COC Certification Service

1. Certification Introduction

COC (Certificate of Conformity) is a product conformity certificate. To ensure the quality of imported products and prevent unsafe or substandard goods from entering the country, thereby protecting public health, safety, and the environment, some countries require exporters/importers to engage a third-party inspection and certification agency to conduct product testing and inspection before shipment. Products that meet the importing country’s standards are issued a Certificate of Conformity (COC), which allows the goods to clear customs smoothly. Otherwise, the goods will not be permitted for import. Failure to provide the COC as required may result in heavy fines at the destination port.

Note: The COC certificate is used for customs clearance at the destination port. One COC corresponds to one shipment. The COC is a one-time certificate; each controlled shipment must apply for one, and the application must be made before shipment. It cannot be obtained retroactively once the goods are shipped. If controlled goods fail to obtain a COC certificate in time, they may face penalties at the destination port.

2. Applicable Scope

Many countries around the world have implemented and established mandatory regulations for imported goods. The certificates issued may have slightly different names, but they are largely similar and can all be understood as COC certificates. Examples include: Nigeria (called SONCAP Certificate, or SC), Kenya (COC), Tanzania (COC), Botswana (COC), Egypt (COI), Côte d'Ivoire (COC), Ghana (COC), Ethiopia (COC), Saudi Arabia (COC), Algeria (COC), Kuwait (TER; TIR), Uganda (COC), Russia (GOST-R), Qatar (COC), Bangladesh (COC), Iran (COC), Central African Republic (COC), Morocco (COC), Tanzania (COC), Kuwait (KUCAS), Iraq (COC), etc.

3. Certification Methods

Method A: Product testing and inspection. Each batch of exported goods must undergo product sampling tests before shipment or provide an accredited laboratory test report or certificate. The test report must be issued by a third-party laboratory using African or international standards, with the issuance date within one year, and a pre-shipment inspection must be conducted.

Method B: Product registration. For frequently exported products of consistently stable quality, registration can be applied for. The registration certificate is valid for one year. Shipments can be exempted from mandatory testing for each batch, requiring only a pre-shipment inspection.

Method C: Issuance of a product license. For registered frequently exported products, manufacturers that have long met the requirements can apply for a product license. We will test your products to assess compliance with standards and conduct an on-site evaluation of the production enterprise. Upon approval, a license will be issued. Goods with a license can be exempted from pre-shipment inspections and only need to undergo supervision inspections of the production enterprise and random sampling of the goods.

4. Application Process

(1) Provide information to the relevant inspection and certification agency for review and schedule an inspection.

The specific information required still depends on the exporting country. Different countries may have slight variations, but overall, the requirements are similar. For example: Exporting to Nigeria: Power of Attorney (the organization provides a template for the client to fill out), packing list, invoice, test report (consult the acceptance organization for specific test reports), forms; Exporting to Kenya: Power of Attorney (the agency provides a template for the client to fill out), packing list, invoice, test report (ask the agency which standards the specific test report should follow and its validity period).

(2) After approval, arrange for inspection and supervision of loading: After the production of the goods is completed, an inspector can go to inspect the goods. During this process, the inspector will randomly open several boxes, inspect the products inside, take photos, and prepare an inspection report to be submitted to the company for review.

(3) Issue the COC certificate: After inspection, if there are any rectification suggestions, the exporter must make corrections before shipment. If there are no rectification suggestions, a draft certificate will be issued to the exporter for verification. If there are no errors, the original certificate will be issued.

5. Inspection Process

(1) Fill out the application form, provide the packing list and invoice, IDF document (an importer license is required for Kenya), organize and check the information.

(2) Product test report (a test report issued by a CANS laboratory under the ISO 17025 system is required). Submit the information for review, issue inspection requirements, and guide the inspection requirements, mainly focusing on nameplates/labels and marks.

(3) After the bulk goods are produced, finalize the container loading time and schedule an on-site supervision inspection/inspection.

(4) Once the information and inspection are approved, issue a draft certificate. After verifying the draft, issue the original certificate to complete the entire inspection process.

(5) The testing cycle takes about one week. With complete information, scheduling an inspection takes about one week.

6. Certification Documents

(1) Provide the product name in both Chinese and English and the HS code;

(2) Provide product pictures for reference;

(3) Application form;

(4) Provide product quality documents, such as: product test report + CNAS certificate of the testing agency (the third-party laboratory issuing the report must be certified by the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment, CNAS) or ISO 9001 manufacturer quality management system certification certificate and internal test report;

(5) Valid business license copies of the applying company, exporter, and manufacturer;

(6) Proforma/commercial invoice (the invoice must show the FOB amount);

(7) IDF copy (this document needs to be processed by the importer locally);

(8) Packing list