Certification Introduction

Ethiopia implements mandatory conformity certification (COC, Certificate of Conformity) for electrical and electronic products, supervised by the Ethiopian Standards Authority (ESA). It is a pre-shipment market access system designed to protect public safety and health and prevent non-compliant products from entering the local market. All categories of electrical and electronic products are covered under mandatory control. Goods that do not obtain a COC certificate cannot clear customs normally, and may face penalties including detention, fines, and even return shipment. It is necessary to confirm whether the product is included in the official control list before export.

Laws and Regulations

The current core regulation is the new version of the Regulation on Conformity Assessment of Imported Goods (Regulation No.124/2024), implemented starting from January 1, 2025, which is jointly enforced by the Ethiopian Ministry of Trade and the Ethiopian Standards Authority. This regulation expands the coverage of mandatory certification, and clarifies that the COC certificate is a legally required document for customs clearance of imported electrical and electronic products. The specific control catalog and latest rules shall be subject to the information published on the official website of the Ethiopian Standards Authority.

Technical Requirements

Testing is prioritized against national standards published by Ethiopia; if no corresponding national standard exists, internationally accepted standards such as IEC and ISO can be adopted; Product test reports must be issued by laboratories accredited to ISO/IEC 17025; Different categories of electrical and electronic products need to meet corresponding safety, electromagnetic compatibility, and energy efficiency requirements. For example, exported lithium batteries must comply with the ES 755:2024 energy efficiency standard and UN 38.3 transportation safety requirements; Product identification must comply with the labeling requirements of the importing country, and specific rules shall be verified in advance.

Certification Process

Exporters first check the HS code of the product to confirm the product's control status and applicable standards;

Prepare application documents, including the completed application form, commercial invoice, packing list, product compliance test report, etc.;

Submit the application to an ESA-authorized body, which will complete document review; if supplementary testing is required, arrange sample submission for testing;

After document and test review are approved, arrange pre-shipment on-site inspection to verify the consistency between cargo information and submitted documents;

After all procedures are qualified, a single-batch valid COC certificate will be issued as a required document for customs clearance.

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