Mozambique: Update of conformity assessment procedures

 

Mozambique has published Pr. PAC-DEI-03 -Conformity Assessment Procedure for Imported Products of Compulsory Control at Customs Clearance.

The purpose of this procedure is to establish the flowchart and other rules to be observed by those involved in the customs clearance process inherent to imported products whose conformity assessment is of a mandatory control nature and applies to the entities and personnel involved in the process of importing products subject to the Conformity Assessment Programme under the terms of Decree no. 8/2022, 14 March, which approves the Standardizations and Conformity Assessment Regulations.

The Conformity Assessment Program (CAP) was established by the Government of the Republic of Mozambique, represented by the National Institute of Standardization and Quality (INNOQ-IP), to guarantee consumers the quality and safety of imported products, to ensure that products meet the required conformity and to prevent unfair competition for the local industry due to imports of products with substandard parameters and to protect the environment.

Goods covered by the List of Mandatory Control Products must comply with the conformity certification in order to be cleared through customs, and failure to comply may result in delays in the clearance of goods. Importers must inform their exporters about compliance with the requirements of the Conformity Assessment Program when exporting to Mozambique, so that the products enter the market in compliance with applicable technical standards and regulations.

Required Documents for the importation are:

• Certificate of Conformity (CC);
• Final Commercial Invoice;
• Packing List;
• Property Title;
• Importer Card

The conformity assessment procedure will be the following:

Stage I – START OF THE PROCESS OF OBTAINING THE CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMITY

The Importer/Buyer expresses an interest in purchasing, refers to the mandatory compliance with the PAC for that specific product, which is included in the Mandatory Control List in force, and sends the UCR (Unique Consignment Number) to the exporter/seller.

Stage II – START OF THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS

Exporters must submit their goods for conformity assessment, in accordance with Article 16 of the Standardization and Conformity Assessment Regulation, approved by Decree No. 8/2022, of March 14. The Exporter must contact Intertek representing INNOQ, IP for the purposes of conformity assessment and issuance of the Certificate of Conformity (CC). The Certificate of Conformity (CC) is the document that proves that the product has been tested in laboratories accredited by ISO/IEC17025 and/or recognized by INNOQ, IP and complies with the requirements specified in standards or technical regulations. The conformity assessment activity is subject to the fees set out in Annex I of Ministerial Decree No. 98/2023, of July 14. After verifying the conformity of the product, INNOQ, IP/Intertek issues the Certificate of Conformity (CC) per shipment and, if conformity is not verified, issues the Non-Conformity Report (RNC). The Non-Conformity Report (RNC) is the document that proves that the product does not comply with the requirements specified in standards or technical regulations. The CC and RNC in the initial phase, where there is still no connection between the JUE (Single Electronic Window) and INNOQ, IP, must be sent by email by INNOQ, IP/Intertek to the exporter, importer and authorized entities. In the case of an RNC, the product must not be shipped to Mozambique as it does not meet the requirements for compliance.

Stage III – SUBMISSION OF THE CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE IN THE JUE

It is the obligation of the Declarant or the authorized entity to present the CC to the Customs Authorities when submitting the declaration to the JUE, under paragraph 4 of article 16 of Decree no. 8/2022, of March 14, in conjunction with article 40 of the Customs Clearance Regulation approved by Ministerial Decree no. 51/2019, of May 24. In the absence of the CC, the declarant or authorized entity must contact INNOQ, IP/Intertek, to verify compliance at the destination (Route D).

To find out more about product compliance in Africa, please contact the Product Compliance Institute directly.