ECOWAS to meet over tariff imposed by Niger, B’Faso, Mali

The Economic Community of West African States is set to hold a meeting later this month to address the 0.5 per cent import levy recently imposed by the Alliance of Sahel States on goods from ECOWAS member nations.

The Head of Communication for the ECOWAS Commission, Joel Ahofodji, confirmed this development to our correspondent on Wednesday, noting that the Extraordinary Council will convene on April 22 to discuss the matter and other related issues.

When asked whether ECOWAS would take any retaliatory action in response to the 0.5 percent import levy imposed by the AES, Ahofodji disclosed, “ECOWAS will have an Extraordinary Council on the 22nd of April. All these issues will be discussed.”

The AES, a new alliance comprising the junta-led states of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, introduced the 0.5 percent import duty on goods coming from ECOWAS nations as part of efforts to generate revenue for the alliance.

The levy, which went into effect on March 28, applies to all goods entering these three nations, excluding humanitarian aid.

The move runs counter to ECOWAS’s objective of promoting the free movement of goods among its members, including those of the AES countries, despite their official exit from the regional bloc in January 2025.

ECOWAS had previously announced that goods and services from the three countries would still be treated under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme, which supports duty-free and quota-free movement of goods and services within the region.

The AES’s new import duty effectively introduces a trade barrier, challenging the ECOWAS agreement and potentially raising trade costs, disrupting supply chains, and inflating prices within the AES countries.

The move is expected to weaken the regional bloc’s free trade framework, which had previously aimed to eliminate such barriers.

The strained relations between ECOWAS and the three countries intensified following their decision in early 2024 to leave the bloc, a move that came after months of disagreements.

The junta governments in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso accused ECOWAS of failing to support them in their battle against terrorism, and of imposing sanctions that negatively affected their populations.

Despite the later withdrawal of these sanctions, the three countries remained firm in their decision to exit the bloc.

In response to their departure, ECOWAS issued guidelines designed to mitigate disruptions for businesses and citizens. These measures included provisions for duty-free trade, visa-free movement, and residence.

ECOWAS has also expressed a willingness to reopen discussions should the AES countries wish to rejoin the bloc in the future.

In another development, Niger officially withdrew from the Multinational Joint Task Force, a regional force combating Islamist insurgency in the Lake Chad region.

The MNJTF, which includes soldiers from Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon, has been operating since 2015.