Regulated products for the Cote d’Ivoire VOC Programme

Cotecna has been mandated by the Ministry in charge of Trade to verify the conformity to applicable standards of all regulated products imported into the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. For more information about this service please click here.

Submitted products

Even though the programme concerns all products, during the pilot phase of the programme, running from February 15th 2019, the Ministry has made mandatory the certification process for all goods belonging to the following 13 product families referred to in decree 2016-1152 of December 28^th 2016:

1. Food products
2. Electrical, electronic or renewable energy products
3. Cosmetic and hygiene products
4. Building materials
5. Packaging
6. Spare parts and accessories automotive and lubricants
7. Machines
8. Pressure equipment
9. EPI
10. Other products related to health, safety and the environment
11. Textiles
12. Shoes
13. Toys

HS Codes for the 13 families can be found here.

Exempted products

Following products or categories of goods are not regulated under the VOC programme and do not require a COC even on voluntary base:

• Gold and other precious metals
• Precious stones
• Explosives, weapons, ammunition and other war material intended for the National Armed Forces and to the Forces
• Live animals
• Fresh vegetables and fresh fruits
• Fresh, deep-frozen and frozen fishes
• Fresh, deep-frozen and frozen meat
• Plants and floricultural products
• Local products or traditional handicrafts from community
• Medical drugs and inputs being of use to the manufacturing of medicine
• Newspapers and periodicals, postage stamps and duty/fiscal stamps, stamped papers, banknotes, checkbooks, passports and certain printed documents
• Personal effects and used household objects
• Used vehicles
• Crude or partially refined petroleum
• Commercial samples
• Supplies to diplomatic and consular Missions or international organizations, imported for their own use
• Imported goods and equipment for oil and mining operations (benefiting from the Mining and Petroleum Codes)
• Imports related to Customs free zones
• The subdued machines of production or benefiting from exemption within the framework of the code of the investments and after approval from the managing Committee the VOC Program.
• Shipment FOB value below CFAF 1,000,000

Local industries willing to get exoneration for some raw material serving for their production, are required to contact the VOC Monitoring Committee of the VOC Programme in order to pre-register them and benefit from an exemption from control for a period over twelve (12) months.

Products subject to Authorisation

Products subject to an authorization are those whose ban is no longer valid but which are still prohibited. These products must have an authorization from the Ministry in charge of Trade and will be verified under Route A.

• Sugar (Decree No. 2008-164 of April 28, 2008)
• Ordinary biodegradable or non-biodegradable plastic bags (Decree n ° 2013-327 of May 22, 2013)
• Bakery flour (Decree No. 2008-141 of April 28, 2008)

Sensitive products

Sensitive products are also subject to VOC programme. These products are considered as high-risk goods and can be certified only under Route A. They cannot be eligible to Route B or C:

• Milk and milk products
• Rice
• Flour (all items except bakery flour which is subject to authorization)
• Food Salts
• Fertilizer

Prohibited/ banned products

The following products or any products containing them are prohibited in Côte d'Ivoire:

• Analogue television sets and those not complying with broadcasting and compression standards (Decree No. 2014-604 of October 16, 2014)
• Cosmetic products whose components are prohibited or regulated by Decree No. 2015-288 of April 29, 2015
• Freon R22 (Chlorodifluoromethane R22) and products containing R22
• Asbestos and asbestos products

To request a free quote, or to learn more about the certification process, please contact us.