The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will meet later on April 22, this year to discuss the 0.5 per cent import levy recently imposed by the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) on goods from ECOWAS member states.
The spokesperson for the ECOWAS Commission, Joel Ahofodji, disclosed that the Extraordinary Council would convene on April 22 to discuss the matter and other related issues.
He did not say if ECOWAS would take any retaliatory action or not in response to the 0.5 per cent import levy imposed by the AES, adding that “ECOWAS will have an Extraordinary Council on April 22. All these issues will be discussed.”
The AES, comprises of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso led by military regimes, recently introduced the 0.5 per cent import duty on goods coming from ECOWAS countries as part of efforts to generate revenue for the alliance.
The levy became effective on March 28, covering all goods entering these three countries, excluding humanitarian aid.
The levy contravene the principles of ECOWAS 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.
But despite the move, ECOWAS would still treat threat the countries under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme, which supports duty-free and quota-free movement of goods and services within the region.
The new import duty of the AES effectively introduces a trade barrier, challenging ECOWAS agreement and potentially raising trade costs, disrupting supply chains and inflating prices within the AES countries.
