Senegal lifted its suspension of potato imports from November 4, after a survey of wholesalers on October 29 found that local supply could no longer meet demand, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said in a circular dated November 5, state daily Le Soleil reported. Import authorizations are subject to quotas and expire on December 20. Local potatoes had supplied the market alone since January 16.
Analysis: The 46-day window is about a third of the 122 days granted to onion importers when that suspension ended in August, by our calculation. This leaves traders little time to contract, ship and clear cargoes before December 20. The ministry has not published the quota volume, so it remains unclear how much supply the permits will bring. The suspension lasted 292 days, and the ministry said prices stayed relatively stable over the period. Importers now await a decision on what applies after December 20, for which no date has been published.
Source: Ministry of Industry and Commerce and ARM, Ministry of Industry and Commerce circular of November 5, 2026, as reported by Le Soleil, 2026; Ministry of Industry and Commerce and ARM, Le Soleil, November 2026, 2026; Ministry of Industry and Commerce and ARM, Ministry of Industry and Commerce press release on lifting the onion import freeze, 31 Aug 2026 (via Dakaractu), 2026; Ministry of Industry and Commerce and ARM, Ministry of Industry and Commerce decision on onion imports, 31 Aug 2026 (via Senego, 31 Aug 2026), 2026