MWB TRADING offers importers, distributors and companies in Burundi, from Tunisia, cables and equipment for power networks, LED lighting, water pipes and fittings, tiles, sanitaryware and plaster, as well as industrial raw materials. Goods leave from Radès (Tunis) or Sfax; our offers are made delivered to the transit port, Dar es Salaam or Mombasa, on CFR or CIF terms, in full 20 or 40-foot containers or as groupage for small volumes.
This guide brings together verified key facts for importing into Burundi, a landlocked country: the corridors linking Dar es Salaam and Mombasa to Bujumbura, the electronic cargo tracking note (BESC) required for every shipment, the certificate of conformity issued before shipment for regulated products, the EAC common external tariff and the possible COMESA preference, and what to include in your enquiry.
Sources: Ministry of Finance ordinance of 2014 and notices from its validation agent (BESC), lists of countries requiring a cargo tracking note (Maersk, 2024; GetCTN, 2026), BBN conformity verification programme run by SGS (2025 datasheet), OBR customs statistics bulletin (third quarter of 2025), EAC Gazette (June 2025), COMESA Secretariat (2020 and 2021), African Development Bank (March 2025), Logistics Cluster, Central Corridor agency (July 2026). Checked in October 2026; to be confirmed with your freight forwarder before each shipment.
These ranges from the MWB catalogue are offered from Tunisia for delivery to Burundi. References, required standards and quantities are confirmed in each offer; for regulated products, plan the certificate of conformity before shipment.
Low and medium-voltage power cables, control cables, building wires and cables. State the cross-sections in mm², the drum lengths and the standard required for your project.
Electrical cables Power and control cables Building wires and cablesMV/LV distribution transformers, prefabricated substations and medium-voltage switchgear. State the rating, the primary and secondary voltages and the type of installation.
Transformers and network equipment MV/LV distribution transformers Prefabricated MV/LV substationsLED lamps, luminaires and street lights for roads, buildings and sites, with the technical data sheet of each model.
Lighting and luminaires Street lightingHDPE and PVC pressure pipes for water supply, PVC drainage pipes, PPR pipes and fittings for plumbing. State the diameters, pressure ratings and lengths; plastic pipes and fittings are on the list of products requiring a certificate of conformity.
HDPE pipes and fittings PVC pressure pipes PVC drainage pipes and fittings PPR pipes and fittingsFloor and wall tiles, sanitaryware, tile adhesives and bagged plaster for finishing works. Tiles, ceramic sanitaryware and plaster are on the list of products requiring a certificate of conformity; state the formats, grades and areas.
Floor and wall tiles Taps and sanitaryware Tile adhesives Plaster and casting fibresCalcium carbonate, raw materials for paints and detergents, polymers. State the grade, particle size and packaging required.
Calcium carbonate Raw materials for paints Raw materials for detergents Polymers and plasticsBurundi has no access to the sea. From Tunisia, containers arrive, with transhipment depending on the shipping line, at Dar es Salaam on the Central Corridor or at Mombasa on the Northern Corridor. From Dar es Salaam, Bujumbura is reached by road via the Kobero border post; cargo can also travel to Kigoma, on the Tanzanian shore of Lake Tanganyika, and on to the port of Bujumbura by boat. The Northern Corridor, from Mombasa, crosses Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. The port of Bujumbura, the country’s only port, is being rehabilitated with funding from the African Development Bank and the European Union; in Kigoma, port modernisation is under way and the foundation stone of a standard gauge railway from Tabora was laid in July 2026. Our offers are made delivered to the transit port; onward transport to Bujumbura is arranged with your freight forwarder.
Every shipment to Burundi must be covered by an electronic cargo tracking note (BESC), required by a Ministry of Finance ordinance since 1 April 2014 (bill of lading date). It is issued at the port of loading through the appointed validation agent, and its number appears on the bill of lading and the manifest; cargo arriving without a BESC is held until regularised and exposes the parties to penalties. Most imports are cleared under the EAC Single Customs Territory: the declaration is lodged with the Burundi Revenue Authority (OBR) and taxes are paid in Burundi, then the goods leave Dar es Salaam or Mombasa under electronic tracking to their destination. MWB prepares the commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin and technical data sheets for the shipment.
Since 15 March 2014, Burundi has applied a pre-shipment verification of conformity programme (PVoC), under the technical responsibility of the Burundi Bureau of Standards and Quality Control (BBN) and run by SGS. For regulated products, the certificate of conformity (CoC) is mandatory for customs clearance: it is issued before shipment, after a document check and, depending on the case, an inspection, laboratory testing or a factory audit. The published list of regulated products notably covers cement, plaster, ceramic tiles and sanitaryware, plastic pipes and fittings, paints, chemicals and steel. Exemptions notably include consignments below a value threshold set by the programme and EAC-made products bearing a recognised quality mark. Have each item checked before shipment.
State the delivery city in Burundi and the preferred transit port, Dar es Salaam or Mombasa, with the references, quantities and standards required. Say whether several product families can share one container, whether you want a CFR, CIF or FOB offer, and who arranges onward transport to Bujumbura. Before ordering, agree the payment terms for the import with your bank.
Availability, transport, lead times and documents are confirmed in each offer.
State your products, quantities, delivery city and preferred transit port. Burundi is already selected; you can change it.
Chat on WhatsAppYes. Since 1 April 2014, every shipment to Burundi must be covered by an electronic cargo tracking note (BESC), required by the Ministry of Finance. It is issued at the port of loading and its number appears on the bill of lading and the manifest. Your freight forwarder confirms the current procedure before loading.
Products regulated under the BBN pre-shipment verification programme run by SGS: the published list notably covers cement, plaster, tiles, ceramic sanitaryware, plastic pipes and paints. The certificate is issued before shipment and required for customs clearance. MWB prepares the commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin and technical data sheets for the shipment.
Burundi applies the EAC common external tariff, with four main rates from 0 to 35% since July 2022. Burundi and Tunisia also take part in the COMESA free trade area, and the EAC allowed Burundi, from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026, not to apply the common tariff to goods originating in COMESA. With a COMESA certificate of origin, issued in Tunisia by customs or a chamber of commerce, products that meet the rules of origin can enter free of customs duty. Have your freight forwarder confirm the renewal of this measure and how it is applied before ordering.
Dar es Salaam on the Central Corridor, or Mombasa on the Northern Corridor. From Dar es Salaam, Bujumbura is reached by road via the Kobero border post, or via Kigoma and Lake Tanganyika. Our offers are made delivered to the transit port, on CFR or CIF terms, from Radès (Tunis) or Sfax; FOB is available on request.
Yes: several product families can be grouped in the same 20 or 40-foot container, and small volumes travel as groupage. For an urgent need for small quantities, air freight from Tunis-Carthage is available on request.
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