Algeria - Country Commercial Guide
Trade Standards
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Overview

Executive Decree 98-69 established the Algerian Institute for Normalization (IANOR) as the appropriate government body for handling standardization issues.  IANOR has since worked to assist Algeria’s economic sector in conforming with globalization and international standards.

Standards Organizations

The Agence Algérienne de l’Accréditation (ALGERAC) falls under the authority of the Ministry of Industry.  ALGERAC is the only Algerian accreditation organization.  It ensures that national regulations concerning the accreditation of laboratories and the organization of certification inspections meet international norms.  ALGERAC has certified some 100 assessment bodies since 2009.

IANOR oversees elaborating, publishing, and distributing all relevant data on Algerian standards.  It is also responsible for providing conformity certifications to Algerian standards, issuing quality labels, and delivering appropriate authorizations to use brands according to the applicable regulations.  The Algerian National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI) protects industrial and intellectual property rights.  This entity primarily handles the deposit and registration of patents, trademarks, and copyrights.

Import Documentation

Multiple authorities regulate the conformity of imported products.  For cosmetics and hygiene products, Algeria requires a compulsory declaration of ingredients, and the formula must be submitted to a toxicology lab for analysis.  Should the production be completed abroad, companies must forward the details of the toxicology lab handling the tests to the appropriate Algerian authorities.

For other imported products, the following documents should be presented to the customs service upon entry: customs documents, banking documentation (invoice, banking domicile), specific authorizations from police services (if required), and health and safety authorization for selected products (if needed).  Customs will either provide an admission certificate or a non-admission certificate.

Product Certification

IANOR establishes and publishes standards applicable in Algeria.  If a standard does not exist or a disagreement needs to be settled, the International Standards Organization (ISO) standard will prevail.

Accreditation

ALGERAC is the only Algerian accreditation organization.  It ensures that national regulations concerning the accreditation of the laboratories and the organization of certification inspections meet international standards.

Publication of Technical Regulations

The government publishes technical regulations in the Official Gazette of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria (Journal Officiel).

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.

Labeling and Marking

Algerian government regulations stipulate that imported products, particularly consumer goods, must be labeled in Arabic, and this regulation is strictly enforced.  Though not required, it is helpful to label products in French.

Contacts

ALGERAC

Tel: +213-017-033-325

Email: boudalgerac@hotmail.com

Algerian Institute for Normalization (IANOR)

Address: 5 et 7 rue Abou Hammou Moussa BP 104 RP Alger Algérie

Phone: +213 21 78 21 35

Email: cinfo@ianor.org

Algerian National Institute of the Industrial Property (INAPI)

42 Rue Larbi Ben MHidi

Phone: +213 21 73 57 74