Madagascar Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in madagascar, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Standards for Trade
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Overview

Madagascar adopts a top-down government-driven approach for developing its standards system. The government is striving to make most standards mandatory within the next few years, but meanwhile continues using a mix of voluntary and mandatory standards. Madagascar’s Standards Office (Bureau de Normes de Madagascar, BNM), is responsible for drafting, implementing, and enforcing standards and certification in Madagascar. Parties that do not have a manufacturing presence in Madagascar market can participate in standards development work by the national standards body or other groups by submitting their proposal spontaneously and/or participating in a committee for establishing the standards.

Standards

The BNM represents Madagascar in regional and international standards organizations such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the Cycle Engineers’ Institute (CEI), the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML), and the Codex Alimentarius.  When developing standards, BNM follows international norms, mainly those established by ISO. BNM works closely with the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Consumption and develops dedicated national standards for some key agricultural exports (such as vanilla, cloves, litchis). PRONABIO (Natural and Organic Products), a local organization, has developed its own standards, called “NATIORA” to certify its natural goods such as vegetables, spices, and essential oils.

Testing, Inspection and Certification

The BNM and the following testing laboratories ensure compliance in Madagascar: 

  • National Laboratory of Public Works and Building (Laboratoire National des Travaux Publics et du Bâtiment, LNTPB): certification of construction materials (cement, iron, etc.); study of road materials; study of soil in view of construction stability assessment; control of construction; description of maintenance works; training of engineers.
     
  • Antananarivo Laboratory of Chemistry and Microbiology (Laboratoire de Chimie et de Microbiologie d’Antananarivo, LCMA): quality control of food and agricultural goods, classification, and compliance. Standards used are AFNOR, ISO, and the Codex Alimentarius.
     
  • Chemistry Laboratory of Tamatave (Laboratoire de Chimie de Tamatave, LCT): quality control of agricultural goods such as coffee, vanilla, cloves, litchis, pepper, and essential oils; classification and compliance. Standards used are AFNOR and ISO.
     
  • Laboratory of Legal Metrology (Laboratoire de Métrologie Légale, LML): control and standardization of measuring equipment in the commercial and industrial sector. LML reports to the Ministry of Commerce.
     
  • Laboratory of the National Center of Research for the Environment (CNRE): analysis of environmental samples; monitoring impacts of industrial activities of environment; scientific support to the industrial sector; control and analysis of the nutritional and food sector; scientific support to the private sector in product quality (shrimp, lobster, agricultural goods, etc.).
     
  • Laboratory of Biochemical Nutrition for the Department of Zootechnics and Veterinary Research (LBN): chemical and microbiological analysis of raw materials for animal food.
     
  • Laboratory of the National Center of Industrial and Technological Research (CNRIT): compliance in the following sectors: water, various chemical products, construction materials, civil engineering, and electronics. It also provides technical support to companies.
     
  • Laboratory for the Control of Pesticides (LCP): control of agro-pharmaceutical products and pesticides (local or imported).
     
  • Laboratory of Microbiology, Water, and Consumables: bacteriological analysis of food, water, and medicines.
     
  • National Laboratory of the Ministry of Mines (LNM): certification of jewelry and precious stones for export; LNM is under the Ministry of Mines.
     
  • National Laboratory of Research in Telecommunications (LNRT): verification, inspection, and certification of telecommunications equipment.
     
  • National Institute and Laboratory of Nuclear Sciences and Technology (INSTN): standardization of ionizing radiation detection apparatus; control of radioactivity rates and metallic presence in food; analysis of geological samples; detection of heavy metal; control of heavy metal in seafood and meat; and quantitative/qualitative analysis of atomic elements in powder, solid, and liquid samples.
     

Publication of Technical Regulations

Technical regulations and standards developed by the different laboratories are published in the National Gazette of the Republic of Madagascar. If required by law, foreign entities can approach the different laboratories or related departments to comment on final regulations. 

Accreditation body and contact information:  
Bureau des Normes de Madagascar (BNM) 
P.O. Box 1316,
06 bis, rue Rainandriamampandry, Soarano, Zip 101, Madagascar 
Tel: +261 20 22 279 70 
E-mail: bnm@mcc.gov.mg; bnm@bnm.mg
Website: https://www.bnm.mg
 

Use ePing to review proposed technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures. 

The ePing SPS&TBT platform (https://epingalert.org/), or “ePing”, provides access to notifications made by WTO Members under the Agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), distributed by the WTO from January 16, 1995 to present.  ePing is available to all stakeholders free of charge and does not require registration unless the user wishes to receive customized e-mail alerts.  Use it to browse notifications on past as well as new draft and updated product regulations, food safety and animal and plant health standards and regulations, find information on trade concerns discussed in the WTO SPS and TBT Committees, locate information on SPS/TBT Enquiry Points and notification authorities, and to follow and review current and past notifications concerning regulatory actions on products, packaging, labeling, food safety and animal and plant health measures in markets of interest. 

Notify U.S., operated and maintained by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) since 2003 to distribute and provide access to notifications (and associated draft texts) made under the WTO TBT Agreement for US stakeholders, has reached its end of life.  Per obligation under the TBT Agreement, each WTO Member operates a national TBT (and an SPS) Enquiry Point.   National TBT Enquiry Points are authorized to accept comments and official communications from other national TBT Enquiry Points, which are NOT part of the WTO or the WTO Secretariat.  All comment submissions from U.S. stakeholders, including businesses, trade associations, U.S domiciled standards development organizations and conformity assessment bodies, consumers, or U.S. government agencies on notifications to the WTO TBT Committee should be sent directly to the USA WTO TBT Inquiry Point. Refer to the comment guidance at https://tsapps.nist.gov/notifyus/data/guidance/guidance.cfm for further information. 

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