African exporters into Europe: rules, buyers and first steps

The EU is one of the most open markets in the world for African goods, and one of the most demanding. Many African exporters already enjoy duty-free access, but tariffs are rarely the real obstacle. Product rules, paperwork and finding the right buyer usually are. This guide walks through the rules and the first practical steps.

Your trade preferences: EPAs and Everything But Arms

Most African countries trade with the EU under one of two arrangements.

Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). According to the European Commission, EPAs give partner countries zero tariffs and unlimited quantities for all products except arms, while partner countries open their own markets only partly and gradually. At the time of writing (October 2026), the Commission says 15 Sub-Saharan African countries implement an EPA. Agreements named on its page include:

• the EU-SADC EPA (Southern African Development Community)
• the EU-ESA EPA (Eastern and Southern Africa)
• the EU-Kenya EPA
• the EU-Côte d’Ivoire EPA and the EU-Ghana interim EPA
• the EU-Cameroon EPA

Everything But Arms (EBA). Least developed countries that do not have an EPA mostly use EBA. Access2Markets describes it as granting duty- and quota-free access for almost all products except arms and ammunition, for the 49 least developed countries.

To benefit from either, your goods must meet the rules of origin, which set how much of the product must be made or processed in your country. Getting this wrong can mean paying full duty.

Check your product before you ship

The European Commission’s Access2Markets portal is the place to start. Its My Trade Assistant lets you search the conditions to trade your product, including rules of origin.

Before any serious conversation with a buyer, find out:

• your product’s customs code
• which preference applies to your country
• the rules of origin for your product
• the product requirements and certificates needed
• import VAT and any excise duties in the destination country

Access2Markets also lists support services for smaller businesses, including the Enterprise Europe Network and an Intellectual Property Helpdesk with a regional service for Africa.

Food, plants and animal products

Agricultural and food exports face the strictest checks. The European Commission’s TRACES system is its online platform for animal and plant health certification. According to the Commission:

• non-EU countries use TRACES to issue official certificates for animals, animal products, food and feed, and plants entering the EU
• phytosanitary certificates for plants and plant products are issued through it
• since December 2019, TRACES has been the required tool for the Common Health Entry Document (CHED) for animals and goods entering the EU

In practice, your national food safety, veterinary or plant health authority issues the certificates, so they need to be part of your export plan from the start. Buyers will also expect traceability, hygiene controls and compliance with EU limits on residues and contaminants.

Deforestation rules: cocoa, coffee, wood and more

The EU Deforestation Regulation is especially relevant to African exporters. It covers cattle, wood, cocoa, soy, palm oil, coffee and rubber, and derived products such as chocolate, leather, tyres and furniture. Operators placing these products on the EU market must be able to prove that they do not come from recently deforested land.

At the time of writing, the European Commission gives these application dates:

• 30 December 2026 for large and medium operators
• 30 June 2027 for micro and small operators

The obligations sit mainly with the companies that place products on the EU market, but your EU buyers will ask you for information, such as where the commodity was produced. Exporters who can supply that data early will be easier to buy from. The rules have been amended more than once, so check the Commission’s page for the latest position.

Manufactured goods and CE marking

If you export manufactured products, check whether they need the CE mark. Your Europe explains that CE marking is required only for products covered by EU rules that mandate it, such as electrical equipment, machinery, toys, personal protective equipment and medical devices. There is no central EU body that issues a CE certificate: the manufacturer assesses conformity, keeps technical documentation and signs an EU declaration of conformity, involving a notified body where third-party testing is required.

Products with the CE mark can be sold across the EU, regardless of where they were made.

Finding buyers

Rules get you through the border. Buyers get you paid. Practical first steps:

1. Choose one or two target countries, not the whole EU. Buyer habits, languages and distribution channels differ.
2. Decide who you sell to: importers, distributors, processors, retailers or industrial buyers.
3. Prepare an export-ready offer: specifications, certificates, volumes you can reliably supply, and prices that include logistics.
4. Meet buyers face to face. Trade fairs, trade missions and introductions through trade agencies still matter.
5. Start with a trial order and build trust through consistent quality and delivery.

Buyers often ask for private standards and certifications on top of the legal minimum. Ask early, so there are no surprises after the first order.

How Mavericks Go helps

Mavericks Go takes exporters into new markets with a market briefing and entry plan, introductions to distributors, buyers and counterparts, trade missions, a presence at the Mavericks editions, and support after you land. Mavericks Connect makes the introductions. Every Go deal is screened against EU sanctions. We make the right introductions; the deals are yours.