Doing Business in Burkina Faso

Exporting to Burkina Faso

President Obama announced the National Export Initiative (NEI) http://www.export.gov two years ago, with the goal of doubling exports by 2014. U.S. embassies are committed to supporting U.S. companies to start exporting or grow their exports to Burkina Faso. In this section, you’ll find an quick description of Burkina Faso as an export market and some suggestions for getting started.

Getting Started

Visit the export.gov page on Burkina Faso to get an overview of economic conditions and opportunities.  Access the U.S. Commercial Service Market Research Library containing more than 100,000 industry and country-specific market reports, authored by our specialists working in overseas posts. Visit the export.gov page on Burkina Faso to get an overview of economic conditions and opportunities 

The Library Includes: 

• Country Commercial Guides (read latest “Doing Business In” guides)
• Industry Overviews*
• Market Updates*
• Multilateral Development Bank Reports*
• Best Markets*
• Industry/Regional Reports*

           Contact your local U.S. Export Assistance Center for advice and support on exporting to Burkina Faso. Contact a Trade Specialist Near You (http://export.gov/eac/index.asp)

           Contact your local Small Business Development Center (SBDCs) Starting a business can be a challenge, but there is help for you in your area. Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) are partnerships primarily between the government and colleges/universities administered by the Small Business Administration and aims at giving educational services for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. 

           Contact in-country business support organizations such as the Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie du Burkina Faso.

Investing in "Host Country"

This section provides information for current and potential investors in Burkina Faso.

Potential investors: Getting Started. 

If you are considering investment in Burkina Faso, here are some steps you may wish to consider as you get started:

• · Register with the U.S. Embassy – If you are planning a visit to consider investment, let us know by sending an email to the contact addresses on this page.
• · Visit host country resources, such as Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie du Burkina Faso.

Current investors: Staying Connected.

If you are a current U.S. investor in Burkina Faso the U.S Embassy wants to stay in touch. Here are a few steps you can take to keep the channels of communication open:

• Register with the U.S. Embassy – If you are active in Burkina Faso, let us know by sending an email to the contact addresses on this page.
• Add us to your mailing lists – we are always happy to stay informed
• Set up a meeting with our economic or commercial team to discuss any issues that arise

Working in Burkina Faso

In this section you will find information on business visas, travel advisories, and anti-corruption tools.

Business Visas

For information on obtaining a visa to visit Burkina Faso, visit the Embassy of Burkina Faso website for the most current visa information, or contact their offices directly.  The Embassy of Burkina Faso in Washington is located at 2340 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008, telephone (202) 332-5577.

Travel Advisories

Make sure to check the current State Department travel advisory http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html for Burkina Faso.

FCPA

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) is an important anti-corruption tool designed to discourage corrupt business practices in favor of free and fair markets.  The FCPA prohibits promising, offering, giving or authorizing giving anything of value to a foreign government official where the purpose is to obtain or retain business.  These prohibitions apply to U.S. persons, both individuals and companies, and companies that are listed on U.S. exchanges. The statute also requires companies publicly traded in the U.S. to keep accurate books and records and implement appropriate internal controls.   

More information on the FCPA can be found here:  http://www.fcpa.us/

A party to a transaction seeking to know whether a proposed course of conduct would violate the FCPA can take advantage of the opinion procedure established by the statue.  Within 30 days of receiving a description of a proposed course of conduct in writing, the Attorney General will provide the party with a written opinion on whether the proposed conduct would violate the FCPA.  Not only do opinions provide the requesting party with a rebuttable presumption that the conduct does not violate the FCPA, but DOJ publishes past opinions which can provide guidance for other companies facing similar situations.

More information on the DOJ opinion procedure can be found here: http://www.morganlewis.com/documents/fcpa/FCPAOpinionProcedureReleases.pdf

Contact Us

• Embassy:  Phone: +266 5049 5300
  Embassy:  Fax: +266 5049-5628
  E-mail: amembouaga@state.gov
  
  Economic /Commercial Officer
  Timothy Swett
  SwettTW@State.gov