Zimbabwe Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in zimbabwe, 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

There are various laws requiring that retailers and manufacturers maintain certain standards.  A Consumer Council of Zimbabwe exists and advises consumers about their rights.  The Standards Association of Zimbabwe and Bureau Veritas are charged with the responsibility of certifying the quality of most non-medical goods produced or imported into the country.

The Medicines Control Association of Zimbabwe requires the registration of drugs and regulates and controls the sale, advertising, manufacture, possession, and safe custody of drugs.

Standards

The country benchmarks its products against international standards as determined by the International Organization for Standards (ISO), a worldwide federation of national standards bodies of member countries.

Testing, Inspection and Certification

Experience suggests that the Medicines Control Association of Zimbabwe is more proactive than the Standards Association of Zimbabwe in checking for conformity in the pharmaceuticals sector.

The government implemented the consignment-based conformity assessment (CBCA) program in 2015 by contracting the French company, Bureau Veritas, to verify and assess compliance with standards and declared value of most goods in exporting countries before shipment.  Bureau Veritas will review documentation, inspect products, and in some cases perform laboratory testing.  Once Bureau Veritas is satisfied with product assessment, they issue a CBCA certificate. Goods not accompanied with the required CBCA certificate will be refused entry into the country.  The GOZ added three more service providers: the SAZ, Cotecna Inspection Societe Anonym (SA) of Switzerland, and the EAA Company Limited of Japan to enhance the CBCA program and improve turnaround times.

In addition, the Quality Control Department of the Standards Association of Zimbabwe carries out product certification as well at: 17 Coventry Road, Workington, Harare, Zimbabwe, Tel: 263 24 2753 800-2.

Publication of Technical Regulations

Both the Medicines Control Association of Zimbabwe and the Standards Association of Zimbabwe are involved in accreditation of products produced or imported into the country. 

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. This guidance is provided to assist U.S. stakeholders in the preparation and submission of comments in response to notifications of proposed foreign technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures.  

Contact Information 

Standards Association of Zimbabwe

Northend Close, Northridge Park, Borrowdale, Harare.

Tel: +263 242 882017/8/9, 242882021, 242885511/2

 

Medicines Control Association of Zimbabwe

106 Baines Avenue, Harare

Tel: 263 242 736 981

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