Sudan Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in sudan, 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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The Sudanese Standards and Metrology Organization (SSMO) was established in 1992 as an independent organization, combining the Weights and Measures Department and the Quality Control Department of the Ministry of Trade and Industry to form the nucleus of the present SSMO.  It is active in the fields of development and publication of Sudanese standards, scientific and legal metrology, including assay of precious metals and stones, as well as control and assurance of quality, research, and development.

SSMO has its headquarters in Khartoum and state offices located in Khartoum International Airport, Port Sudan, El Obeid, Kassala, Wad Madani, El Fasher, Ad Damazin, Dongola, Nyala, and Gedaref.  The organization’s structure includes 15 laboratories in addition to those established at the SSMO branches.  The most well-equipped branch office is located in Port Sudan. 

SSMO is a member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the African Regional Organization for Standardization (ARSO), the Arab Standards and Metrology Organization (ASMO), and Codex Alimentarius Commission, the Arab Industrial and Mining Organization (AIDMO), the Islamic Institute for Standardization, the International Institute for Cereal Science and Technology (ICC), African Electro-technical Standardization Commission (AFSEC), International Organization for legal metrology (OIML), an affiliate member of IEC. Besides being the focal point for SPS and TBT WTO agreements, SSMO also signed several bilateral agreements with the following: the Kenyan Bureau of Standards (KEBS), the Korean Agency for Standardization (KATS), the Jordan Institution for Standards and Metrology (JISM), the Syrian Arab Organization for Standardization and Metrology (SASMO), the Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality (EOS), the Saudi Arabia Standards Organization, the Syrian Standards Organization (SASO), Emirates Authority for Standardization (ESMA), Turkish National Center for Standardization (TSE), Libyan National Center for Standardization (LNCSM), General Administration for Chinese Standards (SAC),Uganda National Center for Standardization (UNBS), Tunis National Institute for Standardization (INORPI) and is in the process of signing with the Ethiopian Standards Authority (QSAE).

Overview

The Central Bank of Sudan establishes regulations for trade, including both exports and imports.  This Central Bank link includes updated procedures for 2022: https://cbos.gov.sd/ar/node/23565/.   

All banks have a full commitment to import (C&F), that is, to issue the insurance policy from companies operating in Sudan, and not to accept any insurance on imports from a foreign party, except for the importation for the following entities and cases:

  • The United Nations and its missions
  • Diplomatic missions
  • Non-residents of Sudan at the time of contracting to import.

Cases that require cargo to be insured by insurance companies outside Sudan may obtain prior approval from the National Insurance Supervisory Authority.

The import of human medicines, raw materials, and packaging materials for the pharmaceutical industry is carried out in accordance with a letter of non-objection issued by the National Council for Drugs and Poisons.

The Central Bank ensures that 70% of the proceeds of exported gold will be used for importing strategic commodities only. The commodities are:

  • Medicines, medical equipment, and production inputs for the pharmaceutical industry
  • Wheat and wheat flour
  • Petroleum products.

The remaining (30%) of the proceeds of gold exports, in addition to the proceeds of exports of other commodities, shall be used to import the commodities mentioned in the list of necessary commodities exported by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Customers may use their own resources (free accounts) to import goods allowed to be imported upon obtaining prior approval from the Ministry of Industry and Trade before starting banking procedures.  The importer must pay the entire import value in advance and with a cash margin of 100%.

Import operations are carried out using the deferred payment method (D/A).  The importation must take place on a deferred payment in accordance with standard banking practices and recognized international rules.  Import documents with a deferred payment that are not circulated through the banks will not be accepted.  The facilitation period shall not exceed a maximum of 180 days.

Testing, Inspection, and Certification

  • SSMO is responsible for taking samples of products for testing before entry into Sudan.
  • Publication of Technical Regulations
  • The SSMO website contains a copy of the 2019 Gazette.  However, the link is inoperable at this time.

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. 

Contact Information

Sudanese Standards and Metrology Organization

Khartoum Sudan

Tel: +249 183775247 Tel: +249 183796956

Website: http://www.ssmo.gov.sd

 

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