International Standards

JavaScript is disabled

This web browser does not support JavaScript or has JavaScript disabled. Please enable it or use one of the alternative browsers listed below:

General Standards

The Lebanese Standards Institution, known as LIBNOR, is the sole authority in Lebanon charged with issuing, publishing, and amending Lebanese standards. A number of state bodies (including the Ministries of Telecommunications, Energy and Water, Industry, Public Health, Environment, Agriculture, Economy and Trade, and Transport and Public Works) issue technical regulations related to products in the form of ministerial decisions and decrees issued by the cabinet. LIBNOR develops an annual update of standards.

IMPORT TARIFFS

More than 83 percent of imported goods are subject to duties equal to or below five percent. The Lebanese Customs’ website http://www.customs.gov.lb provides a searchable database that displays import duties by tariff number. In general, European goods are exempted from customs fees in accordance with the European Mediterranean Association Agreement and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) agreement effective March 1, 2015, with minor exceptions. In addition, goods from several Arab countries are also exempted from customs fees in accordance with the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA) Agreement.

IMPORT REQUIREMENTS AND DOCCUMENTATION

Import processing requires the following documents:

- Declaration form based on the Single Administrative Document (SAD);

- Bill of lading;

- Packing list;

- Commercial invoice (original);

- Delivery order (to prove ownership of goods);

- Quietus from the Social Security Office (must not have expired at the day of registration of SAD), required only for commercial and trade establishments;

- Contract of sale between importer and seller in the country of exportation, or a letter of credit from the bank stating that the invoice value is paid or will be paid in a specified time limit (may be requested for value verification only in case customs officers doubt the invoice value);

- Certificate of origin issued by the authorized party of the country of exportation if the invoice does not mention the origin of the goods, or in case the importer wishes to benefit from preferential treatment if the exporter is not approved by the customs authorities of the exporting country;

- Depending on the type of imported good, a number of other documents may also be required, including import licenses, certificates of conformity to mandatory standards, or phyto-sanitary certificates.

Export processing requires the following documents:

- Declaration form based on the Single Administrative Document (SAD)

- Packing list;

- Commercial invoice (original);

- Export order;

- Quietus from the Social Security Office (must not have expired at the day of registration of SAD), required only for commercial and trade establishments;

- Certificate of origin issued by the Ministry of Industry and certified by the Lebanese Customs Authorities for exporting goods to Europe in accordance with protocol number 4 with the EU;

- Depending on the type of exported good, a number of other documents may also be required including export licenses, certificates of conformity and export certificates for quality verification for all food products of plant origin, and agricultural health certificates.

PRODUCT CERTIFICATION

LIBNOR is the sole authority to give the right to use the Lebanese Conformity Mark (NL Mark). This mark proves the compliance of products to Lebanese standards and is based on a scheme combining quality management system and product standards. The Industrial Research Institute provides certificates of conformity with standards and purchase requirements. Certificates of conformity or quality issued by foreign companies, such as SGS and Veritas, are also honored in Lebanon.

In addition, several ministries issue certificates of conformity. The Ministry of Agriculture has the authority to issue certificates of conformity for exported agricultural products. The Ministry of Economy and Trade issues conformity and export certificates at the request of the exporter. The Ministry of Public Health issues health certificates at the request of the exporter.

RESTRICTED IMPORTS

Prohibited imports that are strictly prohibited by laws, regulations, and decisions of relevant authorities or by virtue of the international agreements in which Lebanon is a party or a member include the following:

- Cedar seeds and seedlings (to protect Lebanese cedar species);

- Chemical improvers used in bread making (health measure);

- Table salt not containing iodine (health measure);

- Waste/slag/ash/scrap of many chemical, mineral, and metal products (environmental measure);

- Clinker and black cement (protection of local industry);

- Passenger vehicles older than eight years and transport vehicles older than five years (environmental measure);

- Used medical and radiological apparatuses (health measure);

- Gas-fueled pocket lighters (safety measure);

- Wireless phone sets that function on the 900 Megahertz bandwidth (technical measure);

- Goods bearing false marks and labels indicating their origin (intellectual property);

- Goods manufactured in or originating from Israel (arab boycott measure).

Monopolized and restricted goods must be treated similarly to prohibited goods upon import and export; therefore, such goods will be seized whenever a license, permit or any other legal document is not attached or whenever irrelevant documents are attached.

LABELING REQUIREMENTS

The following basic labelling and packaging regulations are provided to give a general idea of the Lebanese requirements:

- Products (particularly food and medicines) must be clearly marked, stamped, branded or labelled, to indicate the country of origin. In compliance with Lebanese Customs regulations, imported pharmaceutical products and foodstuffs must bear specific labels containing the following information:

a. The manufacturing and expiry date of the product;

b. The productís country of origin.

Violations of the labelling rules are liable to sanctions under article 358 of the Lebanese Customs Code and can lead to the re exportation of the infringing products.

- Use of English is acceptable, but for added safety, bilingual or even trilingual language (Arabic and French) labelling is advisable, particularly if the product is aimed at the mass market.

- Providing information on labels for:

a. Country of origin

b. Placement of identification data

c. Identification of the manufacturer.

d. Product information

e. Standard quality disclosures

f. Ingredients

g. Date of manufacture

h. Date of expiry (no goods are permitted with an expiry date of less than six months).

CONTACTS

LIBNOR

Maatouk Bldg