Export licenses: the scrap metal sector denounces a two-tiered system

The scrap metal sector in Senegal is experiencing significant turbulence. While fourteen exporters officially hold licenses, only three are currently operational. Industry stakeholders attribute this paralysis to what they consider discriminatory and restrictive operating conditions.

Céline Momar-Sorna, president of the Senegalese metal exporters' association, is speaking out against the requirement for operators to have a warehouse of at least 5,000 square meters to work in. According to her, this measure, introduced between 2023 and 2024, is one of the main obstacles to the normal functioning of the sector. She explains that the blockage is impacting the entire value chain: scrap metal dealers, transporters, and intermediaries are seeing their capital tied up, while companies are accumulating payment delays, with some operators waiting ten to fifteen days to be paid after delivery.

"Some are excluded and others are favored."

Anger escalated when the head of the employers' organization alluded to a two-tiered system, claiming that lobbyists were working to exclude some players in favor of others. Faced with this untenable situation, industry professionals directly appealed to the Ministry of Commerce, demanding swift intervention to allow license holders to resume operations.

A strategic sector for the economy

For exporters, this crisis extends beyond their own corporate interests. Céline Momar-Sorna points out that the halt or slowdown of exports generates a substantial loss for the national economy. According to her estimates, the sector can generate between 30 and 40 million CFA francs every seven days, with more than 60 containers loaded and shipped to the port of Dakar during the same period.

Behind this regulatory battle, a whole segment of the informal and industrial economy is under pressure. Exporters are demanding a swift clarification of the rules and are making a direct appeal to the Ministry of Commerce: remove the obstacles and guarantee strictly fair treatment for all accredited operators.