Directives on Implementation of UNBS Inspection & Clearance of Imports Regulations 2018

  9th January , 2019 ,       Hits: 3651

 

 

 

 

 

These administrative directives are issued under section 43 of the UNBS Act, Cap 327 of laws of Uganda:

The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) wishes to inform all importers of items for which Compulsory Standards have been declared of the need to abide by the UNBS Inspection and Clearance of Imports Regulations, 2018 that came into effect on 1^st July 2018.

The Regulation requires UNBS to carry out conformity assessment of all goods covered by compulsory standards. An importer, supplier, exporter of a product covered by a compulsory standard shall ensure that the imported goods are subjected to inspection for conformity to standards in the country of origin and a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) is issued, before the goods are shipped to Uganda.

The regulation also covers/extends to used motor vehicles where, an exporter/importer of a used Motor Vehicle into Uganda shall ensure that it is subjected to Pre Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) to ensure conformity to the prescribed Uganda Standard.

DIRECTIVES

1. The inspection fees for a CoC or a Certificate of Road Worthiness (CRW) are applicable as indicated in table 1 below.
2. Goods that should have undergone PVoC and are imported without a CoC or a CRW shall pay a surcharge of 15% Cost Insurance and Freight (CIF) and be subjected to full destination inspection.
3. Goods or motor vehicles that have not met requirements of the relevant standard shall not be shipped to Uganda and if they do, they risk being destroyed at importers cost or being asked to return to country of export.

   Table 1: Inspection Fees under PVoC which also applies to Destination Inspection

1	General Goods
	Route A (Unregistered products) – 0.50% of FOB value, subject to a minimum of US$235 Maximum of US$3,000
	Route B (registered products) – 0.45% of FOB value, subject to a minimum of US$235 and maximum of US$3,000
	Route C (Licensed products) – 0.25% of FOB value, subject to a minimum of US$235 and maximum of US$3,000
2	Used Motor Vehicles (These are country specific)
	Japan – US$140;  Singapore – US$200;  UK – US$200 or GBP125;  South Africa – US$220; UAE – US$125; Other countries and destination – US$140

For clarity, destination inspection fees will be 0.50% FOB value subject to a minimum of US$235 Maximum of US$3,000

I. Application for an Import Clearance Certificate

1. Upon arrival of the goods or motor vehicles at the port of entry or clearance station, the importer shall apply to UNBS for an Import Clearance Certificate by submitting a customs declaration/entry (Customs clearance application) to Customs using Asycuda World.
2. The application for customs clearance must be accompanied by uploading relevant CoC(s) or CRW(s) together with the relevant Customs documents (Packing list, Invoices, Bill of lading, etc)

 II. Handling of an Application

1. Upon receipt of an application, a UNBS authorized officer shall verify the documents to ensure that the application is duly filled and accompanied by all the necessary attachments.
2. The officer shall together with the agent then verify that the goods/motor vehicle match(es) with the declaration in the application and/or in the CoC/CRW before issuing import clearance.
3. Goods/motor vehicles that do not match with the CoC or CRW shall be subjected to destination inspection & deemed to have not undergone PVoC.

III. No Release of Goods without Issuance of Import Clearance Certificate

A UNBS authorized officer shall not release goods/Motor vehicles from a point of entry, other than to a bonded warehouse or under UNBS seal, unless the importer of the goods has been issued with an import clearance certificate.

IV. Handling of Non-Conforming Goods/Motor Vehicles

1.  Goods/ motor vehicles issued with a seizure notice and condemned shall either be destroyed or re-exported if proven to not meet the required standards.
2. The destruction of the goods/ motor vehicle issued with a seizure notice shall be done in accordance to the relevant regulations and guidelines and at the expense of the importer and within 14 work days of condemnation. Failure to adhere to this will lead to UNBS undertaking the destruction and recovering the costs from the importer.

   V. Release Under Seal

   An inspector may release goods under seal where the importer has cleared with customs but the Bureau has queried the goods (need for further inspection, sampling, testing and evaluation).

   The release under seal is subject to: (i) Payment of all fees as applicable (Destination inspection, PVoC surcharge and testing fees); (ii) An administration fee equivalent to US$50 per consignment; (iii) Deposit of a bank guarantee worth 15% of CIF value of the goods.

The bank guarantee shall be executed if the goods do not meet the requirement of the Standard so as to cater for the costs of destruction or ensure re-export. The bank guarantee shall be returned to the Importer/retired once he/she is issued with an import clearance certificate.

VI. Exemptions

1. The following goods are exempt from PVoC but are however subject to destination inspection: (i) Goods whose FOB value does not exceed USD2,000 (ii) Government project specific goods (iii)Raw materials imported for use in a manufacturing process and not for resale (iv) Diplomatic Cargo (v) Personal Effects (returning residents & expatriates) (vi) Certified goods including those from the EAC Partner States (vii) Industrial machinery and spare parts not for resale (viii) Classified military, police and prisons hardware and  equipment.
2. The following goods are exempt from Destination Inspection: (i) Commodities whose Free on Board (FoB) values does not exceed US$1,000 with the exception of food, baby products, cosmetics, tungsten filament bulbs, electric cables, compact fluorescent lamps, portable socket outlets or extension sockets, flat irons, electric kettles, solar lanterns, energy saver bulbs, solar battery chargers, solar panels, electric plugs, water heaters, electric sockets, electric switches, electric blenders, shovels, garden hoes and machetes; (ii) raw materials for the manufactures of commodities not for resale; (iii) Industrial machinery and spare parts not for resale; (iii) Commodities from the EAC that bare a notified certification mark; (iv) agricultural machinery; mining machinery and related spare parts not for resale and (v)Re-exports from the EAC accompanied by a valid and traceable CoC/CRW.

Dr. Ben Manyindo

Executive Director

Uganda National Bureau of Standards