Fair trade meat and meat products

Procédure d’importation

I-INTRODUCTION

In accordance with the Decree n˚93-312 of March 11, 1993 establishing the conditions for the exercise of professions related to the trade of animals, animal products and animal origin intended for human consumption, the exercise of the profession of importer of meat from slaughterhouses of a municipality other than the one where they are marketed, or “fairground meat”, and meat products (all meat products and animal origin, except poultry, intended for human consumption: beef, sheep, goat, pig and their derivatives as well as rabbits, frogs …) is subject to obtaining an Authorization to Exercise professions related to the trade of animals, animal products and animal origin.

 

This authorization is issued by a joint order of the Minister of Trade and the Minister of Animal and Fishery Resources (MIRAH) / Directorate of Livestock Production / Sub-Directorate of Supply and Market Regulation.

 

This prior authorization should not be confused with the Preliminary Import Authorization, which is also issued by the Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries (MIRAH) for each import operation.

It is also reminded that the import or export of any goods requires the prior obtaining of an importer/exporter code (professional or occasional) – See Legal Regimes of Imports – (See General Importation Procedures Tab of the site).

 

Ministry of Animal and Fishery Resources (MIRAH)

Abidjan – Plateau

CAISTAB Building, 11th floor

BP V 84 – Côte d’Ivoire

Tel: (+225) 20 22 99 30 / (+225) 20 21 34 23

Website: www.ressourcesanimales.gouv.ci

 

Directorate of Livestock Production (DPE)

Sub-Directorate of Supply and Market Regulation (SDARM)

Abidjan – Plateau

Cité administrative, Tower A, 2nd floor

Tel:(+225) 20 22 69 77 / 20 21 40 16

 

Directorate of Veterinary Services (DSV)

Abidjan – Plateau

Cité Administrative Tower C, 11th floor

Tel: (+225) 20 21 89 72

 

Directorate of Veterinary Services (DSV)

Service d’Inspection et de Contrôle Sanitaires Vétérinaires en Frontières (in the customs offices at the borders including the port and airport)

 

 

II-AUTHORIZATION TO IMPORT

The Annex to Decree n°93-312 of March 11, 1993 states that “any natural or legal person whose profession consists of importing refrigerated, frozen, prepared or processed meat and offal, and storing them in appropriate warehouses with the aim of reselling them wholesale, is considered as an importer of fair trade meat and pork products“.

 

The importation of meat and meat products is reserved to natural or legal persons who have an authorization to practice the profession.

This authorization is issued by a joint order of the Minister in charge of Trade and the Minister of Animal and Fishery Resources (MIRAH).

 

  1. Procedure for issuing the authorization

Decree No. 93-312 of March 11, 1993 and Order No. 35/MINAGRA/MIC/INT of April 8, 1993 [A.93.35] set the conditions for the exercise of professions related to the Trade in Animals and Animal Products and of Animal Origin (DAOA).

The issuance of the Authorization to practice professions related to the trade of animals, animal products and animal origin (DAOA) intended for human consumption is carried out, for companies based in Abidjan, after submission and examination of a file to the attention of the Directorate of Livestock Production (DPE) / Sub-Directorate of Supply and Regulation of Markets of the Ministry of Animal and Fishery Resources.

 

For facilities located in other parts of the country, the application must be filed with the relevant Prefecture.

Approval is granted by an interministerial commission chaired by the Ministry of Commerce.

The list of authorized companies is published annually by interministerial order.

 

  1. Documents to be provided

For a first application :

  • Handwritten application (to the attention of the President of the Approval Commission – Decree n°93-312 of March 11, 1993 – District of Abidjan).
  • Valid identity card (ID card or residence permit).
  • Extract from the Judicial Record dated less than three (3) months.
  • Extract from the Trade Register bearing a mention relating to the profession applied for.
  • Certificate of location of the place of practice (by the Town Hall of the concerned Commune).
  • Certificate of visit and counter visit with chest X-ray of the manager.
  • 4 passport photos of the manager.
  • List of employees.
  • Certificate of visit and counter-visit and chest x-ray of the employees.
  • Certified copy of diploma (optional).
  • File of the manager of the company including all the above mentioned documents.
  • Declaration of Fiscal Existence (see General Sheet on Imports).
  • Certificate of Veterinary Inspection of the company’s premises.
  • Receipt of payment of the fees related to the application file to the Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries.

 

For a renewal of authorization :

  • Handwritten request (to the attention of the President of the Approval Commission, Decree n°93-312 of March 11, 1993 – District of Abidjan).
  • Certificate of identity (identity card or residence permit).
  • Certificate of Location of the place of practice (by the City Hall of the concerned Commune).
  • Certificate of visit and counter visit with chest X-ray of the manager.
  • Certified copy of the Patent of the previous year.
  • Copy of the Professional Card issued by the MIRAH at the first application.
  • 4 passport photos of the manager.
  • List of employees.
  • Certificate of visit and counter visit and chest X-ray of the employees.
  • File of the person in charge / manager of the company including all the above mentioned documents.
  • Certificate of Non-bankruptcy (Commercial Court of Abidjan).
  • Certificate of Tax Regularity (Tax Department of your town).
  • Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (Veterinary Inspection Service).
  • Receipt of payment of the fees related to the application file to the Minister of Animal and Fishery Resources (MIRAH).

 

III-DOCUMENTS

  1. Import Declaration Form (IDF)

The Import Declaration Form – See Example of FDI – is mandatory if the value of the goods is higher than Five hundred thousand (500,000) FCFA.

The FDI is established online via the transactional site of the Guichet Unique du Commerce Extérieur (GUCE). Access to the site requires prior registration as an importer, exporter or forwarder. The documents and information to be provided are the following :

  • Importer Code (or Occasional Importer Code).
  • Pro-forma or Final Invoice.
  • Mode of transport.
  • Name of the bank (in Ivory Coast) of the importer (for the direct debit and obtaining the Exchange Authorization).
  • HS Codes of the products to be imported.

For the import of products listed below, the FDI application will be validated only after receipt of the Preliminary Import Authorization (API) – (see API procedure below) – in the online file, validated, endorsed and signed by the Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries.

 

  1. Prior Authorization for Importation (API)

While waiting for a fully dematerialized procedure, this procedure is carried out today, initially online, and then continued manually.

The Preliminary Import Authorization (API) is necessary to obtain the Import Form (FDI), (See General Rules and Procedures for imports). The validity period of an API is 6 months and is renewable.

 

Online procedure

The procedure for requesting prior import authorization is introduced online on the electronic platform of the Guichet Unique pour le Commerce Extérieur (GUCE), by economic operators or their forwarders. The API will also be granted online, at the end of the procedure. However, it will be necessary to present the physical file to the concerned Ministry, in order to pay the fees corresponding to the issuance of the API.

Start the Import Declaration Form (IDF) procedure on the GUCE website

The system automatically generates an application for a Preliminary Import Authorization (API), on the GUCE platform, which is sent online to the Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries which will validate it online after physical examination of the file and payment of the API to the Ministry.

The documents to be downloaded are :

  • The Invoice (Pro-forma or Final).
  • Copy of the authorization to practice the profession of importer of meat and meat products.

The agents of the Direction des Productions d’Élevage (DPE) and the Sous-Direction de l’Approvisionnement et de la Réglementation des Marchés will validate the API online after payment and physical reception of the file.

 

Manual procedure

The importer goes to the Sous-Direction de l’Approvisionnement et de la Réglementation des Marchés (Direction des Productions d’Élevage, DPE) to submit the file (FDI number, copy of the invoice and copy of the authorization to practice the profession, form to be filled in).

He also pays the transaction cost of the API which is : 5,000 FCFA / 25 t or per container.

The agents of the Direction des Productions d’Élevage (DPE) and the Sous-Direction de l’Approvisionnement et de la Réglementation des Marchés (Sub-Directorate of Supply and Market Regulation) examine the file and validate the API online (Validation between 2h and 72h after physical submission of the file).

 

  1. Cargo Tracking Form (CTF) procedure

For any import by sea, the exporter, the forwarder abroad and the importer must register the Cargo Tracking Form (CTS) via the website of the Ivorian Shippers’ Office (OIC).

 

At embarkation

Registration of the BSC – (See General Import Procedures tab). The documents required are the following:

  • Final Invoice.
  • Bill of Lading (B/L).
  • Packing List.
  • Customs Export Declaration of the country of shipment.
  • Certificate of local insurance in Côte d’Ivoire.
  • The Import Declaration Form (FDI) or its number.
  • In addition, for imports from countries outside the European Union, are required:
    • The Freight Invoice.
    • The Certificate of Origin.
    •  

  1. Certificate of Value

As soon as the goods are shipped and all transport documents for the goods are available (Final Commercial Invoice, Ocean Bill of Lading or Air Waybill, Packing List, Freight Invoice, copy of the FDI and all other available certificates), the freight forwarder must initiate a request for a Certificate of Value.

 

All goods with an FOB value greater than or equal to one (1) million FCFA must obtain a Final Classification and Value Report (FCVR) from the Directorate of Risk Analysis, Intelligence and Value (DARRV) of the Customs, via the electronic platform of the GUCE – Cf. Customs Circular No. 2007 of 29 March 2019.

 

The authorized forwarder downloads and fills in the Notice of Deposit (AD),

He attaches the documents accompanying the goods (see list above) to the Notice of Deposit and uploads the whole file online on the GUCE platform.

The Customs Department of Risk Analysis, Intelligence and Value (DARRV) checks the shipping documents and delivers within 5 working days following the submission of the documents the Final Classification and Value Report by e-mail to the receiver or the forwarder.

The freight forwarder fills out Form D41 (Sampling Permit: this is an authorization given by the importer or freight forwarder to Customs to take a sample of the goods for the purpose of qualitative verification or to visually assess the apparent condition of the goods) and physically submits it with the shipping documents (see list above) to the Risk Analysis, Intelligence and Value Division (DARRV) of Customs for verification.

After examining the file, the DARRV issues the Certificate of Verification (AV).

Goods with an FOB value of less than one (1) million CFA francs and certain other products are exempt from the RFCV procedure – see the list of goods not subject to RFCV on the website www.douane.ci – (see the General Import Procedure tab on the website).

 

IV-AUTHORIZATIONS AND CERTIFICATES TO COLLECT THE GOODS

Before the Import Declaration is submitted to Customs, the forwarder must submit the file to the Veterinary Services Directorate / Veterinary Border Inspection and Control Service of the Customs office concerned, which issues the Health Certificate, as well as the Health Pass.

 

The Veterinary Inspection Certificate must also be presented to the Customs in order to take delivery of the imported goods.

These documents are necessary to receive the Bon à Enlever (BAE ) from Customs and take delivery of the imported products.

 

  1. Health Certificate

The Health Certificate is issued after physical examination of the merchandise by an inspector of the MIRAH Border Veterinary Inspection and Control Service.

If a problem is found, the Service of Inspection and Sanitary Veterinary Control at the Borders requests analyses, which will be carried out at the importers’ expense.

The Health Certificate authorizes the sale or consumption of a product declared fit for human consumption or a product that complies with the quality standards required for import.

It is coupled with the issuance of the Sanitary Pass.

 

The documents to be presented for the issuance of a Health Certificate are the following :

  • Customs declaration
  • Invoice
  • Bill of Lading or Air Waybill or Consignment note
  • Certificate of Health of the country of origin
  • Additional certificates (non ECB – non dioxin – non radioactivity)
  • Certificate of Origin (photocopy)
  • Preliminary Import Authorization (API)
  • Analysis results (if analysis was requested)
  • Inspection report (Inspection report of the physical control of the goods)

 Cost: Free of charge

  1. Sanitary Pass

The Sanitary Pass gives the authorization to animal and animal products to enter Côte d’Ivoire subject to the issuance of the Health Certificate. The necessary documents are the following:

  • Customs declaration
  • Invoice
  • Certificate of Origin of the country of origin (photocopy)
  • Sanitary certificate of the country of origin (original)
  • Certificate of absence of exposure to a form of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (meat)[1]
  • API (Prior Authorization for Importation)
  • FDI (Import Declaration Form)
  • Bill of Lading: Ocean Bill of Lading (B/L) or Air Waybill (AWB) or Consignment note
  • Cargo Tracking Form
  • Certificate of Insurance of the goods

The cost[2] is :

  • Frozen or fresh meat : 8 F CFA / Kg
  • Canned goods (meat, fish, …) : 5 F CFA / Kg

 

  1. Certificate of Veterinary Inspection

If the examination of the file and the physical inspection of the goods show that the goods meet the quality criteria of the Ivorian standards, the Chief Veterinary Officer of the Phytosanitary Service issues a Veterinary Inspection Certificate.

The Veterinary Inspection Certificate authorizes the entry of the products on the territory.

Cost: 5,000 F CFA per certificate

The documents to be presented are the following :

  • Customs declaration.
  •  
  • Bill of Lading (B/L) or Air Waybill (AWB) or Consignment note.
  • Certificate of Health of the country of origin.
  • Certificate of Health of the Ivory Coast.
  • Additional certificates (absence of spongiform encephalopathy – absence of dioxin – no radioactivity).
  • Certificate of Origin (photocopy).
  • Preliminary Import Authorization (API).
  • Test results (if tests have been requested).
  • Inspection Report (Inspection Report of the physical control of the goods).

 

V-LIST OF PRODUCTS

 

SH Code

Designation

02

 

 

 

[1] All animal spongiform encephalopathies (bovine spongiform encephalopathy [or mad cow disease], scrapie, etc.) are grouped under the term transmissible spongiform encephalopathy.

[2] 80% of the amount is paid to MIRAH and 20% to the Abidjan District Pay Office.