Did someone ask you for money, stop you for no reason, or ask for papers you never needed before? That is a trade barrier. Tell us, and the government can fix it.
An NTB is anything, other than the normal customs tax, that blocks, slows down or makes it more expensive for you to trade across a border.
NTB means:
Amina sells tomatoes from Uganda to Kenya. At the border, an officer asks her for “a little something”, with no receipt. Then she waits two days and half her tomatoes go bad. That is an NTB. Amina reports it from her phone. A focal point contacts the border office, and the unofficial payment stops for all traders.
These are the trade barriers that traders tell us about most often:
Someone asks you to pay money with no receipt.
You are stopped again and again on the road.
You are asked for documents that are not needed.
You wait hours or days at the border for no clear reason.
Your goods are suddenly not allowed, with no warning.
You are insulted, threatened or treated badly, especially women traders.
You pay more tax than the official rate.
Your goods are taken or damaged without a reason.
Every system below is free and official. Pick the one for the countries you trade in, or use AfCFTA anywhere in Africa.
AfCFTA
The continental system. Report a barrier when you trade between any two African countries.
Covers: All of Africa
Tripartite
For traders in Eastern and Southern Africa, from Egypt to South Africa. In some countries you can also report by SMS.
Covers: 29 countries
EAC
For traders in East Africa. Report in English, Swahili or French, right from your phone.
Covers: Burundi, DR Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
ECCAS
For traders in Central Africa.
Covers: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe
DR Congo
Anonymous complaintsReport a trade barrier or make a complaint in DR Congo. Complaints are anonymous: your name is not shown.
Covers: DR Congo
Burundi
Anonymous complaintsReport a trade barrier or make a complaint in Burundi. Complaints are anonymous: your name is not shown.
Covers: Burundi
Simple screens, step by step. Swipe to see more.
Every report is sent to a focal point, a government officer whose job is to solve these problems. The more traders report, the faster problems get fixed for everyone.
Answer 3 quick questions.
Choose your country. We will show you every way to report there.
Use any phone or computer with internet.
Free apps for iPhone and Android. Choose your country above to find yours.
No internet? In some countries you can send a normal SMS.
Coming soon: report a barrier in a chat. Organisations who want a demo can contact Octoplus.
These live charts show reported trade barriers. Every report helps governments see where the problems are.
NTB means Non-Tariff Barrier. “Tariff” is the normal customs tax. An NTB is any other thing that stops you, slows you down or costs you money at the border, such as bribes, extra papers, roadblocks or sudden bans.
No. Customs tax at the official rate, with a receipt, is normal. It becomes an NTB if you pay more than the official rate, pay with no receipt, or are charged for something that should be free.
No. Reporting is your right. Your name and phone number are kept private, and the officer you report about is not told who you are. In some countries you can even report without giving your name.
Your report goes to a focal point in the government. They check it and contact the office or country that caused the problem. You get a message when there is news, and when the problem is solved.
No. Reporting is always free.
No. Your name and phone number are kept private. Only the focal point uses them to help you. Some countries also let you complain without giving your name at all.
Yes. In some countries you can send an SMS. You can also ask a trader association or a focal point at the border to report for you.
Yes. You can report for a friend, a family member or members of your association.
Most systems work in English and French, and some in other languages too, such as Swahili.
This website is a guide. It sends you to the official reporting systems of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite, the EAC and ECCAS. Your reports go to those official systems.