Sudan Bans Imports of More Than 40 Goods to Curb Sudanese Pound Depreciation

Sudan has moved to halt the import of a wide range of goods in an effort to curb the depreciation of the Sudanese pound, with the decision issued under a directive signed by Prime Minister Kamal Idris.

“Conformément aux recommandations du comité technique, le Premier ministre a publié une décision mardi pour interdire les marchandises agricoles égyptiennes en plus du poisson et les boites de conserve”

Alwihda Info

Reuters reported that Sudan decided to ban the import of a wide range of foodstuffs, consumer goods, and industrial inputs, classifying them as “luxuries and non-essentials.”

Alwihda Info

The list described in the reporting includes products such as biscuits and chocolate, plastic bags and containers, fruits and vegetables, and rice, as well as cement and dolls, and raw materials for companies.

The policy is presented as a response to the currency slide, with the Sudanese pound “shed about 10% of its value to reach 4,100 pounds per dollar since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran on February 28.”

Al Arabiya similarly described the pound as having fallen about 10 percent to around 4100 pounds per dollar since February 28, and said the directive issued by Kamal Idris covered goods including biscuits, chocolate, plastic bags, containers, fruits, vegetables, rice, cement, and dolls.

In the parallel market, the dollar price exceeded 4,100 pounds, while Al-Salam Bank quoted 3,900 pounds and Omdurman National Bank quoted 3,350 pounds, according to the market data cited in the reporting.

The Sudanese Cabinet’s decision was also described as targeting “more than 40” non-essential goods, with the Sudan Tribune reporting that the ban was aimed at curbing volatility in parallel markets and promoting local industries.

The ban was framed as part of a broader attempt to stabilize exchange-rate pressure amid a long-running economic collapse tied to the war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces.

The reporting in جريدة الدستور said the decision came “amid the depreciation of the Sudanese pound,” noting that the pound had already suffered sharp declines due to “the internal conflict that has been ongoing for three years.”

Dabanga Radio TV Online

It described the war as having “devastated the country's economy,” leading to “the shutdown of most industries, crippling agriculture, and increasing gold smuggling,” which it said worsened an “already large trade deficit.”

The same source said that at the start of the conflict, “the Sudanese pound stood at around 600 pounds per dollar,” before it later fell to about 4,100 per dollar.

Al Arabiya likewise tied the currency slide to “the war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces over three years,” saying it “destroyed the country’s economy, halted most industries, paralyzed agriculture, and increased gold smuggling.”

It also stated that “Despite the displacement of about 14 million Sudanese,” “millions have returned” to “central Sudan,” increasing demand for imports “especially food and building materials.”

Sudan Tribune added a specific administrative timeline, saying the Council of Ministers issued “Resolution No. 174 of 2026 on April 12,” based on recommendations from a committee and directives from the High Economic Committee.

Sudan Horizon, meanwhile, described a separate timeline around the government’s own working group, saying the Prime Minister formed a working group “on April 9, 2026,” held an inaugural meeting “on April 14, 2026,” and a second meeting “on April 20, 2026,” before issuing “Decree No. 74/2026 on April 12, 2026” that preempted the team’s work.

Economists interviewed in the reporting warned that the import ban could backfire if Sudan does not have ready domestic substitutes.

In an interview with Radio Dabanga, economist Dr Haitham Fathi said the policy could have “a strong adverse effect” given “the absence of ready domestic alternatives,” and he pointed to factories and national capital “already under strain.”

He argued that the decision could disrupt the flow of goods and compound hardship for the Sudanese public, which he said is already grappling with “poverty, unemployment, and economic pressure.”

Fathi said, “Import bans,” “signal a shortage of foreign currency and may increase demand for dollars on the parallel market,” which he said could “push up the exchange rate and fuelling new waves of inflation.”

He added that “Prices of essential goods—including medicines and food—could rise further,” and he criticized the policy as repeating earlier measures that yielded similar results, including “a higher US dollar rate” and “a widening gap between official and parallel rates.”

Fathi also said, “The real challenge for the government is to secure sufficient US dollar inflows to avert crises, rather than merely postponing them.”

The reporting also captured a warning about exemptions, saying “Opening exemptions—such as for Egyptian beans—could undermine credibility and divert trade to the parallel market.”

Another economist, Abu El Qasim El Siddiq, warned that failing to include imports that benefit Egypt’s export sector and those of other countries could harm Sudanese producers, and he told Radio Dabanga that many factories in Khartoum and major regional cities have resumed operations and are producing “ample quantities of several goods on the banned list.”

He also said that while halting imports may encourage smuggling, it can be mitigated by strengthening enforcement, including “modern methods such as drones and advanced surveillance technologies.”

Business groups and importers reacted sharply, with the Sudanese Importers Chamber criticizing the ban and vowing to challenge it in court.

Sudan Horizon reported that the head of the Sudanese National Chamber of Importers, Al-Sadiq Jalal Al-Din, expressed “astonishment and bewilderment” at the Prime Minister’s decision to ban the import of several goods, asking, “How can such disastrous, harmful, ill-considered, and irresponsible decisions be issued?”

Sudan Horizon

Jalal Al-Din called on the Prime Minister to “reconsider, reverse, and cancel the said decision,” and he said the Chamber would pursue “legal action to overturn it” if the decision was not revoked.

He argued that separating the Ministry of Trade from the Ministry of Industry was needed, saying the current minister, while acting under the guise of industry, is implementing policies that “harm foreign trade, increase smuggling and tax evasion.”

Sudan Horizon also accused the decision of being issued in a way that preempted a working group, saying the Prime Minister issued “Decree No. 74/2026 on April 12, 2026, banning the import of several goods, preempting the work of the team he himself had formed.”

In the same reporting, Jalal Al-Din said the decision aims to “stifle competition, encourage monopolies, create shortages of goods, widen the gap in the Sudanese market, and promote smuggling.”

The Sudan Tribune similarly described the National Chamber of Importers as warning the ban “could be struck down in court,” and it quoted the chamber’s president, Al-Sadiq Jalal al-Din, saying the exchange-rate crisis remedy was “a superficial remedy.”

He also warned that the decision “opens the door to corruption, reduces competition, and creates a parallel market for the banned goods,” and he called on the Prime Minister to “reconsider and reverse it,” threatening “to pursue legal action if it is not repealed.”

Reuters-linked reporting in جريدة الدستور captured the same business critique, quoting Sadiq Jalal al-Din describing the move as “flawed and harmful to the Sudanese economy and not well studied,” and warning it “could create a monopolistic environment in favor of a small, selected group.”

The ban list described across the reporting covers more than 40 items and includes both consumer and industrial goods, with some exemptions and special policies.

“The Sudanese Cabinet approved a decision to halt the import of a group of goods classified as discretionary luxury items, in a move aimed at reducing pressure on foreign exchange and supporting exchange-rate stability”

Akhbar al-Sudan

Sudan Tribune said the resolution included a ban on imports of more than 40 goods, listing “ready-made dairy products — except for powdered milk and infant formula,” and foods including “biscuits, sweets, jams,” as well as “Indomie instant noodles,” “paints,” “laundry and bath soaps,” and “cosmetics,” along with “cement,” “textiles,” “furniture,” and “vegetables and fruits.”

Akhbar al-Sudan

Sudan Tribune also reported that media reports indicated the Ministry of Industry and Trade reviewed the initial list and removed some items from the ban, including “rice, sauce, production inputs, and cement,” with the final list and implementation date to be clarified at an upcoming press conference.

Another report, اخبار السودان, said the ban list includes more than 40 items such as “chocolate, biscuits, ready-made juices, and jam,” “dairy products except for powdered milk and infant formula,” and “Egyptian fava beans and rice and ketchup,” and it also included “cosmetics and perfumes,” “laundry soap and bath products,” and industrial goods such as “cement and plastic products,” plus “toys and artificial flowers and wigs.”

The same source said the decision exempted some essential goods or subjected them to special policies, including “implementing a quota system on ceramics,” and reviewing the status of “some goods such as furniture.”

Sudan Tribune added that the decision directed the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministries of Industry and Trade, Finance, the General Administration of Customs, and other authorities to implement it immediately.

It also reported that economic analyst Abdul-Azim Al-Mahal said the significance depends on the weight of banned goods in the balance of payments, warning that if adequate domestic alternatives are not available, the decision could lead to “increased smuggling and black-market activity.”

The reporting also placed the stakes in trade figures, citing the Central Bank of Sudan’s 2025 External Trade Statistical Snapshot, which reported “total Sudanese exports at about $2.64 billion,” imports “at $6.49 billion,” and a trade deficit “of about $3.86 billion.”

In parallel, the policy environment included other import restrictions, with Alwihda Info reporting that the Sudanese Prime Minister Bakri Hassan Saleh decided “l'interdiction de toute importation de produit agricole en provenance d'Égypte,” after lab tests on “orange égyptienne” found “virus de champignon,” and it said the decision also covered “poisson et les boites de conserve.”