Export Business Support
Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectorial Association, business support staff can advise you on all aspects of export business including, lists of eligible export goods, export documentation, bank payments, COMESA market export procedure, and customs procedures.
Exporting duty and tax
No export tax is levied on export products except 150% tax levied on semi – processed hides and skins. All export goods are also subject to zero value added tax.
Export documentation
Export documentation is required in importing countries to clear goods from customs and effect bank payment. It can also be used to as proof of origin in order to claim preferential duty rates.
The documents often become more important than the goods, as without the correct paperwork, the products can’t clear customs. Goods stuck in customs are not stored free-of-charge and it is the exporter or seller that pays these charges. Most of all, export documentation must be accurate and contain the correct information.
What are the required export documentations?
Certificate of Origin
A Certificate of Origin (CO) is an important international trade document attesting that goods in a particular export shipment are wholly obtained, produced, manufactured or processed in a particular country. There are two types of COs.
Preferential Certificate of Origin
This type of COs enables products to enjoy tariff reduction or exemption when they are exported to countries extending these privileges.
The countries which extended duty free tariff treatment to Ethiopia’s export products are USA, EU, Japan, Canada, Australia, Turkey, Russia China, India and Korea. All export products of Ethiopia enjoys duty free treatment in all developed and emerging economic countries.
The types of preferential certificate of origin request by importing country on letter of credit or sales contract are,
- AGOA Visa — Document used to clear textile & apparel products duty free when
Such goods enters to USA under African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) program detailed attached
- GSP Form A Certificate of Origin – Documents used to clear all goods enters products exported to EU, Japan, USA, Australia, Turkey, Russia, etc.. under each General Systems of Programs (EU-GSP) detailed attached
- SPTT Certificate of Origin — Documents used to export to China under China- Special
Preferential Tariff Program (SPTT) detailed attached
- DFTP Certificate of Origin —Document used to export duty free to India under India Duty Free Tariff Program (DFTP) detailed attached
- Annex III ––Document used to export goods in Korea under Korean Duty Free Program detailed attached
- All the above preferential certificate of origin is issued by Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority. Addis Ababa chamber of Commerce can assist members on its processing.
Non-preferential certificate of origin
This type of COs is called “ordinary COs” which certify that the country of origin of a particular product does not qualify for any preferential treatment. The purpose of this type of COs is to uses for purpose of trade statistics. It is mandatory documentary requirement in most importing country just to confirm where the goods is growth, produced or manufactured,
This certificate of origin is issued by Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce & sectoral Associations, chamber members receive a 50% reduction in the cost of processing non-preferential certificate of origin.
Commercial Invoice
It is prepared and provided by the exporter or seller to the buyer or importer. It uses for customs declaration and bank payment purpose. It must include information such as the importer and exporter details, the actual description of goods being exported, number and date of invoice, the country of origin, unit and total price of goods, terms of agreements (FOB, C&F, CIF), the Harmonized System codes of goods (if necessary) and a statement certifying that the invoice is true, and a signature.
Bill of Loading or Air way bill
A document issued by a carrier or its agent to the shipper (exporter) a confirmation receipt for cargo accepted for transportation, and must be presented for taking delivery at the destination.
A bill of loading or air way bill contains (1) consignor’s and consignee’s name, (2) names departure and destination ports, (3) name of the vessel/carrier, (4) dates of departure and arrival, (5) itemized list of goods being transported with number of packages and kind of packaging, (6) marks and numbers on the packages, (7) weight and/or volume of the cargo, (8) terms of delivery.
Packing Lists
The packing list must contain the same listed goods as the invoice, along with weight, dimensions, quantity of the products. The packing list doesn’t include any prices. Moreover, the packing list should include the final count weight and dimension of the goods after they have been packed ready for export.