Namibia, being a member of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) is obliged to apply a SACU-wide import and export management regime. All cross-border movement of goods are subject to a general import and export licensing system, which is largely automatic. The Ministry of Trade and Industry is the first entry point for enquiries regarding import and export licensing, but other public agencies are also involved depending on the type of product being imported or exported.
There are specific groups of products requiring import permits, of which the following are not automatically granted:
- medicine and related substances
- chemicals
- frozen, chilled fish and meat, including game
- live animals and genetic materials
- pornographic materials
- controlled agronomic products (maize, wheat and dairy products)
- controlled petroleum products
- firearms, explosives, etc
- diamond, gold and other minerals
- coins
- all second hand and used goods such as used clothes and vehicles
The following specific groups of products require export permits, and are also not automatically granted:
- medicine and related substances
- live animals and genetic materials
- all ostrich breeding materials (eggs, chicks, birds)
- meat and game products
- protected species (fauna/flora) in terms of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
- plants, plant products, and propagating materials
- firearms, explosives, etc
- diamond, gold and other minerals
- coins and bank notes
- works of art which have been in Namibia for more than 50 years
- national monuments, archaeological findings, etc.
Namibia is party to the WTO Agreement on Import Licensing, and as such, its import and export management regime has to be gradually made compatible with the WTO parameters on import controls. Unlike imports, exports are not so much an issue of concern within the WTO rules. Namibia is also a signatory to the following:
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
- Montreal Convention on the Emission of Ozone Depleting Substances
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- International Organisation for Epizootic (IOE)
- World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)
- International Standards Organisation (ISO)
All these international commitments require certain, specified interventions in the trade of species, substances, materials and goods.