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Sierra Leone

US Revised Tariffs (%)

10

Ease of doing business

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Share of US Imports % (1 implies <1%)
US Tariff %
Revised Tariff %
Country Tariff Rate %
1
10
10
13.7
1
44
10
4.4
1
10
10
9.1
Exports (in USD Bill.) 2024
Imports (in USD Bill.) 2024
Balance (in USD Bill.) 2024
0.12
0.03
0.09
0.37
3.02
-2.65
1.04
0.01
1.04

US Revised Tariffs

Country Tariffs

Balance of Trade

Commercial Guide

Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in countries, prepared by U.S. Embassies worldwide, Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals

Tariff Rate for US

World Bank staff estimates using the World Integrated Trade Solution system, based on tariff data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's Trade Analysis and Information System ( TRAINS ) database and global imports data from the United Nations Statistics Division's Comtrade database.

US Imports Guide 

United States Imports from Countries during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. United States Imports from Countries- data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on April of 2025.

Implications

"As of Sunday, April 20, 2025, here's the latest update on tariffs concerning Sierra Leone, based on available information: 1. United States Tariffs on Imports from Sierra Leone: Baseline Tariff: Following the U.S. announcement in early April 2025, a universal baseline tariff of 10% is applied to imports from most countries, including Sierra Leone. This went into effect on April 5, 2025.   Reciprocal Tariffs: Sierra Leone was listed among the countries that would face higher ""reciprocal tariffs"" starting April 9, 2025, with a rate of 10% being indicated. However, a 90-day pause was subsequently announced for these country-specific reciprocal tariffs (excluding China, Hong Kong, and Macau), effective April 10, 2025. This means that currently, the tariff rate for imports from Sierra Leone to the United States is the baseline 10%.   Historically: Data from 2020 indicated a Most Favored Nation (MFN) and Applied Tariff rate of 0.18% for all goods from Sierra Leone entering the United States. The recent changes represent a significant increase from this historical rate. Impact: The 10% US tariff on Sierra Leone's exports is expected to have a negative impact on the country's GDP, as it relies heavily on exports, particularly in the mining and agricultural sectors. Key exports likely affected include rutile and other minerals, cocoa, coffee, and potentially titanium and aluminum ores, and fish. 2. Sierra Leone's Own Tariff Policy: Sierra Leone's tariff regime is based on the Common External Tariff (CET) of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), utilizing the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) for classifying goods. The ECOWAS CET features a five-band structure for import duties: 0%: Essential social goods. 5%: Basic goods, raw materials, and capital goods. 10%: Inputs and semi-finished goods. 20%: Finished goods. 35%: Specific goods for economic development.   Taxes on most imports are assessed based on the Cost, Insurance, and Freight (CIF) value. Some goods have specific duties based on weight, volume, or quantity.   Excise duty is also levied on certain imports depending on the product.   As a member of ECOWAS and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Sierra Leone grants duty-free preferences to products originating from member states under certain conditions (wholly produced, sufficiently transformed, or with 35% value addition for ECOWAS).   The average applied MFN tariff in Sierra Leone was around 14.9% (including excise tax and ECOWAS levy) in 2017. For industrial products, it was about 13.5%, and for agricultural imports, around 16.5%. 3. Trade Policy and International Agreements: Sierra Leone is committed to multilateral trade and is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).   The country benefits from preferential trade arrangements like the European Union's ""Everything But Arms"" (EBA) initiative, granting duty-free and quota-free access to the EU market.   Sierra Leone also has access to the U.S. market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), although the specific impact of the new 10% tariff on AGOA benefits for Sierra Leonean goods needs to be assessed. The National Trade Strategy aims to reposition trade for the African Continental Free Trade Area and promote a robust and competitive private sector. In summary, the most recent update regarding tariffs on Sierra Leone concerns the new 10% baseline tariff imposed by the United States on imports from most countries, including Sierra Leone, following a temporary pause on higher, country-specific ""reciprocal tariffs."" Sierra Leone itself applies a tariff schedule based on the ECOWAS CET, with varying rates depending on the type of goods and their origin, while also participating in regional and international free trade agreements. "

US Negotiation Strategy

Based on the most recent data from 2024, the top imports to the US from Sierra Leone by value are: Ores, slag and ash ($11.87 Million) Pearls, precious stones, metals, coins ($5.33 Million) Vegetable, fruit, nut food preparations ($2.63 Million)   Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers ($2.04 Million) Animal, vegetable fats and oils, cleavage products ($1.76 Million) Here's a look at which states in the US can manufacture similar goods, along with examples of companies: Ores, slag and ash: This category primarily includes raw materials extracted from the earth. States: Mining occurs in various states, including Arizona (copper), Minnesota (iron ore), Wyoming (coal, trona), Nevada (gold, silver), Utah (copper, gold, silver), and West Virginia (coal). Companies: Freeport-McMoRan (Arizona) - Copper and other metals.   Cleveland-Cliffs (Minnesota) - Iron ore.   Peabody Energy (Wyoming, West Virginia) - Coal.   Newmont Corporation (Nevada) - Gold. Rio Tinto (Utah) - Various metals and minerals. Pearls, precious stones, metals, coins: This includes mining, processing, and manufacturing of precious materials. States: While not primary mining states for all, processing and manufacturing occur in states like New York (jewelry district), California, and states with significant metalworking industries. Coin production is primarily the domain of the United States Mint with facilities in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Denver, Colorado.   Companies: Numerous jewelry manufacturers in New York and California.   Metal refiners and processors nationwide. Vegetable, fruit, nut food preparations: This involves processing agricultural products. States: California is a major agricultural state for fruits, nuts, and vegetables, with significant processing industries. Other states with substantial food processing include Washington, Oregon, Florida, Texas, Illinois, and various Midwestern states.   Companies: Del Monte Foods (nationwide with significant operations in California).   Dole Food Company (nationwide with significant operations in California and Florida). Welch's (nationwide with processing facilities in various states). Numerous smaller regional food processors. Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers: This is a broad category of industrial equipment. States: States with strong manufacturing sectors like Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin have companies producing various types of machinery. Nuclear reactors and boilers are specialized equipment with manufacturers often concentrated in states with relevant expertise.   Companies: Caterpillar (Illinois) - Heavy machinery.   General Electric (GE) (nationwide) - Power generation equipment, including components for nuclear reactors and boilers.   Emerson Electric (Missouri) - Industrial automation and machinery components.   John Deere (Illinois) - Agricultural machinery.   Animal, vegetable fats and oils, cleavage products: This involves processing agricultural and animal products into fats and oils. States: States with significant agriculture and meatpacking industries, such as Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, and states in the Southeast, have companies involved in this sector.   Companies: Cargill (nationwide with processing facilities in various states). Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) (nationwide with processing facilities in various states). Tyson Foods (nationwide) - Processes animal fats. It's important to note that while the US has the capability to manufacture similar products, the specific grades, qualities, and types might differ from those imported from Sierra Leone. Additionally, economic factors can influence why certain goods are imported rather than solely produced domestically. For instance, the cost of labor or the availability of specific raw materials can make imports more competitive in certain sectors.

Investing in USA

theboardiQ Economic Relevance Score, ranks States of USA based on 11 parameters

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Sources : Forbes | USDA Economic Research | TCGen Total Innovation Rank Index | Best States for Manufacturing | World Population Review | Tax Foundation | US News | BEA Data | Wikipedia | International Trade Administration

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theboardiQ's Economic Relevance Score provides a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of a nation's economic vitality and global significance. This score is meticulously calculated using 11 key parameters, each reflecting a critical facet of economic performance. It analyzes the representation of Fortune 500 companies within a nation, a strong indicator of its business environment and market size. The balance of trade surplus or deficit reveals the nation's international competitiveness and export strength. It incorporates Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a fundamental measure of overall economic output, and examine the health of key sectors like agriculture and manufacturing. The score also accounts for innovation, gauging a nation's ability to drive future growth through technological advancements. Crucial labor market indicators such as employment rates are considered, alongside fiscal policies reflected in tax rates. To capture the lived experience of citizens, it assesses cost of living and disposable income, providing insight into purchasing power and economic well-being. Finally, education levels are integrated, recognizing their pivotal role in fostering a skilled workforce and driving long-term economic development. By synthesizing these 11 parameters, theboardiQ's Economic Relevance Score delivers a nuanced and holistic view of a nation's economic standing, enabling informed strategic decisions. The Top 5 States in the assessment are Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, Florida and Washington. Texas does consistently well across most of the 11 variables especially in the areas of GDP, F500 representation in the State, Balance of Trade where it ranks 2nd nationally. North Carolina scores as the highest-ranking state nationally in manufacturing and performs consistently across the other variables. Virginia does well in disposable income where it ranks 3rd nationally. It also scores high in the variables of manufacturing and employment Florida holds the 4th ranking nationally for GDP and Tax Washington State scores the top spot for disposable income nationally, 2nd for education and 3rd for innovation. Colorado, with an overall rank of 7 scores the top spot for Education (schools and higher education). Nebraska, that ranked 10th overall, did well in Agriculture where it is ranked 3rd nationally as well as Trade Balance where it ranked 5th. Illinois, though ranked 20th overall did well nationally in F500 representation, GDP, Agriculture, and Disposable Income. Pennsylvania comes in at 21 overall doing well nationally in GDP (6th); Manufacturing (8th) and F500 representation (8th) New York scores 23rd overall with a 2 ranking in Disposable Income nationally, as well as 3rd in both F500 representation and GDP. California comes in at 29th overall and has the top spot ranking in a whopping 4 variables nationally – GDP, Innovation, Agriculture and F500 representation. However, performance in the areas of Trade Balance, Cost of Living, Tax, Manufacturing and Employment resulted in the overall ranking dipping. Wyoming at 30th overall scores the top spot nationally in the area of Tax Massachusetts at 31 overall does well in innovation where it is ranked 2nd nationally Arkansas at 36 and Alabama at 39, do well in overall Cost of Living where they are ranked 2nd and 3rd nationally, respectively. Louisiana ranked 44th overall is ranked 1st in Trade Balance nationally.

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