The Trade Department is mandated with all trade policies & matters for Seychelles at the national, bilateral, and multilateral levels. The department is pivotal in the creation, monitoring and sustainability of a conducive environment for Trade, competition promotion, consumer protection and border control, through the pursuance of comprehensive policy instruments which enhances market access for goods & services, enables potential for meaningful trade and remove non-tariff barriers.
The Department consists of various clusters/units that have an oversight on several issues including but not limited to Trade Remedies, Value Added and Excise Tax Policies, Intellectual Property Policies, Trade Facilitation, Trade in goods, Commitments for trade in Services, and Trade Information dissemination itself.
The Trade Department is also the hub for the acquisition of import permits in relation to goods that are restricted into the country and it is also key with respect to information pertaining to exports of goods in other countries. In all, the department is key to the negotiations and discussions that the country undertakes to ensure a climate that favors all the elements for effective trade both locally and internationally for an expected outcome that promotes equitable socio-economic development.
Import/Export Permit Unit
Import/Export Permit Unit acts as a one-stop shop for processing import and export permit applications and a facilitator in the whole process of obtaining such permits. The Unit is guided under the Customs Management (Prohibited & Restricted Goods) Regulations, 2023, and the Customs Management (Export Permit) Regulations, 2014. The Unit coordinate the import/export permit request between our clients and various approval authorities as established under the law so that the process of the issuance of the permits run smoothly. The Import/Export Permit Unit provides an e-service facility which serves as an information center and whereby client get easier access to our service.
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The Department is headed by Mrs. Nathalie Edmond who was appointed as the Principal Secretary on 1st May, 2025.
Mrs. Edmond has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Social Policy from the University of Manchester and a Post Graduate Diploma in Economics for Competition Law from Kings College, in the United Kingdom.
With over 20 years of working experience in the public service, Mrs Edmond started her career in November 2005 as a senior statistician at the National Statistics Bureau. In April 2011, she joined the then Ministry of Finance, Trade and Investment as an Economist.
She joined the Fair Trading Commission in January 2012 as a competition analyst and has since held several senior positions within the Commission. In July 2017, she was appointed Deputy CEO.
Prior to her appointment as Principal Secretary, Mrs Edmond was the Chief Executive Officer of the FTC, a post she has held since April 2023.
Director General for the Trade Department is Mr. Ricky Barbe
Phone: 4382134
Email: ricky.barbe@finance.gov.sc