Import bans are measures that are particularly trendy in Africa, as many governments use these kind of restrictions to protect their local productions from foreign competition. They have been often defined as a ‘poor substitute’ to the inability of African governments to create incentives that enable local producers to compete favorably with foreign competitors. But in the WTO context, import bans are regarded as non-tariff trade barriers and are therefore generally prohibited. So why African nations insist on introducing them?