Vietnam Trade Office in Morocco would like to introduce some exporting-importing regulations of Bénin and some addresses of concerning authorities, which can help to contact with partners.

1. Trade regulations in Bénin ­ The conditions of buying and selling activities are stipulated in the Laws No. 90-005 issued on May 15th 1990.

a) All commercial or commercial-service-providing activities are free in Bénin.

b) All goods are imported freely except goods that harm national security, people's health, habits and customs, or strategic products.

c) There are no foreign trade regulations in Bénin that require sending samples before importing goods. Exporters should be vigilant over requirement to send compulsory samples.

d) In Bénin there is no Checking Council to examine exported products before they are loaded on freight.

e) Vice versa, there has a surveying and checking importing goods department before unloading merchandises at Cotonou- Bénin port. This department named: BIVAC INTERNATIONAL

Address: 08 BP 0658 Cotonou, Bénin
Tel: + 229 21 30 20 13
Fax: + 229 21 30 01 82

f) Foreign companies are not required to have any licenses or commitment fees to deliver before exporting goods to Bénin.

g) Importer's card or professional trader's card granted by appropriate authorities of Bénin (Ministry of Trade) to manager of a company are absolutely private and non-negotiable. These cards can not be used to guarantee or sponsor for another company.

2. Preventive measures Exporters need to do:

a) Search information about whether the company which is going to have relationship, exists or not. In this circumstances, exporters can:

- Look up enterprises which are Bénin-based on the website of Bénin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIB): www.ccbi.bj (Section répertoire des enterprises/ Téléchergement column).

- Connect directly to Center of Formalities for Enterprises under Bénin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIB) in Cotonou, the economic capital of this country:

Center of Formalities for Enterprises
(Centre de Formalités des Enterprises)
Address: BP 31 Cotonou-Bénin
Tel: +229 21 31 07 04/ 21 31 20 81
Fax: +229 21 310751

In case the company does not register in CCIB, it needs to get information from Secretary Office of Tribunal of Commercial First Instance:

Greffe du Tribunal de 1 ère instance à vocation commerciale

Address: BP 967 Cotonou- Bénin

Tel: + 229 21 30 06 08/ 21 30 00 72

b) Make sure that the manager of Bénin-based company have valid trader or professional importing card.

c) Ensure the reliability of the offer or order of partners especially when the company only informs mobile number (GSM). GSM in Bénin usually starts with + 229 90 xx xx or + 229 93 xx xx or + 229 95 xx xx or + 229 97 xx xx. Republic of Bénin's code of land-line phone is + 229, telephone code of Cotonou city is +21. For example: + 229 21 30 06 08.

In case of suspicion of information provided by Bénin companies, enterprises can contact with following appropriate authorities to find out more information under Bénin current regulations: Ministry of Industry, Trade and Job Promotion, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Africa Integration, Bénin Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Center of Formalities for Enterprises, Secretary Office of Tribunal of Commercial First Instance, etc. The address of these authorities is in the attached file.

3. Guarantee for payment of exporting goods. Measures need to apply to ensure payments as exporting to Bénin include:

a) Require to pay merchandises' value by acceptable means of international trade.

b) Ensure the legal addresses of transactions in legal banks in Bénin.

c) Only such international means of payment are acceptable: - Money transfer

- Certified cheque or cheque of prestigious banks
- Commercial paper
- Document
- Irrevocable letter of credit

Among means of payment used in international trade, Euro and irrevocable letter of credit with certificate are used most.

d) Avoid using Western Union as the only way of payment as much as possible. List of certificated banks in Bénin is in the attached file.

4) Bénin business practices

Although personal reliable relationship with Bénin partners is very important, it should be careful in the relationship between providers and customers.

In the first order, it should be full-paid before goods delivery.

Letter of credit can be carried out through many local banks.

Official language used in documents is French. Exporting and importing enterprises should aware with Internet transactions, especially with Bénin partners who use different language (not French) in official documents because it could be a defrauded form.

In terms of commercial dispute, legal settlements are usually long-lasting and ineffective.