Which tariff regime applies to Moroccan goods in Gabon
Goods of Moroccan origin entering Gabon are assessed under the CEMAC common external tariff (TEC). Gabon and Morocco are both State Parties to the AfCFTA, and the WTO notes that every CEMAC country has signed and ratified it, but Gabon is still preparing implementation: the AfCFTA Secretariat and the Gabonese authorities agreed an implementation partnership in June 2026, a revised national AfCFTA strategy was validated in September 2026, and a Gabonese delegation visited Cameroon on 12-16 September 2026 to study customs procedures. We found no evidence that Gabonese customs currently grants AfCFTA preferential rates, so plan on the full TEC and ask your customs broker for the latest position. Bilaterally, Morocco and Gabon have signed a double-taxation agreement (3 June 1999), an investment protection agreement (21 June 2004) and several trade-promotion protocols; none of the instruments we reviewed grants tariff preferences.
Sources: wto.org, au-afcfta.org, directinfosgabon.com, tralac.org, atlasinfo.fr
Customs duties, VAT and other import charges in Gabon
Gabon applies the CEMAC tariff bands: 5% for basic products, 10% for raw materials, 20% for intermediate products (including most food) and 30% for other goods; the WTO also records a zero band and national exceptions, so check the exact tariff line. The standard VAT rate is 18%, with reduced rates of 10% and 5% on listed products (cement is cited at 10%) and exemptions that include medicines and fertiliser. PwC's 2026 summary lists further levies on the customs value: the community integration contribution (0.4%), the OHADA levy (0.05%) and an African Union contribution of 0.2% that applies to products of non-African Union origin, which Moroccan-origin goods should in principle escape; confirm this at clearance. A 1% special solidarity contribution applies to sales by larger businesses. The CEMAC integration tax and the customs IT fee (RUSID) are also charged, but published rates differ between sources: have your broker confirm them.
Sources: trade.gov, taxsummaries.pwc.com, wto.org
Import procedure and documents for Gabon
Freight forwarders list the following documents: an import declaration (DPI) issued by the foreign trade directorate, bank domiciliation of the payment, the original invoice, bill of lading and packing list, an insurance certificate, the cargo identification note (BIETC) issued by the Gabonese Shippers' Council, a certificate of origin and a certificate of conformity. The certificate of conformity comes from PROGEC, the conformity assessment programme run by the standards agency AGANOR and mandatory for clearance since 1 August 2015. It covers building materials, electrical and electronic goods, cosmetics, medical devices and toys; pharmaceuticals are exempt and there is no minimum shipment value. Verification takes place in Morocco before shipment through an AGANOR-accredited body; Intertek publishes fees of 0.27% to 0.53% of FOB value with minimum and maximum amounts. Under BEAC rules, imports of XAF 5 million or more must be domiciled with a bank in Gabon. Confirm importer registration requirements with your broker.
Sources: centrimex.com, export2gabon.com, sgg.cg
Shipping from Morocco to Owendo and Port-Gentil
Containers for Libreville are handled at Owendo, where the New Owendo International Port opened in 2017 with a 420-metre quay, two berths dredged to 13 metres and a capacity of about 130,000 TEU a year; Port-Gentil is the second general cargo port, serving the oil province. Ports are overseen by the port authority OPRAG. Tanger Med's 2025 maritime connections booklet lists a weekly Hapag-Lloyd service to Libreville with a 24-day transit time from Tanger Med. We found no published transit time from Casablanca or for Port-Gentil: ask your forwarder, and remember that the BIETC must be validated before the vessel arrives. For air freight, check availability before committing to a delivery date: Royal Air Maroc suspended its Casablanca-Libreville route on 24 May 2026 until further notice, citing fuel costs, so urgent cargo may have to travel with another carrier or via another hub.
Sources: tangermedport.com, en.wikipedia.org, gabonmediatime.com, centrimex.com
Securing payment between Gabon and Morocco
The CFA franc (XAF) is pegged to the euro at a fixed parity of 655.957 XAF per euro, so contracts are commonly priced in euros. Under the BEAC foreign-exchange regulation in force since 1 March 2019, payments abroad must go through a credit institution, every import requires an import declaration, and imports of XAF 5 million or more must be domiciled with a bank in the destination country; failure to domicile is fined at 10% of the transaction. The Moroccan exporter should therefore obtain the domiciliation reference before shipping and allow time for the transfer to be processed. For first orders, an irrevocable documentary credit, ideally confirmed, is the usual safeguard. Attijariwafa bank has owned Union Gabonaise de Banque since 2009 (58.71% stake, 22 branches), which gives both parties a banking group present at each end. Moroccan exporters can also insure buyer credit with SMAEX, the state-backed export credit insurer.
Sources: sgg.cg, ir.attijariwafabank.com, attijariwafabank.com, tradefinanceglobal.com
What Gabon already buys from Morocco
UN Comtrade data relayed by Trading Economics put Moroccan exports to Gabon at US$64.65 million in 2025. The largest lines were prepared and preserved fish (US$17.63 million), electrical and electronic equipment (US$13.90 million), sugar and confectionery (US$5.12 million), articles of iron or steel (US$4.53 million), aluminium (US$3.45 million), machinery (US$2.29 million), pharmaceutical products (US$2.12 million), base-metal articles (US$1.47 million) and furniture, lighting and prefabricated buildings (US$1.11 million); ceramics appear only among the smaller lines. For project buyers, this points to cables and electrical equipment, steel and aluminium products, metal fittings and medicines as families where Moroccan suppliers already ship regularly to Libreville. Ceramics, sanitary ware and other building materials are available from Moroccan manufacturers but volumes to Gabon remain small. Building materials and electrical goods fall under the PROGEC conformity programme, so include certification time and cost when comparing offers.
Sources: tradingeconomics.com, export2gabon.com