Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone
What moves each way, the scams to watch for, and what to check before you trade.
Trade safely with Sierra Leone
The scams, documents and rules that matter on this corridor. Written and reviewed by our team, and dated.
Corridor-specific scam patterns and rules are still being reviewed by our team and will appear here once published.
- Confirm the company exists in an official register and that its name matches the one on the invoice.
- Before paying into a new or changed bank account, phone the company on a number you already hold, not one from the invoice or email.
- Test the container number, ship number, ports and dates on the bill of lading with the Document checker.
- Be wary of paying in advance for goods you have not seen, or of fees demanded to release a shipment.
- Ask the carrier directly to confirm the shipment exists and where it is.
In 2024, Burkina Faso sold Sierra Leone about $76 thousand of goods. The biggest products were special purpose motor vehicles, tools, interchangeable, for hand tools and ground-nuts, not roasted or otherwise cooked, which together make up 100% of the total. More than half of this trade is one product (special purpose motor vehicles), so it leans heavily on that one line. The total has fallen by about 67% a year since 2022.
In 2024, Burkina Faso bought about $50 thousand of goods from Sierra Leone. The biggest products were medicaments, motor vehicles, parts and accessories and engines and motors, n.e.c., which together make up 76% of the total. More than half of this trade is one product (medicaments), so it leans heavily on that one line. The total has grown by about 45% a year since 2022. Among the leading products, ignition or starting equipment is growing fastest, at about 64% a year.
Trade by year
Total trade each year, as reported in the tables below. A missing bar means no report for that year, not zero trade.
View as a table
| Year | Burkina Faso sells to Sierra Leone | Burkina Faso buys from Sierra Leone |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $712k | $24k |
| 2023 | $777k | $88k |
| 2024 | $76k | $50k |
What Burkina Faso sells to Sierra Leone
Ranked by value in 2024, by 4-digit product code. Growth is the yearly rate since 2022.
| Product | Value | Share | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Special purpose motor vehicles (not those for the transport of persons or goods (e.g. breakdown lorries, road… Product code 8705 · Vehicles | $45k | 58.7% | n/a |
| Tools, interchangeable (for hand tools, whether or not power-operated, or for machine tools (pressing, stampin… Product code 8207 · Tools and cutlery | $21k | 28.3% | n/a |
| Ground-nuts (not roasted or otherwise cooked, whether or not shelled or broken) Product code 1202 · Oil seeds and grains | $10k | 13.0% | -39.2% a year |
Biggest product groups: Vehicles (59%), Tools and cutlery (28%), Oil seeds and grains (13%) .
What Burkina Faso buys from Sierra Leone
Ranked by value in 2024, by 4-digit product code. Growth is the yearly rate since 2022.
| Product | Value | Share | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicaments ((not goods of heading no. 3002, 3005 or 3006) consisting of mixed or unmixed products for therape… Product code 3004 · Pharmaceuticals | $30k | 60.0% | +58.0% a year |
| Motor vehicles (parts and accessories, of heading no. 8701 to 8705) Product code 8708 · Vehicles | $5k | 9.2% | n/a |
| Engines and motors (not listed elsewhere (e.g. reaction engines, hydraulic power engines, pneumatic power engi… Product code 8412 · Machinery | $3k | 6.6% | n/a |
Biggest product groups: Pharmaceuticals (60%), Electrical equipment (9%), Vehicles (9%), Machinery (7%), Organic chemicals (5%) .
A free account shows the complete product lists, every fast-growing and new product, and the markets where this corridor supplies little. Accounts are checked by hand, so use your business email.
Create a free account Sign inHow to read these figures
Value is what was traded in the year, in US dollars. A big number means a big market, not necessarily an easy one to enter.
Share is that product's part of the total in the table above. A product with a large share is what this corridor already trades most of.
Growth is the average yearly change since the first year shown. A green figure means trade in that product is rising.
Product code is the international customs code (HS) for the product group. Your customs agent and the guide below will ask for it, and it decides the duty you pay.
These are totals reported by customs authorities, not prices or orders. Use them to see where demand exists, then check the rules and the company you plan to deal with.
Next steps
Trade figures are what each country reported to the UN (Comtrade), in US dollars. Imports are usually reported including freight and insurance, exports without, so the two sides of a corridor will not match exactly. Company counts are companies listed on ExporterIQ.