It is reported that the African country Côte d'Ivoire has implemented the COC (Certificate of Conformity) certification requirements for some products since July 16, 2018. Products in the control list imported by Côte d'Ivoire must be accompanied by a product conformity certificate COC at the time of customs clearance, otherwise they may face high penalties from local customs.

The Côte d'Ivoire COC certification is a government compulsory certification requirement and the certificate needs to be applied before shipment. There are three ways to test the Coco Certification (PVoC) in Côte d'Ivoire:

ROUTE A: Shipment Inspection and Certification, a one-off mode.

ROUTE B: Apply for Product Registration and Shipment Certification, which is valid for one year.

ROUTE C: Product Licensing and Shipment Certification, which is valid for one year and can only be applied by the manufacturer.

The current Côte d'Ivoire CoC application method and the documents required to be provided are as follows:

1. The exporter submits the completed Application Form (RFC), which should detail the goods and provide product quality documents such as test reports, technical parameters, quality management system certificates (if any), etc. Submit formal invoices and packing lists;

2. The inspection agency determines the feasible implementation plan and applicable standards under the plan;

3. If testing is required, the inspection agency and the inspection agency may coordinate sampling and conduct laboratory tests;

4. The on-site inspection will be carried out by the nearest inspection agency office after the completion of the above steps, and all costs will be borne by the applicant;

5. After the inspection is completed, the exporter submits the final documents (commercial invoices and packing list) to the inspection agency;

6. The inspection agency issues a customs clearance certificate COC.

The new regulations in Côte d'Ivoire have a wide range of control products covering almost all imported conventional goods. The released control products are as follows:

1. Food;

2. Electrical and electronic products;

3. Chemicals;

4. Cosmetics and personal hygiene products;

5. Building materials;

6. Packaging products;

7. Auto parts and lubricants;

8. Machinery (lifting accessories, etc.);

9. Pressure equipment;

10. Personal protective equipment;

11. Gas appliances;

12. Textiles;

13. Shoes;

14. Toys;

15. Medicines;

16. Used products, etc.

However, the scope of its certified products has not been completely clear so far, and the Government of Côte d'Ivoire may change the list of controlled products at any time. If a company that exports Côte d'Ivoire products, please be sure to confirm with the freight forwarding company before shipment to know whether the goods are being sent. It is within the scope of Côte d'Ivoire CoC certification requirements to avoid unnecessary fines and penalties.