The Economic Community of West African States is set to convene an emergency meeting on April 22 to address the 0.5 percent import levy recently imposed by the Alliance of Sahel States on goods from ECOWAS member nations.
Joel Ahofodji, Head of Communication for the ECOWAS Commission, confirmed the meeting, stating that the Extraordinary Council would discuss the new levy and its implications for regional trade. The AES, which consists of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, introduced the import duty on March 28 as a revenue-generating measure. The tariff applies to all imports from ECOWAS nations except humanitarian aid.
The decision contradicts ECOWAS’s trade agreements, which promote the free movement of goods within the region, including those from AES countries despite their formal exit from the bloc in January 2025. ECOWAS had previously maintained that goods from the three countries would continue to enjoy duty-free access under its Trade Liberalisation Scheme. However, the AES’s new policy effectively introduces a trade barrier, increasing costs and potentially disrupting supply chains.
Relations between ECOWAS and the junta-led governments of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have remained strained since the three nations left the bloc earlier this year. The withdrawal followed months of tensions over ECOWAS sanctions and accusations that the regional body failed to support their fight against terrorism. Although ECOWAS later lifted the sanctions, the three countries refused to reconsider their departure.
As ECOWAS prepares for the emergency meeting, concerns remain over the impact of the AES levy on regional trade and whether it signals a further breakdown in economic cooperation. Meanwhile, Niger has also announced its withdrawal from the Multinational Joint Task Force, a regional coalition combating insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin.
