chad.
Some digital advertising and marketing are done through social media sites (though users require a VPN to connect to social media platforms).

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Organizing Goods Transport

Ports
Chad is a landlocked country. The nearest port, Douala, Cameroon, is 1,700 km from the capital, N’Djamena.
Airports
N'Djamena International Airport (NDJ)
Sea Transport Organisations
Ministry of Infrastructures and Transportation
Air Transport Organisations
Chad Civil Aviation Authority (Autorité de l'Aviation civile du Tchad - ADAC)
Road Transport Organisations
Ministry of Infrastructures and Transportation
Rail Transport Organisations
Ministry of Infrastructures and Transportation

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Identifying a Supplier

Type of Production
Agriculture accounts for half of Chad’s GDP and employs around 82% of the active population. Most of the activity is for subsistence agriculture, with the sorghum, millet, berebere and cotton as main crops. The industrial sector contributes 14.8% of GDP employing 3% of the active workforce, and is dominated by the oil sector. The services sector is estimated to account for around one-third of Chad’s GDP (33.9%) and for 15% of total employment.

Business Directories

Multi-sector Directories
Chad YP - Chad's Yellow Pages
 

To search directories by industry in Chad, check out our service Business Directories.

 
 
Trade Agencies and Their Representations Abroad
National Agency of Investments and Exports
General Professional Associations
National Council of Employers of Chad (CNPT)
 
 

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Latest Update: April 2024