What is a Certificate of Compliance?

The certificate is a formal document that attests to a specific fact. Likewise, a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) is a formal certification declaring that the supplied goods/ services meet the regulatory requirements. This certification is a way to ensure that the products/services are safe as per the applied standards.

The compliance certificate must be submitted to the authorities for getting clearance for the imported products. Several countries require a Certificate of Compliance that includes Kenya, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, etc. We can learn about the compliance certificate meaning and its requirements through this article.

What is a Certificate of Compliance, and why is it required?

Every user must be aware of the quality of the product that is being purchased and used by them, and this is not possible without some legal intervention. Laws are established in each country to ensure that the products reaching their citizen meet specified standards ensuring its quality. 

The goods that reach the citizens from across the national boundaries are at more risk, and therefore it is important to ensure that those products meet the International standards. The consignments that meet the specified standards are given a certificate of compliance which is then provided to the customs authorities for getting clearance. The consignments that fail to get the certificate of compliance are not allowed to get in.

Earlier, examined goods at the port which used to cause delay and added further cost for those products. To resolve this issue government of many countries has established guidelines for getting certification before export or import.

Thus, the importer/ exporter of the product needs to know the importing country's laws to avoid delays and financial losses. 

How to get a Certificate of Compliance?

In order to get the Certificate of Compliance, one can contact the Chamber of Commerce and provide them with the necessary details required for testing the products. Once the importer/exporter obtains the Certificate of Compliance, it can then be presented to customs authorities.

What details are included in the Certificate of Compliance?

A Certificate of Compliance must have the following details:

• Description of the product
• Details of place along with date where the product was manufactured
• Details of importer
• List of the safety regulations the product is tested for (must state each regulation)
• Date/(s) and place when tested the product as per the specified rules.
• Details of individual maintaining the results of test results that include name, mailing address, e-mail, and contact number of the person.
• Details of the third-party laboratory on whose testing the certificate depends.

The Certificate of Compliance is also known as Certificate of Conformity or Certificate of Conformance. The agency that issues the certificate must be recognized by the importing country. If the agency is not recognized, the products might not be cleared by the customs authorities, and the importer/ exporter might have to face financial losses. The goods not cleared by the custom on the basis of quality checks might get confiscated.