Import-Export Guide
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Export:
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Import:
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Trade
Promotion:
Export [top]
Ethiopian Export Promotion
Agency (EEPA)
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The
Ethiopian Export Promotion Agency (EEPA) is a Government
institution with the objective of promoting the county's
exports. One the webpage please find all about Import-Export,
Business environment in Ethiopia, foreign investments
www.ethioexport.org
Ethiopian Export Promotion Agency
(EEPA):
Export procedures
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Once an exporting company is legally
established, the various procedures that it regularly needs to
follow in order to make exports are the following.
Order Acknowledgement to the
Buyer
This involves
the production of internal instructions by the exporter on the
works, production and preparation of the goods for export
order.
Finalization of Export
Contract
Finalize the
export contract stipulating the method of payment for the
export consignment, and submit a copy to the respective
Commercial Bank by any of such methods as hand delivery, fax,
telex or post. Commercial Banks require six copies of letter
of credit, and five copies of advance payment, cash against
documents, and consignment note each.
Application to Export
Register the export order with a
Commercial Bank who will in turn issue the export permit for
the particular consignment. All sorts of exports except coffee
have to be registered with any of the Commercial Banks, only
the registration for coffee remains at the National Bank of
Ethiopia.
Registration of Export
Consignment
Fill
in the Customs Declaration Annex form issued by the Commercial
Bank and submit to the International/Foreign Business
Department of the Bank.
Application for Quality Testing and
Certification
When export products are
ready, make arrangements for suitable packaging and apply to
the Quality and Standards Authority of Ethiopia for quality
testing, and acquire the Export Authorization
Certificate.
Compliance with Movement
Requirements
Compliance with Rules of Origin
Fill in the certificate of origin
issued by the Ethiopian or the Dire Dawa Chambers of
Commerce in order to qualify under the preferential tariff
treatments.
Compliance with Tariff
Schemes
Fill
in the special movement forms or certificates issued by the
Customs Authority. Currently, the special movement
certificates include the EURI movement certificate that is
required by the European Union Countries, and the form A for
the Generalized System of Preferences-GSP Form A required by
its member countries.
Insurance of Export
Cargo
Insure the export cargo and acquire the
insurance certificate or policy document issued by an
insurance company.
Customs Declaration
To avoid costly delays, the exporter declares
all facts about the export consignment, and all supporting
original documents should be forwarded to the Customs Clearing
Agents to enable customs formalities and authorization of the
dispatch of the export goods. Accordingly, the exporter must
hand over the Export Permit, the copy of the Customs
Declaration Annex form, the Ethiopian Customs Declaration
form, the Certificate of Origin, and the special movement
forms/certificates (the EURI Movement Certificate and the GSP
form A) to the clearing agents.
Movement of Export Cargo
To facilitate the movement of goods,
transport documents should be acquired from the respective
carrier. Although the type of transport documents depends on
the mode of transport, the documents should be completed and
signed by the carrier or its representatives.
Export Business Registration and
Licensing
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http://www.ethioexport.org/tradeinfo/business_main.shtml
On the EEPA Webpage
please find details about Business registration and
licensing:
Economic and
Trade related Information
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http://www.ethioexport.org/country_main.shtml
http://www.ethioexport.org/tradeinfo/business_regb.shtml
Macroeconomic and social indicators(GDP, Gross
Domestic Product and Sectors) and commercial and financial
information (banking laws, insurance laws, micro-finance
institution laws).
Ethiopias External Trade
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http://www.ethioexport.org/tradeinfo/trade_main.shtml
Data on
export by commodity, by destination, by origin and major
trading partners.
Major Trading Companies
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http://www.ethioexport.org/prodncomp/prodncomp_main.shtml
Major exporters and importers by
commodity or by company name
Quality Export Products
Information
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http://www.ethioexport.org/prodncomp/prodncomp_main.shtml
Coffee, livestock
products, live animals and meat, oilseeds and pulses, fruits,
vegetables, flowers, textiles, garments, tea, mineral products
and others.
Import [top]
SGS Addis
Ababa Liaison Office - Ethiopian Shipping Lines, P.O.Box
1087 Addis Ababa
Tel. +251-1-50.46.27, Fax 50.46.33,
www.sgs.com
Guidelines to Importers Pre-Shipment
Inspection (PSI) Programme
Overview
PSI,
under its current application in Ethiopia, is a service
established and governed by Proclamation No. 173/1999. SGS is appointed by
the Ethiopian Government to conduct the Pre-Shipment
Inspection services for goods coming from all over the
world.
Goods Subject to
PSI
All goods with a FOB value equal to or in
excess to USD 2,000.00 (except those stated under the exempted
goods list below) are subject to PSI according to the existing
laws governing PSI.
Exempted
Goods
The following goods are exempted from PSI
requirements:
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Gold, precious stones, precious
metals
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Objects of art
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Crude oil and refined petroleum
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Explosives and pyrotechnic products
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Ammunition, weapons, implements of
war
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Live animals fresh, chilled or frozen fruits,
vegetables, fish meat and fresh eggs
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Scrap metals
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Fertilizer
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Current newspapers and periodicals
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Household and personal effects including a used
vehicle
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Parcel post or commercial samples
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Gifts made by foreign governments or
international organizations to foundations, charities and
recognized humanitarian organizations
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Gifts and supplies to diplomatic and consular
missions and to agencies of the United Nations Organization
and the organization of African Unity imported for their own
needs
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Goods supplied to the Government as direct grants
emergency and relief imports
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Investment goods imported by Ethiopian nationals
residing abroad and foreign investors, who have an exemption
letter from the Investment Authority
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Postage stamps, aero grams, lottery tickets,
currency.
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Shipments with a FOB order value of less than USD
2,000.00 except
Full Container Load
Cargos (FCLs) and spare parts of commercial value (but
only upon official announcement by the Ministry of
Revenue). The
amount of the proforma invoice accepted by the banks and the
transactions exchange rate applicable on the date of the
proforma invoice is the basis for determining the
value.
Partial
Shipments:
Partial shipments of goods purchased by a
single purchase order shall be subjected to pre-shipment inspection even
if the FOB, value of each partial shipment is less than USD
2,000.00 FOB, provided that the aggregated value of such
partial shipments is greater than USD 2,000.00
FOB.
Full Container Load
Cargos (FCLs) and spare parts of commercial
value:
Full Container Load Cargos (FCLs) and spare
parts of commercial value are subject to Pre-Shipment
Inspection irrespective of their commercial value. Therefore, such
imports are subject to PSI even if their total order value is
below USD 2,000.00 FOB. (only upon official announcement by
the Ministry of Revenue)
How to apply for pre
shipment inspection
Once an importer has decided to import
goods and received a proforma invoice from his overseas
supplier, he needs to:
Contact
Customs Authorities to pay a PSI program deposit of 1% of the
CIF value. (This
deposit will, after importation of the goods, be offset
against the Pre-shipment Inspection Programme Fee, is 1% of
the duty paying value.
Against payment, importer will obtain a prepayment
receipt from Customs, which will have to be added to all other
documents required to import goods. The inspection will
not be conducted without payment of this PSI
fee).
Apply to
the National or Commercial Banks for imports covered by a
letter of credit or by cash against documents (CAD) as per
current procedure (including all necessary documents and
authorizations).
Complete
an Import Advice Note application (IAN) on the format already
available from the banks or SGS Addis Ababa Liaison Office,
that will be submitted to the banks for L/C, CAD and TT
imports along with other documents necessary to arrange a
payment instrument.
SGS
Addis Ababa Liaison Office will collect from the banks the
completed application together with all the necessary
documents as listed below for each type of
import.
Upon
receipt of the import documentation from the banks, SGS Addis
Ababa Liaison Office will enter the details showed on the
documents into its computer application and will electronically send
such details to the inspecting SGS office located in the declared country of
supply. A
copy of the Import Advise Note will also be sent to the
importer through the fax number declared on the Import Advise
Note application.
Upon
receipt of the Import Advice Note, the inspecting office in
the country of supply automatically contacts the seller of
record detailed on the importers’ Import Advice Note to
request information and to arrange the physical
inspection.
N.B: It is important to
note that SGS will contact the seller (i.e. the party named in
the Import Advice Note) who may not be the actual supplier of
the goods. If you
know who the supplier is, please provide full contact
details.
Document requirement for
PSI Application
The following Documents are required for
Pre-Shipment Inspection
application:
Letter of Credit (L/C)
importation:
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Proforma Invoice (with Quality
and Standards Authority, Ministry of Health, Ministry of
Interior etc… stamps whenever applicable)
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Exchange control permit copy
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L\C copy
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Pre-Shipment Inspection fee payment application
(duly stamped by Customs)
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Pre-Shipment inspection fee receipts
copy
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Import Advice Note application (duly completed
and stamped)
Cash Against Documents
(CAD) Importation:
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Proforma Invoice (with Quality
and Standards Authority, Ministry of Health, Ministry of
Interior etc… stamps whenever applicable)
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Purchase order copy (duly approved by the
bank)
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Pre-Shipment Inspection fee payment application
(duly stamped by Customs)
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Pre-shipment Inspection fee receipt
copy
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Import Advice Note application (duly completed
and stamped)
Telegraphic Transfer (TT)
Importation:
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Proforma Invoice (with Quality
and Standards Authority, Ministry of Health, Ministry of
Interior etc… stamps whenever applicable)
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Exchange control permit copy
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Pre-Shipment Inspection fee payment application
(duly stamped by Customs)
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Pre-Shipment inspection fee receipt
copy
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Import Advice Note application (duly completed
and stamped)
Other Importation (e.g.
self-funded payments)
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Proforma invoice (with Quality
and Standards Authority, Ministry of Health, Ministry of
Interior etc… stamps whenever applicable)
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Pre-Shipment inspection fee payment application
(duly stamped by Customs)
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Pre-Shipment inspection fee receipt
copy
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Import Advice Note application (duly completed
and stamped)
N.B – Important tips for
prompt PSI application processing
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Importers must duly complete
all fields including their shipment type as FCL (Full
Container Load) or Non-FCL on the Importer Advise Note
application form with the maximum possible accurate
information.
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Importers must ensure prompt transmission of
their PSI application from the banks to SGS.
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Importers must ensure that the bank transmits
correct and legible photocopies of documents along with
their Import Advise Note application to SGS.
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Importers must immediately communicate with SGS
Addis Ababa Liaison Office and provide the required/missing
information and/or documents(s) whenever they are advised
that their applications are not being completely
processed.
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Importers must always advise their suppliers
about the mandatory requirement of PSI and provide them with
SGS IAN number for ease of reference.
EU Trade Promotion Web Site [top]
http://export-help.cec.eu.int/
The European Union (EU)
launched a new online helpdesk to provide information on
exporting products to the European markets. The web site, a
free of charge interactive information resource, contains
custom duties, customs documentation, rule of origin, and
trade statistics about EU markets. The website would help
business operators to obtain the necessary information on EU
preferential import regimes and links to relevant authorities
and organizations in EU trade operations and up-to-date
information on import tariffs.
