Sub-Saharan Africa · CF

India and Central African Republic

India exported USD 9.8 mn to Central African Republic in 2024, led by HS 30, and imported USD 6.7 mn. Here are the documents, the gateways and how SSL moves your cargo on the India side.

  • CurrencyXAF Fr
  • Time−4h30 vs IST
  • CapitalBangui
  • AccessLandlocked
  • Road
  • Air
  1. Road leg in India to the gateway, SSL fleet · Road
  2. Air leg to Central African Republic · Air

Road in India, then sea or air onward

Exports from India
USD 9.8 mn
Imports into India
USD 6.7 mn
Trade partner rank
#170

Happiness, on this lane, is the buyer in Bangui whose goods arrive on the promised day, and the shipper in India who never has to chase.

At a glance

Region
Sub-Saharan AfricaMiddle Africa
Income group
Low incomeWorld Bank
Currency
XAFCentral African CFA franc
Languages
French, Sango
Capital
Bangui
Time
−4h30 vs ISTUTC+01:00
Access
Landlocked
Trade partner rank
#1700.001% of India's trade

Trade agreements: No India trade agreement in force (MFN terms; check GSTP separately).. Sources: World Bank country classification; ISO 4217 and languages via mledoze/countries; IANA time zones; agreements per India Briefing FTA tracker and Invest India.

Ship from India to Central African Republic

USD 9.8 mnIndia's exports to Central African Republic, 2024 (FOB)
0.00%of India's exports to the world
USD 16.5 mntwo-way trade, 2024
India's top exports to Central African Republic, 2024
  1. HS 30 Pharmaceutical products USD 6.6 mn67%
  2. HS 38 Chemical products n.e.c. USD 763 thousand8%
  3. HS 87 Vehicles USD 543 thousand6%
  4. HS 84 Machinery and mechanical appliances, boilers, nuclear reactors USD 390 thousand4%
  5. HS 73 Iron or steel articles USD 291 thousand3%

Gateways in Central African Republic

Seaports: Landlocked: sea cargo moves through a neighbouring country's port.

Airports: Bangui M'Poko International Airport (BGF)

OurAirports: large (else medium) airports with scheduled service and an IATA code. Direct service from India NOT verified.

Transit time

No public port-to-port benchmark is published here yet. We do not guess one: our desk gives you the current sailing or flight time with the quote.

Source: UN Comtrade, 2024. India as reporter; exports FOB, imports CIF; general trade, all modes; HS 2022 (H6) chapters. Retrieved 29 Sep 2026.

Import from Central African Republic to India

USD 6.7 mnIndia's imports from Central African Republic, 2024 (CIF)
40%of the two-way trade is India buying
India's top imports from Central African Republic, 2024
  1. HS 71 Natural, cultured pearls USD 6.4 mn96%
  2. HS 44 Wood and articles of wood USD 164 thousand3%
  3. HS 85 Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof USD 48 thousand0.7%
  4. HS 84 Machinery and mechanical appliances, boilers, nuclear reactors USD 25 thousand0.4%
  5. HS 87 Vehicles USD 8960.0%

On arrival in India the importer files a bill of entry on ICEGATE; customs assesses basic customs duty, the social welfare surcharge and IGST on the assessable value. No agreement rate is available, so the standard tariff applies. Read the import guide →

How SSL moves it

Road in India, then sea or air onward

India leg: by road to the Indian gateway

SSL's fleet moves your cargo by road to and from India's ports and airports.

International leg. The air leg, or the sea leg through a neighbouring country's port, is arranged by our desk, and our desk arranges customs clearance.

Outside India? Email (corporatesales@sslpl.in) is the easiest way for our desk to reply across time zones. WhatsApp +91 75062 45557 works too.

Documents

General guidance: verify every shipment with your customs broker and the current DGFT and CBIC notifications.

IEC
An Importer-Exporter Code from DGFT is needed for any commercial shipment to or from Central African Republic. Guide →
HS code
Classify every line under the HS nomenclature; India's largest export chapter to Central African Republic in 2024 was HS 30. The 8-digit ITC(HS) code goes on the shipping bill. Guide →
Incoterms
Central African Republic is landlocked, so the multimodal terms (FCA, CPT, CIP, DAP) fit better than FOB or CIF, which are for sea legs only. Guide →
Certificate of origin
Non-preferential CoO Guide →

Questions about shipping between India and Central African Republic

Does India have a free trade agreement with Central African Republic?
No bilateral or regional agreement between India and Central African Republic is recorded in our sources, so goods move at normal (MFN) duty rates with a non-preferential certificate of origin. Source: Invest India / India Briefing FTA tracker, 2026.
What does India export to Central African Republic?
India exported USD 9.8 mn of goods to Central African Republic in 2024. The largest chapters were HS 30 pharmaceutical products (USD 6.6 mn), HS 38 chemical products n.e.c. (USD 763 thousand), HS 87 vehicles (USD 543 thousand). That is 0.00% of India's exports to the world. Source: UN Comtrade, India as reporter, 2024, exports FOB.
What does India import from Central African Republic?
India imported USD 6.7 mn from Central African Republic in 2024, mainly HS 71 natural, cultured pearls (USD 6.4 mn), HS 44 wood and articles of wood (USD 164 thousand), HS 85 electrical machinery and equipment and… (USD 48 thousand). To claim a lower agreement rate on these goods, the importer needs origin proof under CAROTAR 2020. Source: UN Comtrade, India as reporter, 2024, imports CIF.
How big is India-Central African Republic trade?
Two-way goods trade between India and Central African Republic was USD 16.5 mn in 2024, 0.001% of India's total, which ranks Central African Republic number 170 among India's trading partners. India exports more than it imports on this lane. Source: UN Comtrade, India as reporter, 2024.
How long does shipping from India to Central African Republic take?
No public port-to-port benchmark for India to Central African Republic is published on this page yet. Our desk confirms the current sailing or flight time for your cargo when it quotes. Source: SSL global dataset, 29 Sep 2026.
What certificate of origin do I need to export to Central African Republic?
A non-preferential certificate of origin is the usual document; both kinds are issued through the DGFT e-CoO platform (coo.dgft.gov.in). Check the buyer's letter of credit or import rules for the exact form. Source: DGFT, 2026.
What is the time difference between India and Central African Republic?
Bangui runs at UTC+01:00 in 2026, which is −4h30 vs IST. Plan calls and cut-offs with our desk in IST; we reply by email across time zones. Source: IANA time-zone database, 2026.
Does Safe & Secure Logistics clear customs for Central African Republic shipments?
Yes. Our desk arranges clearance for your shipment, or works with your own broker, while SSL's fleet runs the road leg in India. Our desk shares the operator's licence and documents for your shipment on request. Source: SSL site facts, 29 Sep 2026.

Keep exploring

Data: UN Comtrade 2024 · retrieved 29 Sep 2026. Company figures appear only where sourced from SSL's own register.

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