Cocoa smuggling from Côte d'Ivoire to Guinea has surged, with around 50,000 metric tonnes, worth $573 million, illegally transported between October and December. The rise in cocoa prices has fueled this illegal trade. Despite government measures to deter smugglers, including confiscating proceeds and suspending licenses, smuggling continues to disrupt the cocoa supply chain.

Cocoa smuggling from Côte d'Ivoire to Guinea has reached alarming levels, with exporters estimating that approximately 50,000 metric tonnes, valued at around $573 million based on current global prices, were illicitly transported between October and December.

The sharp increase in cocoa prices last year has provided an additional incentive for smugglers to engage in the illegal trade.

Sources reported to Reuters that Côte d'Ivoire's cocoa, smuggled across the border, was being sold at 5,000 CFA francs ($7.95) per kilogram, whereas the fixed price paid to farmers in Côte d'Ivoire was set at 1,800 CFA francs per kilogram in September.

Once in Guinea, the smuggled cocoa is typically exported to Asian markets such as Indonesia and Malaysia, according to exporters.

A director of a European export company based in Côte d'Ivoire's commercial capital, Abidjan, expressed concern over the situation, saying, "Because of corruption, cocoa smuggling is accelerating, and we risk not having the volumes we need to fulfill our contracts."

Another export company head based in Abidjan remarked, "Our suppliers prefer smuggling, which is much more profitable, and I understand them."

In late December, exporters in Côte d'Ivoire reported that approximately 8,500 tonnes of cocoa crossed the border on December 24 alone.

Cocoa prices surged to a record $12,931 per metric tonne in New York in December, driven by forecasts of continued poor crops from leading producers, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, for the fourth consecutive season.

To combat the rising smuggling, Côte d'Ivoire's government introduced tougher measures in October, including confiscating the proceeds from any illegal activity, revoking passports, and suspending driving licenses. A source at the Coffee and Cocoa Council (CCC), the sector regulator, mentioned that the government is exploring additional strategies to address the growing issue of cocoa smuggling.