Service description

In order to save time and facilitate the course of procedures for commercial customers, this service allows them to submit an online application to inspect food imports lots to GOEIC using the online portal and it aims at providing a mechanism for the process of submitting such application, which will save time spent on the service.

Providers of Service

GOEIC head office and its branches in all Egyptian ports (sea, air, land and dry ports)

Place of Service

GOEIC head office and its branches in all Egyptian ports

Required Documents

·         Bill of lading

·          Detailed bill

·          Certificate of customs formalities

·         Maritime delivery permit

·         Power of attorney or warrant with the bank signature in the absence of the interested party.

·         All required documents and lot attachments according to the type of goods, standard specification, and Annex No. 3 of the Prime Minister’s Resolution No. 1186 of 2003.

Procedures of Service

First: Registration, revision and identification of specification

1.      Submission of inspection application “electronically from the branch” with the required documents attached.

2.      Revision of documents, estimation of expenses and identification of inspection authorities.

3.      identification of the specification for inspection according to the following:

o    Applying the Egyptian standard specifications that are stated in Resolution 130 of 2005 and resolution annexed thereto.

o    If no Egyptian specification is listed according to Resolution No. 130 and its annexes, the importer shall identify, in the inspection application, the standard specification required for inspection, whether this standard specification is non-binding or global, and such standard specifications must be approved in accordance with the Ministerial Resolution No. 180 of 1996 issued by Ministry of Industry, and it is mandatory that the specification of inspection be identified by the importer if there is no binding specification for the item.

o    The Second Article of Resolution No. 130 of 2005 shall be applicable on food commodities and products that do not have Egyptian or foreign specifications in accordance with the documents and components statement attached with the lot, and documents showing its usage in the state of origin or the exporting country.

4.      Forming of visual inspection committees to collect samples.

5.      Procedures of visual inspection may be completed prior to payment of inspection charges provided that the announcement of inspection results will not be declared before paying the inspection charges, and procedures of visual inspection and samples collection may be completed prior to completing the documents in case the following are provided: customs certificate, bill of lading, health and veterinary certificates and import approvals to submit upon request.

Second: Visual inspection of the united committee: (imports for health, agriculture and customs):

1.      The united committee conducts the visual inspection in the location of storage or by unloading the lot inside the customs house while reviewing the documents against the actual lot and reviewing data of packages against specifications and resolutions identified for the item, as well as inspection of packaging condition and general requirements of visual appearance for every commodity.

2.      Upon a request from importer or his agent/representative, Chairman of GOEIC or his representative may allow to re-sort the imported lot that was completely rejected inside or outside the customs house on condition that the lot be inspected after sorting process as a new lot.

3.      If the lot meets the requirements of visual inspection by the united committee, samples shall be collected according to the Prime Minister’s Resolution No. 1186 of 2003 and the importer or his authorized agent may submit a signed application to transfer and store the lot outside the customs house in custody according to rules of Article 86 of the regulation.

4.      If the lot does not meet the requirements, a refusal notice shall be issued and the importer has the right to submit an application to the appeals committee within a week as of the date of receiving the refusal notice, and the resolution of the appeals committee shall be irrevocable.

Third: Seizing and coding the samples by the coding committee and delivering the coded samples to the different labs.

Fourth: laboratory analysis results for the coded samples:

1.      If the results do not meet the laboratory requirements of health and veterinary labs, the importer has the right to submit an application to the appeals committee which determines what shall be re-inspected, accepted, or refused, and the decision of the appeals committee shall be final and irrevocable.

Fifth: Final results of the lot:

1.      If the results meet the laboratory requirements of all labs, a conformity certificate shall be granted, and the seizing entity shall be notified to end the seizing of the transferred lots.

2.      A refusal notice shall be given if the lot was finally refused and the importer shall be notified with the refusal. The following procedures shall be taken as well:

o    If the lot is inside the customs house, the relevant customs shall be notified (Form 29) to take necessary actions about re-exportation or destruction according to governing regulations.

o    If the lot is stored outside the customs house, the entity supervising storage under seizure, food supply police and customs authority shall be notified to take actions of re-exportation or destruction.

o    The health authority in which the lot is stored, the port of arrival, the port from which the re-exportation will be done and the General Department of Food Control in Ministry of Health shall be all notified with all information about the lot that is intended to be re-exported with a re-exportation application to be provided by the interested party.

o    The interested party or his legal representative shall provide all necessary commitments upon which he is obliged to keep the seized exhibits untouched and not to destruct the lot or any part of it, and all data of car numbers, names of drivers and ID numbers shall be recorded, and the cars shall be lined up and brought together with the sealing red wax by using the seal of the food inspector where the store of the lot is located in his customs house, and the signatory person on such commitments shall be liable in case of any violation.

o    The health official in the re-exportation port shall be notified to receive the lot, release the seized exhibits, and make sure that the weight and number of the lot is in conformity with the lot documents and complete procedures of re-exportation. In case of a shortage in quantities, legal actions shall be taken against the importer.

o    The port of arrival, the entity of storage, the General Department of Food Control shall be notified by a copy of bill of lading concerning the lot re-exportation as well as the General Department of Food Supply Police.

o    For lots transported under seizure outside the customs house for which the final inspection results show that they do not meet the requirements, the importer shall abide by moving these lots to the customs house accompanied with a delegate from the competent regulatory authority within no later than two weeks of notifying the importer with the final results, unless it is destructed under supervision of the regulatory authority and the representative of the customs authority.
Releasing under seizure or notification with the results of an inspection of any lots coming to the importer shall not be done if the importer does not re-export or destruct the non-conforming lot during the specified duration.

Note:

·         To infer on Egyptian specifications manual, click on important files for you (bottom of the page)

·         Kindly note that the branches of the GOEIC are working 24/7, and there is a complaints box in each branch. If the problem is not solved, please refer to the Central Department of Food Imports and the Citizens Service Department in the headquarters of GOEIC.

Duration of Service

o    Within a maximum period of 7 days from the date of collecting the last sample, with the exception of the frozen food, canned food, water bottles, and goods subject to the dioxin test. The final results shall be issued within a maximum period of 15 days from the date of collecting last sample.

Required Fees

o    Not specified