New regulations concerning exports to Gabon: PROGEC implements extended conformity requirements effective as of January 1, 2021!

When the updated regulations come into force on January 1, 2021, further products and commodities will fall within the scope of the Gabonese VOC-program.

In the new version, this will cover all consumer goods and raw materials holding an FOB value of €1000 or more, with the exception of live animals and animal products, plant products, food and medicine. Likewise, imports with the following general purposes and characteristics are exempted:

• Packages with no commercial value and express shipments
• Commercial samples
• Goods from governments or international organizations meant for recognized humanitarian associations or charitable organizations
• Personal gifts and personal belongings
• Humanitarian goods from foreign governments or organizations in the event of a disaster
• Goods for the diplomatic community

In addition, there are accompanying transition periods of 3 months for goods that have already been part of PROGEC's scope and 6 months for goods that are new to the program.

All imported products regulated under PROGEC require a mandatory Certificate of Conformity to be issued by an independent inspection body such as Bureau Veritas.

You may also find more relevant information on our Import & Export Services platform and in the official

Are you an exporter with a Gabonese trade cooperation interested in a conformity certification, or do you have questions regarding the testing process?

Our GSIT experts are happy to assist!