International Shipping from / to Mali

Customs in Mali

The Customs process in Mali is laughable, to be honest.  Items routinely get lost or stolen from their department while other get seized by the government with little or no explanation.  This especially happens to items that are perceived to be gifts or that hold a significant value. 

Security concerns when shipping to Mali

There is a high concern about terrorist activities in Mali at this time.  There have been terrorist attacks in the past and there continues to be threats on an almost daily basis there.  These terrorist attacks, and even the threats to some degree, pull vital governmental employees off of their regular duties such as processing Customs for shipments.  They also affect the delivery process by shutting down some roads or sorting facilities, as example, causing heavy delays in getting shipments to their rightful new homes.  Additionally there is a fair amount of thievery that goes on within Mali, both in the government structure and by civilians trying to sell something on the black market.  Because of these criminal happenings, you should ship there with heavy caution and do not ship anything that can not be replaced. 

Transit times when shipping to Mali

You can typically pay a bit extra to have your items shipped at a faster pace.  Check with your shipping company for more details. 

Tracking your shipping to Mali

To help minimize the negative happenings listed above occurring to your particular shipment, it is advisable that you affix both a tracking number and some insurance to your parcels.  This gives a level of accountability to your shipping company and your shipment is more likely to reach its intended destination if it has these.  There will extra fees associated with these add ons, and they will vary depending on the shipping company, but it is strongly advised that you look into it as it will be money worth spent.