General Standards
Exporters/Importers trading with Kuwait need to comply with the requirements of the Public Authority for Industry of the State of Kuwait (PAI) in order for their goods to clear customs. The Kuwait Conformity Assessment Scheme (KUCAS) was implemented in 2006 to assure Kuwaiti consumers of the quality and safety of imported goods and to facilitate trade. ‘Regulated Products’ within the program require a Technical Inspection Report (TIR) prior to export. Intertek is the leading approved Certification/Inspection Body (CIB) which offers this service to exporters. Intertek is approved by the Public Authority for Industry to issue TIR’s for goods exported to Kuwait.
The government of Kuwait, per its notification to the WTO Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade, eliminated pre-shipment standards inspection under the International Conformity Certification Program (ICCP) and is currently working with the GCC Standards Organization (Riyadh) to develop a region-wide standards regime to replace the ICCP. Discussions are ongoing with respect to product risk assessment classification, type of products to be required, standards conformity assessment, and as to whether the GCC would allow self-certification of low risk products and third-party evaluation from standards testing authorities outside of the GCC.
KUCAS REQUIREMENTS
- Every consignment of imported goods which contains regulated products must be accompanied by a Technical Inspection Report (TIR). Intertek is the leading approved Certification/Inspection Body (CIB) which offers this service to exporters.
- The TIR is required to ensure smooth customs clearance of shipments in Kuwait.
- The TIR confirms that the products comply with the relevant Kuwait technical regulations and approved international/regional/national standards.
- The authorities in Kuwait may take random samples from imported consignments to verify compliance. Additional details on the KUCAS procedure and the products currently requiring KUCAS certification are available at www.pai-kucas.com
REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION
The documents required to export to Kuwait are:
- invoices – initiated by supplier;
- certificate of origin;
- bills of lading / airway bill;
- packing list;
- import licence and quality test certificates as applicable;
- Original Islamic Compliant Slaughter (Halal) meat products;
- customs duty payment receipt.
The accompanying documents must be legalised by the Kuwaiti Embassy and also certified by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs upon arrival of the shipment. A licensed customs clearing agent is required in order to facilitate the customs clearance process and for practical considerations.
LABELING REQUIREMENTS
Labels stating country of origin must be shown on all imported goods in such a manner that cannot be removed or altered. The information, printed on the label must conform to the information listed in the shipping documentation. If the importer cannot label a product (fruits and vegetables) a label affixed to the package or container is sufficient. If the product contains components from more than one country, the percentage from each country to the overall finished product should be noted.
- Chemicals
All chemicals imported to Kuwait must contain the product name, application, active ingredients, percentages of components and composition, United Nations’ CAS-NO, side effects, storage/handling/hazmat instructions, environmental and occupational safety health risk, poison control, and disposal instructions.
- Pharmaceutical Products
All the medical products must contain the information abiut the batch or lot number, production date, expiration date, content description, storage information, usage information, indications and contra indications for use, and reference to the pharmacopoeia standards used.
- Food Products
The labels on food products must show product and brand name, origin of animal fats, batch number, ingredients in descending order of proportion, additives, net contents in metric units, date of production, date of expiration, name and address of manufacturer or packer, country of origin, storage/preparation/handling instructions, and nutritional information where applicable. All meat and poultry products need to be labeled that the product has been slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law. Information must be in Arabic, but multilingual labels are acceptable.
MARKING REQUIREMENTS
The outside marking on each package or container should identify the name of the shipper, the name and address of the consignee, the weight of the package, the number of the package if shipped as a part of a bulk shipment, and the country of origin.
CONTACTS
Public Authority for Industry
