weighted score 5.4 · nine dimensions
Country Risk Profile
Togo
Sourcing risk, regulatory exposure and audit intelligence for Togo-origin supply chains.
Forced & child labour
6
ILAB listings for forced child labour in agriculture and domestic service. Trafficking of children from rural to urban areas documented.
Worker rights & FOA
5
Core ILO conventions ratified. Trade unions exist but limited capacity. Vast informal sector outside regulatory oversight.
OHS & audit transparency
6
Labour inspectorate underfunded. Audit coverage minimal outside formal export sector. Phosphate mining OHS improving but artisanal operations higher risk.
Food & product safety
5
Limited domestic food processing for export. Cocoa and coffee quality variable. Product safety regulatory framework underdeveloped.
Environmental & regulatory
5
Low industrial emissions footprint. EUDR-regulated commodities (cocoa, coffee, timber) produced in limited volumes. No active IUU card.
Governance & anti-corruption
8
TI CPI 2025: 32/100. Gnassingbé family in power since 1967. May 2024 constitutional change to parliamentary system consolidates ruling party control.
Tariff & preferential access
2
EBA beneficiary — duty-free, quota-free access to the EU market. Among the most favourable trade access arrangements available.
Non-tariff barriers
5
Limited export diversification. Port of Lomé transit function creates re-export traceability challenges. Customs procedures improving but remain complex.
Supply chain traceability
7
Cocoa and coffee supply chains have limited traceability infrastructure. Multi-tier opacity in agricultural products. Port transit cargo from landlocked neighbours complicates origin verification.
Labour & Social Risk
Labour & Social Risk
- Forced labour risk
- US ILAB lists Togo for forced child labour in agriculture and domestic service. Forced labour documented in artisanal mining, domestic work, and agricultural sectors. Children trafficked from rural areas to urban centres for domestic service.
- Worker rights
- Freedom of association legally permitted. Trade unions exist but capacity is limited. Labour inspectorate underfunded relative to informal sector size. Most employment is informal and outside regulatory oversight.
- ILO conventions
- Togo has ratified all eight ILO fundamental conventions including C029, C087, C098, C105, C138, and C182. Enforcement and monitoring capacity remain the binding constraint.
- Phosphate mining
- Phosphate mining (~8% of GDP) employs significant numbers of workers. OHS standards in mining have improved but artisanal and small-scale operations remain higher risk.
EU Regulatory Exposure
EU Regulatory Exposure
- GSP status
- Togo is classified as an LDC and benefits from EU Everything But Arms (EBA) arrangement — duty-free, quota-free access to the EU market for all products except arms and ammunition.
- EUDR exposure
- Low-to-moderate. Togo produces cocoa, coffee, and timber in limited volumes. Cocoa and coffee exports to the EU will require EUDR due diligence statements from 2025/2026.
- EU Forced Labour Regulation
- Regulation (EU) 2024/3015 applies from December 2027. ILAB listings for forced child labour in agriculture increase the probability of Article 5 investigations for Togolese agricultural products.
- CBAM exposure
- Negligible. Togo has minimal industrial production in CBAM-covered categories. Phosphate exports are not currently covered by CBAM.
Logistics & Supply Chain
Logistics & Supply Chain
- Port of Lomé
- The only deep-water port in the sub-Saharan region to feature in Lloyd's List top 100 container ports. Natural deep-water harbour (16.6m draught) — no dredging required. Handles transit cargo for landlocked Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali.
- Primary export corridor
- Port of Lomé → Gulf of Guinea → Atlantic → EU ports (Rotterdam, Antwerp, Le Havre).
- Transit time
- Approximately 12-16 days to Northwest Europe.
- AfCFTA opportunity
- African Continental Free Trade Area implementation expected to boost Port of Lomé traffic as regional trade integrates. Togo is positioning as a West African logistics hub.