Ivorian customs officials have seized approximately 2,000 metric tons of falsely declared cocoa beans worth an estimated $19 million at the port of Abidjan.
The cocoa, a key export commodity for Côte d’Ivoire, was misrepresented as rubber to evade higher export taxes. Authorities intercepted 110 containers last week, uncovering the fraudulent declaration made by a cocoa exporter seeking to reduce tax obligations. “To my knowledge, this is the first time we’ve made such a seizure. 2,000 tons is a significant amount,” a customs officer told Reuters.
Under Ivorian tax regulations, cocoa exports are subject to a 19.5% tax, including a 14.5% cocoa export duty and a 5% registration tax, which would have generated approximately $2.9 million in revenue for the state. In contrast, rubber exports are taxed at just 1.5%, highlighting the financial motive behind the deception.
Côte d’Ivoire, the world’s largest cocoa producer, has long struggled with smuggling, particularly across its western borders with Guinea and Liberia, where traffickers offer higher prices than the official farm gate rate.
This latest crackdown signals intensified efforts by Ivorian authorities to combat fraudulent trade practices and protect state revenues.
