Generalizes on the best strategy to enter the market, e.g., visiting the country; importance of relationships to finding a good partner; use of agents.
Last Published: 4/5/2019
If not physically present in the country, a U.S. business should consider carefully selecting a local agent who speaks French and is familiar with local customs.  Having a skilled and dedicated local agent on the ground that can follow up on business proposals and seek out business opportunities is imperative for doing business in Burkina Faso.  A hard-sell approach to promoting products or services, without taking the time to build relationships with potential customers or partners, will likely be seen as aggressive and backfire.

U.S. firms are encouraged to submit competitive bids as government tenders become available.  Some foreign firms, primarily European consulting, building, and engineering contractors, have established offices in Burkina Faso.  However, the establishment of a local branch office is not required to do business in the country.
Investors or exporters can also contact the U.S. Embassy’s Economic and Commercial section to ask about commercial services, including Gold Key Services, which arrange meetings with government officials and the private sector for companies visiting Burkina Faso.  The Embassy can also assist with an International Partner Search and obtain information on a particular company with an International Company Profile (ICP). Please refer to the U.S. Embassy’s Business Tab for more information.

 

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.