Guide · Ivory Coast
Export wine to Ivory Coast: the 2026 guide
Updated 31 Oct 2026 · Checked against official sources · Reviewed each year
Key points
- Ivorian customs recorded USD 72.9 million of wine imports in 2025 (USD 94 million on exporters' figures): roughly double 2015.
- Two markets in one: Spanish bulk wine (76% of value) and bottled French wine and Champagne.
- Import taxes roughly double the CIF value: 20% duty, 2.5% levies, 35 to 40% excise on an uplifted base, then 18% VAT.
- No wine import licence, no tax stamp: the paperwork is the FDI, the RFCV above 1 million FCFA and the BSC for sea freight.
The market in numbers
Ivorian customs recorded USD 72.9 million of wine imports in 2025 and USD 53.4 million in 2024, roughly double the USD 37 million of 2015. Exporters declare more: USD 94 million shipped to Côte d'Ivoire in 2025 by the twelve main exporting countries. Part of the gap may be wine in transit to landlocked neighbours; no official source explains it.
| Origin, 2025 | USD m (Ivorian customs) | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | 55.45 | 76.1% |
| France | 10.94 | 15.0% |
| Origin not specified | 5.14 | 7.1% |
| Italy | 0.53 | 0.7% |
| Portugal | 0.46 | 0.6% |
Côte d'Ivoire is two markets: Spanish bulk wine at about USD 0.59 per litre, and bottled French wine and Champagne. France declares USD 40.7 million of exports to the country in 2025, of which USD 17.8 million sparkling.
Duties and taxes
- Customs duty: 20% of CIF (ECOWAS common external tariff).
- Community levies: 2.5% of CIF (statistical fee 1%, UEMOA 0.8%, ECOWAS 0.5%, African Union 0.2%).
- Excise (taxe spéciale sur les boissons alcoolisées): 40% for appellation wines, sparkling and Champagne, 35% for « vins ordinaires », on (CIF + duty + levies) increased by 25% for imports.
- VAT: 18% of CIF + duty + levies + excise.
| One bottle, CIF EUR 5.00 (3,280 FCFA) | Appellation wine (40%) | Vin ordinaire (35%) |
|---|---|---|
| Customs duty | 656 | 656 |
| Levies | 82 | 82 |
| Excise | 2,009 | 1,758 |
| VAT | 1,085 | 1,040 |
| Duty-paid cost | 7,111 FCFA (EUR 10.84), taxes 117% of CIF | 6,815 FCFA (EUR 10.39), taxes 108% of CIF |
Computed in FCFA at the fixed parity of 655.957. Team France Export gives a cumulated rate of 116% for wines. Port handling, clearing and margins come on top; on French wine, shelf prices run about 3 times the import cost in supermarkets and 5 to 6 times in hotels and restaurants (Team France Export). Which rate an IGP wine pays (35 or 40%) is not defined in the texts we read: ask us.
Who imports, and the formalities
- No wine import licence is needed; an approval applies only above 20% ABV.
- FDI (fiche de déclaration à l'importation) for any import of 500,000 FCFA FOB or more, issued free within 24 hours on the single window; valid 3 months.
- RFCV (classification and value report) for shipments of 1,000,000 FCFA FOB or more.
- BSC (bordereau de suivi de cargaison) for every sea shipment, created online at loading by the exporter or forwarder: EUR 18 per 20' container, EUR 36 per 40'.
- No tax stamps for wine (the 2026 fiscal marking covers tobacco).
Labels
- All mandatory information in French: name, net quantity, name and address of producer or seller, origin. Wine and sparkling wine are exempt from date marking.
- No wine-specific labelling rule beyond these (Team France Export).
Documents and samples
- FDI, RFCV or verification certificate, commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin, BSC.
- Samples: no specific exemption text; small parcels below 500,000 FCFA need no FDI, and goods for a trade fair can enter under temporary admission.
How the market works
Hotels and restaurants buy through a few importers and distributors, some linked to large retail and brewery groups. Plan at least two visits a year (Team France Export) and consider a mid-sized importer who will push your brand rather than a leader with a long list.
Fair: Tastin'France Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and Benin, 21 to 25 June 2027.
How we work in Africa
Our Africa team, run from Paris, has sold into more than 20 African countries and worked with over 90 importers; Côte d'Ivoire is one of its three main markets with Kenya and Nigeria. In a market where the pool of reliable importers is small, knowing who pays, who distributes and who is only passing through is the work.
Sources
- UN Comtrade, imports reported by Côte d'Ivoire and exports to Côte d'Ivoire by 12 exporters, HS 2204, 2015 to 2025, United Nations Statistics Division, link (official data)
- MFN applied tariff, HS 2204, 2023, World Bank WITS / UNCTAD TRAINS, link (official data)
- Impôts et taxes en Côte d'Ivoire, édition 2025, Direction Générale des Impôts, link (primary)
- Circulaire n°2258, TEC CEDEAO version SH 2022, Douanes ivoiriennes, link (primary)
- Fiche FDI, Guichet Unique du Commerce Extérieur, link (primary)
- Office Ivoirien des Chargeurs (BSC), Guichet Unique du Commerce Extérieur, link (primary)
- Fiche marché vins, spiritueux, bières et cidres, Côte d'Ivoire, Team France Export, link (official, secondary)
- Tastin'France 2027 Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire et Bénin, Team France Export, link (organiser)
This guide summarises official texts for exporters; it is not legal or tax advice. Rules change: check with your importer or with us before shipping.
Contact me
Exporting to Ivory Coast? Talk to Alexis.
Alexis Sourzac
General Manager EMEA
Tell us about your wines and the markets you have in mind. A person answers within one working day.