EXPORTER AND IMPORTER GUIDELINES

Transcription

1 IN T R O D U C T IO N T O T H E P R O GR A M M E The Agence des Normes et de la Qualite (ANOR), a public administrative body of the Republic of Cameroon, has been tasked with the Verification of Conformity to Standards of local and imported goods and services and Technical Regulations. To this effect the government has put in place a Cameroon Conformity Assessment Programme officially known as PECAE conformity assessment and a process of verification of goods imported into the Republic of Cameroon, carried out in the country of export, in order to ensure their conformity to the applicable National Cameroonian Standards and Technical Regulations. Intertek has been awarded a mandate by the government as one of the Service Providers to carry out this Verification of Conformity. Goods having Standards as Technical Regulations shipped to Cameroon are subject to the conformity assessment and Exporters must obtain an Attestation of Conformity (AoC) from a Service Provider. The AoC will be sent to ANOR for verification purposes. The verified AoC will be the basis of ANOR to issue a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) to the Importer. Only CoC is allowed to clear such imported goods at Customs. PECAE will commence on 31 st August All products scheduled to arrive at Cameroon Ports and Borders with a B/L or AWB dated after 31 st of August 2016 should have the AoC in order for ANOR to issue a CoC. CoC must be presented by the Importer to the Cameroon Customs for clearance of their goods. Regulated goods arriving at Cameroon Ports and Borders without a CoC will be liable for a penalty fee. P R O GR A M M E GE N E R A L R E QU IR E M E N T S The scheme is designed to protect Cameroon consumers from unsafe and substandard finished products most of which are imported and consumed directly by them. The objectives of the programme include but are not limited to the following: Provide a level playing field in terms of quality for both regulated and locally manufactured products in order to prevent unfair competition Prevent the dumping of substandard goods into the Cameroon market and as a result preventing economic loss to the Importer and the nation at large Impede loss of lives and property including foreign exchange bearing in mind that the exporting country/exporter have been paid for the goods shipped into Cameroon Forestall any adverse reaction (such as environmental pollution occasioned by destruction of substandard products) by Regulatory Agencies on arrival of such goods in Cameroon Facilitate trade through fast track clearance of goods at the ports Scope of Goods or Products subject to Cameroon Products under PECAE are the following: All Food and Related Products (including agricultural products) Construction Materials (e.g. Steel sheet and alloys) Petroleum Products All Cosmetics Paper Products (i.e. School books) Gas Cylinders For more information about regulated products list please refer to Exhibit A appended in this guideline. Page 1 of 10

2 IN T E R T E KS O L U T IO N Pioneer in Product Conformity Assessment Programmes Intertek pioneered the development of the product conformity assessment programmes, which is now being applied in many parts of the world to prevent dangerous and unsafe products entering into the market. Intertek has undertaken more assessments of more products for longer than any other organisation. Reputation of Excellence and Strong Brand Recognition Intertek has experience in providing solutions to businesses exporting a wide range of products to Cameroon. To date, Intertek has issued over 1.5 million certificates and test reports. Intertek certificates include the latest encryption technology, watermarks and other security measures to prevent the counterfeiting or tampering of the certificates. Global Network Intertek operates a global network of offices that have operated the product conformity programmes for many years and accredited laboratories, authorized to perform testing against Cameroon requirements. Dedicated Staff with In-Depth Industry Knowledge and Technical Expertise Intertek has experience in providing solutions to businesses exporting a wide range of products to Cameroon. Intertek staffs are experts on the understanding and interpretation of a wide range of national and international standards and requirements including Cameroon standard requirements as well as understanding the needs of Exporters and Importers. International Accreditations and Institutional Memberships Intertek is recognized by more than 30 accreditation bodies around the world and is an active member of the International Federation of Inspection Agencies (IFIA). Strong Focus on Customer Satisfaction Intertek can provide fast, rapid and tailor made service that meets your particular needs, including: (a) Submission of assessment requests online, (b) Automated s for status of certificates, and (c) Flexible certificate delivery solutions for high volume users. Page 2 of 10

3 R O U T E S FO R S H IP M E N T C E R T IFIC A T IO N H O W T O O B T A IN A N A T T E S T A T IO N O FC O N FO R M IT Y? Intertek's Conformity Assessment services are non-exhaustive. Intertek provides three Conformity Assessment Routes (A, B and C) depending on an assessment of the risk of the product, the manufacturer and the country of origin. The procedure includes provision of three routes of shipment certification subject to the frequency of shipment and the type of Exporter. Below is a summarized representation of the Cameroon shipment certification structure: ROUTES TO SHIPMENT CERTIFICATION Intertek ANOR Routes A Method A (Occasional exports) No Registrtaion Mandatory Product Testing & Shipment inspection Attestation of Conformity Certificate of Conformity C A M B Method B (Frequent exports) Product Registration Registration review. Random Inspection and testing Attestation of Conformity Certificate of Conformity E R O C Method C (Frequent and high volume manufacturers) Product Licensing Licence review. Random inspection Attestation of Confoirmity Certificate of Conformity O N Page 3 of 10

4 ROUTE A TEST, INSPECTION AND DOCUMENT REVIEW Under Route A, the goods to be shipped must be tested and physically inspected to demonstrate conformity to applicable Cameroon Standards. Certification under Route A will have a mandatory pre-shipment inspection per shipment. Below are the steps for certification: Step 1: Submission of the Request for Certification (RFC) by the Exporter and submission of the commercial invoice. The Exporter must complete and submit an RFC form (available on the website) to the local Intertek Office accompanied by the following documents: i. Request for Certification (RFC) available from the website ii. Quality Management System Certificates (ISO 22000, ISO/TS 16949, ISO ) iii. Proforma Invoice iv. Test Reports, Reports of Analysis, Quality Mark v. Packing list vi. Product Specification Sheet, Material Safety Data Sheet vii. Account Application Form (for new clients) viii. Operating Instructions Manual, if applicable NOTE: The quality and completeness of the aforementioned documents will directly influence the time and cost required to process the order/request as well as the effectiveness of the risk management analysis. A request duly filled in, complete and ready to be validated can result in a simplified inspection procedure, if the consignment is considered as being low risk following the risk analysis. Step 2: Supplier statement of conformity Document review for completeness (see Step 1 above) and to: i. Determine which Cameroonian National standards are appropriate for the product ii. Determine the essential requirements (based on health, safety and environmental hazards as per the standard) iii. iv. Establish the product risk profile (to determine the level of intervention) Prepare the inspection and testing instructions (see Steps 3 and 4) and respond to the Exporter's request by providing all the information below within 48 hours: a. Missing documents (if any). b. Essential requirements (as per the identified standard) as well as the level of intervention (i.e. where testing must be done, the Exporter will be informed). c. Proposed inspection date and schedule for the Exporter's confirmation. d. Any other Consignment Based Conformity Assessment requirements. NOTE: Inspection shall be scheduled for a date not later than three days from receipt of the missing documents specified in the information sent to the Exporter after reviewing its RFC. However, if the RFC was accompanied with all the valid documents specified in Step 1, the inspection will be scheduled for a date not later than five days from receipt of the RFC, unless the Exporter requests otherwise. Step 3: Consignment inspection report by the appointed inspector The inspection will take place according to the instructions prepared in Step 2. The inspection will focus on: Markings Packaging Shelf-life of the product (if relevant) Conformity with the packing list and invoice Visible conformity of the product Page 4 of 10

5 Assessment of product functionalities is critical more so where testing is not feasible (see Step 4). Samples shall be drawn and respective packages from which samples are drawn marked appropriately by the inspector for testing (see Step 2) as explained in Step 4 below. Upon completion of the inspection, the inspector shall prepare a report detailing his findings and remarks (recommendations). A copy of the report shall be submitted to the Exporter immediately thereafter. Any discrepancy noted during inspection shall be brought immediately to the attention of the Exporter through a discrepancy report. NOTE: The conformity assessment process is not complete upon finishing the physical inspection of the goods. The final decision on conformity of the inspected goods will only be taken after evaluation of the inspection report, test reports (where applicable) and other relevant quality documents. Step 4: Consignment test report Testing shall be confined to essential requirements or parameters of the applicable standard only. Testing will only be performed on samples and in any of the following laboratories: a. Any laboratory accredited by the Standardisation Board. b. An independent laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC c. Any laboratory, including laboratories not accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, under Intertek's authority (this option is only open in instances where the first two laboratories cannot be found within the locality). Step 5: Issuance of the final Attestation of Conformity (AoC) Upon receipt of the inspection report (Step 3) and the test/document evaluation report (Step 4), a certification decision will be taken and a certificate issued (i.e. Attestation of Conformity or Non-Conformity Report) within three working days of receipt of the reports and the final invoice for importation by sea and 1 working day for importation by air. AoC is valid for 90 days from the issue date. NOTE: Where testing has to be carried out, the final decision on conformity of goods will be taken not earlier than the completion of testing. Page 5 of 10

6 ROUTE B PRODUCT REGISTRATION AND CERTIFICATION Route B offers a fast track certification process for goods with reasonable and consistent levels of quality through registration of such products before they are shipped. Product registration is recommended to Exporters having frequent shipments of homogeneous products. Registration remains valid for a one-year period. Shipments of registered products are exempted from mandatory testing. Certification may be based solely on a physical inspection. Random testing of registered products is sometimes required to guarantee product conformity throughout the registration period. I. Product Registration Procedure Below are the steps for Product Registration: Step 1: Submission of the Registration Application Form by the Exporter Exporters (traders or manufacturers) seeking registration of their products under the Consignment Based Conformity Assessment Programme must have made at least three shipments according to Route A in order to fill out and submit a registration application form (available on the website), accompanied by the following documents: a. Company's incorporation in the Register of Companies and a document describing its activity. b. List of the products to be registered and the related standards c. Data sheet and/or product description stipulating the planned use d. Copy of the product's technical specifications (if available) e. Test reports by an accredited laboratory (if available) f. Quality Management System Certificates (ISO 22000, ISO/TS 16949, ISO ) Step 2: Review of the registration application by Intertek The documentation submitted will be reviewed to: i. Establish product conformity with National Cameroon standards. ii. Establish the Exporter's ability to consistently supply quality goods. The Exporter will be informed of the outcome of the document review within four working days of receipt of the duly completed application. On successful review and upon payment of the applicable fees, the Exporter will be issued with a Statement of Registration detailing the products registered; the Product Registration issued by Intertek will have a validity of 12-months and other registration conditions. II. Certification Procedure For Shipments Of Registered Products An Attestation of Conformity is nonetheless required for shipments of registered products so that they can enter the country. However, the certification procedure is much faster due to the above registration. Certification under Route B will have pre-shipment inspection once in every 3 months. The certification procedure is described below: Step 1: Submission of the Request for Certification (RFC) and commercial invoice The Exporter shall complete and submit an RFC form (available on the website) and the following documents: a. The valid Statement of Registration concerning the goods to be shipped. b. Final or commercial invoice. These documents will be reviewed to establish the validity of the Statement of Registration and schedule inspection for a date not later than three days from the date of receipt of the RFC, unless the Exporter/supplier requests otherwise. Note that the inspection may be exempted if other items of conformity satisfy and replace the inspection elements. In this case, the Exporter will be subject to random inspections and not systematic inspections for each shipment (see chapter on risk assessment). Page 6 of 10

7 Step 2: Supplier statement of conformity Document review for completeness (see Step 1 above) and to: i. Determine which Cameroonian National standards are appropriate (standards applied based on priorities). ii. Determine the essential requirements (based on health, safety and environmental hazards as per the standard) iii. Establish the product risk profile (to determine the level of intervention) iv. Prepare the inspection and testing instructions (see Steps 3 and 4) and respond to the Exporter's request by providing all the information below within 48 hours: a. Missing documents (if any). b. Essential requirements (as per the identified standard) as well as the level of intervention (i.e. where testing must be done, the Exporter will be informed). c. Proposed inspection date and schedule for the Exporter's confirmation. d. Any other Consignment Based Conformity Assessment requirements. Step 3: Consignment inspection report by the inspector The inspection will take place according to the instructions prepared in Step 2. The inspection will focus on: Markings Packaging Shelf-life of the product (if relevant) Conformity with the packing list and invoice Visible conformity of the product Samples may be drawn and respective packages from which samples drawn marked appropriately by the inspector. Upon completion of the inspection, the inspector shall prepare a report detailing his findings and remarks (recommendations). A copy of the report shall be submitted to the Exporter immediately thereafter. Any discrepancy noted during inspection shall be brought immediately to the attention of the Exporter through a discrepancy report. Step 4: Consignment/shipment test report Testing (if necessary) shall be confined to essential requirements or parameters of the applicable standard only. Testing will only be performed on samples and in any of the following laboratories: a. Any laboratory accredited by the Standardisation Board. b. An independent laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC c. Any laboratory, including laboratories not accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, under Intertek's authority (this option is only open in instances where the first two laboratories cannot be found within the locality). Step 5: Issuance of the final Attestation of Conformity (AoC) Upon receipt of the inspection report (Step 3) and the test/document evaluation report (Step 4), a certification decision will be taken and a certificate issued (i.e. Attestation of Conformity or Non-Conformity Report) within three working days of receipt of the reports and the final invoice for importation by sea and 1 day for importation by air. AoC is valid for 90 days from the issue date. NOTE: Where testing has to be carried out, the final decision on conformity of goods will be taken not earlier than the completion of testing. Page 7 of 10

8 ROUTE C PRODUCT APPROVAL / PRODUCT LICENSING Manufacturers that have registered their products and demonstrated the conformity of their shipments may apply for Product Approval/Product Licensing of their products with the Certification and Registration Centres. This Route requires the following steps: Type testing Factory audit Surveillance of manufacturing processes by means of audit Testing of samples taken from the factory and/or shipments once a year After having successfully completed these steps the manufacturer will be granted a Licence for the concerned products. The Licence is valid for 1 year. Products under Route C will be subjected to pre-shipment inspection once in every 6 months by Intertek. Intertek may also carry out random tests during the period of validity of the Licence. AoC is valid for 90 days from the issue date. For this Route, the Exporter must complete and submit the following documents to Intertek: Request for Certification (RFC) form A copy of the product licence and/or other quality marque recognised by ANOR Proforma or final invoice R E S P O N S IB IL IT IE S Importers Importers should ensure that their suppliers are aware of the requirements of the PECAE and that goods whose standards are Technical Regulations to Cameroon must be issued by an Attestation of Conformity (AoC) to be the basis for CoC issuance by ANOR. There is no fee for CoC issued by ANOR. ANOR does not require additional documents from the Importer. Importers should note the office location of ANOR as below: Agence des Normes et de la Qualité BP Yaoundé Cameroun Tel: + (237) Rue Koloko Douala Cameroun Normes et de la Qualité Exporters Exporters should ensure that their products or goods are conform to the regulations and quality requirements of Cameroon before shipment by undertaking the necessary tests and obtaining an Attestation of Conformity for all products to be exported to Cameroon. Intertek Office Intertek Office should ensure to send the issued AoC to ANOR and to the Exporter. This is for ANOR to issue the CoC for the shipment arriving at Cameroon Ports and Borders. Page 8 of 10

9 O T H E R R E QU IR E M E N T S Shelf-life of products: All imports with a limited shelf-life must have sufficient shelf-life remaining following the anticipated date of unloading in Cameroon. Markings/Labelling: Markings must be in French or in both French and English language. Counterfeit Products/merchandise The importation of counterfeit products or merchandise is forbidden. If Intertek suspects that products or merchandise may be counterfeit, the Exporter of the products will be asked to supply sufficient proof of the authenticity of the products before AoC can be issued. Intertek reserves the right to notify ANOR/Cameroon Customs in such cases. C E R T IFIC A T IO N FE E S Certification fees are payable by the Exporter or Manufacturer. P E C A E C E R T IFIC A T IO N Attestation of Conformity (AoC) Routes D E S C R IP T IO N FE E ( E U R O ) Fee as a % of declared FOB value Minimum fee Maximum fee A 0.45% , B 0.40% , C 0.27% , Statement of Registration (SoR) Initial Registration/ Renewal For first 15 products or line items Every additional product/line items above 15 (Fee is based on per product/line item) Licensing Fees Licensing fees will be calculated on a case by case basis. Please contact your Intertek Licensing Centre or the nearest Intertek CSC Office for more information. Page 9 of 10

10 E X H IB IT S Exhibit A Exhibit B Exhibit C Exhibit D Exhibit E Exhibit F Regulated Products List Non-Regulated Products List Intertek Offices Contact Details RLC and CTE Details Request for Certification Request for Product Certificate, Registration, Licence C O N T A C T U S GO V E R N M E N T A N D T R A D E S E R V IC E S L IA IS O N O FFIC E Address: Academy Place, Address Intertek Cameroon SARL 1-9 Brook Street, Rue Prince de Galles Brentwood, Douala, Essex CM 14 5NQ, Cameroon United Kingdom Division: Government and Trade Services Phone: Phone: Fax: Fax: info.government@intertek.com info.douala.gs@intertek.com Page 10 of 10