Import / Export

With growing uncertainty surrounding the political futures of several countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa, there has never been a more important time for companies that export into these regions to ensure they comply with export regulations.

It is essential for exporters to understand the requirements for countries they ship to and to ensure they are able to meet these requirements. Government led quality control programmes relating to imports are becoming popular in these regions to stem the flow of counterfeit and substandard goods entering their countries and potentially harming their citizens. This means checks are now more commonly required on shipments of goods before they leave the country of export and clearance documents are to be obtained to accompany shipping documentation.

With opportunities in these relatively new export markets increasing for UK companies, there is a growing trend of exporters shipping goods without first attaining the necessary documentation. This is because they were either unaware of the regulations, or wrongly advised by their importers. Knowledgeable and experienced exporters should already be aware of conformity requirements when shipping regulated items and will ensure that they attain the necessary certification for shipments, therefore avoiding the problems that non-compliance can bring.

At SGS United Kingdom Ltd we receive calls on a regular basis from companies that find themselves in a position where goods have been stopped and effectively quarantined until a necessary clearance document is issued. In these cases the exporter could potentially be incurring huge costs in demurrage fees or equivalent. As any company that has had any of their shipments stopped will be aware, attaining a retrospective clearance document once goods have arrived at destination can be difficult for various reasons, but at SGS we will always work to find a solution when these situations arise. However, in worst case scenarios, shipments without the necessary clearance document may be refused at the port of discharge and subsequently sent back to the country of origin at the exporters cost.

A certificate of conformity, or equivalent, can only be issued by a third party inspection and certification company authorised by the governing body for the programme in the country of import. SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. Recognised as the global benchmark for quality and integrity, we employ more than 64,000 people and operate a network of over 1,250 offices and laboratories around the world. Our Governments and Institutions Services division has extensive experience in providing solutions to exporters in line with requirements many governments now have in place.

Another important point for exporters to consider is labelling requirements. For exports into countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Nigeria and Algeria, there can be significant consequences for not meeting labelling requirements.

For clarification of the current government requirements for any of the following countries, please contact SGS on 01276 697773 and we will be happy to assist you with your enquiry:

Middle East and N. Africa Sub-Saharan Africa

ALGERIA KENYA
IRAQ NIGERIA
KUWAIT UGANDA
SAUDI ARABIA ZAMBIA
SYRIA