Tunisia's Ministries of Trade, Industry, and Health have jointly issued a decree requiring importers of certain consumer products to obtain pre-shipment inspection certificates and to source goods directly from the manufacturing factory in the exporting country. The new rules, effective October 17, 2022, aim to ensure product quality and consumer safety, and will significantly impact import procedures for chemicals and other consumer goods.
Scope of regulated products
The decree applies to a list of consumer products annexed to the notice. Importers must open foreign trade documents only after presenting an invoice endorsed by the relevant public bodies: the Ministry of Trade and Export Development, the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, and the National Authority for Food Safety. Each authority will review products within its respective jurisdiction.
Required documentation for importers
To obtain the required endorsement, importers must submit a file containing: (1) an invoice issued by the exporting factory; (2) a certificate from an official body in the exporting country confirming the factory's legal status and operating license; (3) proof that the manufacturer has a quality control system; (4) a list of product categories to be imported; (5) the product's trademark and any trademark used under license; (6) a sample product label; (7) a free sale certificate from a government authority in the exporting country; and (8) documents and reports proving product quality according to applicable standards. Authorities may request additional documents or product samples.
Exemptions from the new rules
Exempted imports include: state and public institution imports; raw materials and semi-finished goods for industrial, service, and handicraft sectors; equipment and spare parts imported by industrialists for their own activities; equipment for renewable energy projects; imports without payment or currency transfer; imports benefiting from tax exemptions (e.g., embassies, suspensive regime operators, Tunisians abroad starting projects); imports already exempt under Decree No. 1743 of 1994; and postal parcels.
What buyers should watch
Importers of consumer chemicals, food additives, and personal-care products into Tunisia must now ensure their suppliers are the actual manufacturers and can provide factory registration, quality system certification, and free sale certificates. Direct factory sourcing is mandatory. The Ministry of Trade may update the product list and document requirements by simple letter, so buyers should monitor official communications closely.
Compliance and logistics signals
The decree takes effect on October 17, 2022, but does not apply to import operations for which foreign trade documents were already opened before that date. Importers should verify their current shipments and adjust sourcing strategies accordingly. The requirement for pre-shipment inspection and direct factory sourcing may add lead time and documentation costs, making early compliance essential.
Source: Read the original report | Published: October 16, 2022