On November 11, 2020, SGS signed a contract with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) of the Central African Republic (CAR) on the implementation of the Pre-Verification of Conformity of Imported Goods to CAR, starting March 2021.
The program will be exclusively serviced by SGS.
Under the contract, SGS, acting on behalf of CAR's MOCI, will perform conformity assessment services for exporters of goods to CAR to verify and confirm that those products meet relevant national and/or international quality standards. Only those products that meet the relevant regulations and standards will be issued a Certificate of Conformity, which must be shown to the Customs agency upon shipment arrival at ports of entry, before goods are released to the importer/consignee.
The following non-exhaustive list contains product groups to be included in the program:
- Food products and food
- Chemicals and related products
- Plastic and rubber products
- Leather products
- Wood and wood products
- Paper and paper products
- Textile and clothing
- Shoes and hats
- Construction materials, including stones and glass products
- Metals and metal products
- Industrial equipment and machinery
- Mechanical products, including gas appliances
- Electrical and electronic products
- Telecommunications products
- Motor vehicles and parts
- Laboratory, scientific or metrology equipment and instruments
- Toys and sports articles
- Furniture and furnishings
A more detailed list (together with HS codes) for the above will be posted in due course. Shipments with less than the minimum threshold FOB value of USD 1,500 for commercial (USD 3,000 for personal) are not covered by the program.
The PVoC program was launched by the CAR government in line with its mandate to strengthen consumer protections against unsafe and below-standard goods and to prevent the country from being a dumping ground for such products.
For further information, please contact:
Bobby Byll
Country Manager
t: +241 011 77 09 63
About SGS
SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 89,000 employees, we operate a network of more than 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world.