Art. 14 of the Purchasing, Contracting, and Surplus Disposal Act provides that national products may be procured if their prices do not exceed foreign alternatives by more than 11%, with foreign products acceptable only if they meet the required specifications (Art. 14.20). This is also confirmed in Art. 27.3, which states that government procuring entities, when purchasing goods or services through international or local tenders and when analysing and comparing bids, must grant a margin of preference to certain bids for goods produced or extracted in Sudan, as well as to bids for works submitted by Sudanese contractors.

Somalia does not implement any de minimis threshold, which is the minimum value of goods below which customs do not charge duties.

Somalia lacks a consumer protection framework in place.

Somalia has not signed the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts.

Somalia has not adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Commerce.

Somalia has not adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Signatures.

All businesses operating in Somalia must be registered either with the Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry or with the competent authority of the relevant Federal Member State. Under Art. 7 of Law No. 001/2021 on the Regulation of Company Law, the Registrar of Companies issues each incorporated private or public company with a unique business licence number, which functions as a general business licence aligned with the licensed activity. Art. 9 further provides that companies engaged in activities subject to prior approval under other Somali laws may not commence operations until they obtain the necessary sectoral authorisations in addition to this general licence.
According to the online Company Registrar/eBusiness portal, this framework is implemented through specific licence categories, including a “General Non-Foodstuffs Import” licence (Soo-dejinta guud ee Badeecooyinka aan Cuntada ahayn) and a “Combined Import and Export” licence (Soo-dejinta iyo Dhoofinta).

It is reported that customs procedures differ significantly between ports and that there is no unified national customs authority. While the federal government has made some progress in modernising customs administration, many border crossings and regional ports continue to operate under localised systems, resulting in procedural delays and elevated transaction costs.

All businesses operating in Somalia must be registered either with the Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry or with the competent authority of the relevant Federal Member State. Under Art. 7 of Law No. 001/2021 on the Regulation of Company Law, the Registrar of Companies issues each incorporated private or public company with a unique business licence number, which functions as a general business licence aligned with the licensed activity. Art. 9 further provides that companies engaged in activities subject to prior approval under other Somali laws may not commence operations until they obtain the necessary sectoral authorisations in addition to this general licence.
According to the online Company Registrar/eBusiness portal, this framework is implemented through specific licence categories, including a "Standard Goods Export" license (Dhoofinta Badeecadaha Caadiga ah) and a "Combined Import and Export" license (Soo-dejinta iyo Dhoofinta)

It is reported that electronic and electrical products, referred to collectively as radio and telecommunications terminal equipment (RTTE), require local testing to check the quality of standards before exporting to Somalia. The certification regulation outlines the procedures that manufacturers and importers must follow to ensure that their products are certified as safe for use or consumption in Somalia. The steps for this verification include physical inspection and testing.

All businesses operating in Somalia must be registered either with the Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry or with the competent authority of the relevant Federal Member State. Under Art. 7 of Law No. 001/2021 on the Regulation of Company Law, the Registrar of Companies issues each incorporated private or public company with a unique business licence number, which functions as a general business licence aligned with the licensed activity. Art. 9 further provides that companies engaged in activities subject to prior approval under other Somali laws may not commence operations until they obtain the necessary sectoral authorisations in addition to this general licence.
According to the online Company Registrar/eBusiness portal, this framework is implemented through specific licence categories, including a dedicated e-commerce store licence (Dukaamada Dhijitaalka ah ee Ganacsiga) and a “General Retail & E-Commerce” licence (Tafaariiqda iyo Dhijitaalka Guud) for domestically established retail and online trading businesses.

Art. 24 of the Mobile Money Regulation states that the Central Bank may, from time to time and in consultation with mobile money service providers, set transaction limits for mobile money service providers, their agents and consumers, including daily and periodic limits. It is reported that mobile money transfer companies should limit daily transactions to USD 300 per account and conduct biometric registration of their customers.

According to Art. 4.3 of the Media Law, media activities may not be carried out without prior authorisation and registration from the Ministry of Information. Art. 1 defines “media” as the system through which information, knowledge, speeches, data and ideas are disseminated to society using visual, auditory or printed means, including websites.
Moreover, pursuant to Art. 7, all media entities – including internet companies, telecommunications operators and media organisations, whether already existing or newly established – must register with the Ministry of Information. Privately owned local and foreign media agencies are also required to pay an annual registration fee. Law No. 001/2021 - The Regulation of Company Law states that the fee for a specific license for "Internet and ICT services" and for "Website Newspaper" costs USD 300.

Art. 3.2 of the Unified Licensing Framework establishes the Applications and Services Provider (ASP) Licence for non-infrastructure-based service providers that offer services and applications to end users over the networks of Communications Infrastructure Providers. The services covered may include, inter alia, voice services, internet access, data services, mobile money services, IPTV and other value-added services.
The “Application and Service Provider (ASP) Licence” issued by the National Communications Authority of the Federal Republic of Somalia further clarifies the scope of this authorisation and sets out the requirements applicable to licensees, among other matters.

Somalia has established a telecommunications regulatory body known as the National Communications Authority (NCA). The NCA was created under the National Telecommunication Law, which stipulates in Art. 7 that it functions as an autonomous agency in the performance of its duties, free from interference by other governmental institutions. It possesses legal personality, granting it the capacity to initiate or defend legal proceedings in its own name, consistent with the procedures applicable to government agencies. Nevertheless, similar to other governmental bodies, the NCA falls administratively under the jurisdiction of the minister responsible for national communications. Despite this administrative oversight, the law affirms that the NCA retains autonomy in executing the responsibilities assigned to it under the Law.