Certificate of Conformity for Exports to Gabon

Update on Gabon PROGEC Programme: Following the Decision no. 034.2020 communicated by AGANOR, the end of the transitional period has now been postponed to June 30.2021. Cotecna provides guidance throughout the transition phase to make sure exporters to Gabon are ready on time for the 1st of July 2021.

Cotecna is authorised by the Gabonese Standard Agency AGANOR (Agence Gabonaise de Normalisation) to support the Gabonese Conformity Assessment Programme PROGEC (Programme Gabonais d’évaluation de la Conformité) and verify the conformity to applicable standards of all regulated products imported into Gabon.

Cotecna’s mandate consists in performing documentary verifications, inspections (when applicable) in order to issue Certificates of Conformity (COC) for goods complying with applicable standards (Gabonese, Regional and International standards). The objective of this programme is to better protect consumers from substandard, counterfeit and potentially dangerous goods.

In the absence of a valid COC at Customs, concerned products will be refused and the importer exposed to the relevant sanctions as proscribed by the Law.

List of Regulated Products until 1st July 2021

• Automative Parts
• Building / Construction Materials
• Chemical Products
• Cosmetics / Personal Care
• Electrical and Electronic
• Health and Medical / Surgical Instruments & appliances
• Industrial Machinery
• Mechanical Material and Gas appliances
• Protective Safety Equipments
• Toys
• Used Products

As of 1st July 2021, following the Decree 1080-20, the regulated product list will also include:

• Footwear
• Leather
• Mineral Products
• Musical instruments
• Paper
• Textile and textile articles
• Vehicles
• All other not mentioned in above lists (except for foodstuff and pharmaceutical products)

Please note that the minimum FOB value of a shipment needing to be certified remains at 3000 euros and will change to 1000 euros as of 1st July 2021.

Gabon Conformity Assessment Process

Cotecna’s mandate includes the physical inspection, sampling and testing of goods in fully ISO 17025 accredited laboratories. Factory audits may also be carried out to ensure production is compliant with standards.

To assess the conformity of a shipment, the Verification of Conformity process will follow one of the three following ways of compliance called “Routes”, depending on the profile of the exporter:

• Route A for exporters with infrequent shipments or sensitive products.
• Route B for exporters with regular shipments with non-sensitive homogeneous products.
• Route C for manufacturers, official distributors and brand owners with regular and high-volume shipments to Gabon and having a Quality Management System (QMS) applied to their production/manufacturing process.