Certificate of Conformity
Some countries require a certificate of conformity for importing goods. Typically, these are the countries of the African continent, but there may be others.
If a certificate of conformity (Also known as Certificate of Compliance. CoC.) is required, this is the mandatory document to clear importing goods with the destination country's customs.
These requirements are caused by the need to ensure the safety of importing countries' consumers. Unsafe and unreliable products can result in injury, death, or property damage, as well as the costs associated with the product, recall compensation claims, and damage to a brand's reputation.
If you're shipping from the USA any goods to the countries requiring a certificate of conformity, you need to provide this shipping document for customs clearance. This document's absence can result in severe delays in goods clearance, penalties, or even cargo return or destruction.
The obtaining of the document in international cargo transportation is solely the shippers' responsibility. Neither ocean freight carrier nor freight forwarder would assist the consignee if an issue related to CoC arose.
An original certificate of conformity should be available before booking an international shipment from the USA. If cargo departs from the U.S., it is most likely too late to search for the shipment document.
To be prepared for shipping goods from the USA to a country that requires a certificate of conformity, you should contact a consulate of the country in the United States in advance and clarify the requirements. We'd also recommend you send a request to Intertek to get the document, or at least to be prepared for the shipment.
For your information, here is a list of countries that require a certificate of conformity or a similar document for goods shipping from the USA. However, it is not complete and may not be updated.
ALGERIA Shipping from the USA to Algeria requires 'Certificat de contrôle de qualité,' a mandatory document for all exports to Algeria.
BANGLADESH Shipping from the USA to Bangladesh used capital machinery: Exports of second-hand capital machinery to Bangladesh may require an 'Inspection Certificate' for customs clearance.
BOTSWANA Shipping from the USA to Botswana must comply with the requirements of the Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) Import Inspections Regulations (SIIR) to Standards Programme for the goods to clear customs.
CAMERON Shipping from the USA to Cameroon regulates by a 'Programme d’Evaluation de la Conformité Avant Embarquement (PECAE)'.
ECUADOR Shipping from the USA to Ecuador: The Government secures imports, facilitates exports, implements importing standards.
EGYPT Shipping from the USA to Egypt must be approved by GOEIC to issue the mandatory Certificate of Inspection for exports of Regulated Products to Egypt.
ETHIOPIA In shipping from the USA to Ethiopia, a Certificate of Conformity is mandatory.
GABON Shipping from the USA to Gabon needs to comply with the Gabon government's office's requirements, Agence Gabonaise de Normalisation (AGANOR) Conformity Assessment Programme called PROGEC for their goods to clear customs.
IVORY COAST Shipping from the USA Ivory Coast: The Government of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) has introduced a Verification of Conformity Program for all exports to the country.
KENYA Shipping from the USA to Kenya: To assure Kenyan consumers of the safety and quality of the imported goods they buy and to protect Kenyan manufacturers from unfair competition, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), a statutory organization of the government of Kenya, has implemented guidelines called the Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) to Standards Programme for exports to Kenya.
KUWAIT Shipping from the USA to Kuwait: The Public Authority for Industry of the State of Kuwait (PAI) implemented specific guidelines to verify the conformity of all 'Regulated Products' that are exported to Kuwait.' These guidelines are diligently enforced and form the Kuwait Conformity Assurance Scheme (KUCAS). Exports to Kuwait of these products 'Regulated Products' require a Technical Evaluation Report (TER) and a Technical Inspection Report (TIR) to clear customs.
MOZAMBIQUE Shipping from the USA to Mozambique: Regulated goods (known as the Positive List) may be subject to pre-shipment inspection in the country of export before they are allowed into Mozambique. Goods on the Positive List have to comply with these regulations and must be accompanied by a Documento Unico Certificado (DUC).
NIGERIA Shipping from the USA to Nigeria: The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has implemented a strict set of guidelines for exports to Nigeria called the Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP).
QATAR Shipping from the USA to Qatar: Exports to Qatar of vehicle spare parts, tires, and some electrical products require a mandatory Certificate of Conformity for Customs clearance. The Government of the State of Qatar, through the Qatar Ministry of Business and Trade – Department of Consumer Protection and the Qatar General Organization for Standards and Metrology (QGOSM), has issued a set of strict rules regulating the import and sale of Vehicle Spare Parts and Vehicle Tyres.
RUSSIA, BELARUS, KAZAKHSTAN, ARMENIA, KYRGYZSTAN Shipping from the USA to Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan: Compliance to Customs Union Technical Regulations is required when exporting to the Eurasian Economic Union - EAEU (former Customs Union). Member states are: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan. GOST certification systems for individual member states are gradually replaced by certification to the Customs Union Technical Regulations (CUTR).
SAUDI ARABIA Shipping from the USA to Saudi Arabia: For all exports to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a Conformity Assessment Programme has been implemented. All products require a Certificate of Conformity, also referred to as a SASO CoC, to enable them to be cleared through Saudi Customs.
TANZANIA Shipping from the USA to Tanzania: To assure Tanzanian consumers of the safety and quality of imported goods they buy and to protect Tanzanian manufacturers from unfair competition, the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), a statutory organization of the government of Tanzania, implemented guidelines called the Pre-Shipment Verification of Conformity (PVoC) to Standards Programme.
UGANDA Shipping from the USA to Uganda: Require a Certificate of Conformity for products regulated under the Uganda Pre-Export Verification of Conformity to Standards Programme (PVoC).
