E-form and E-permit Merger

The CBN, in a press release, notified the public of its official decision to integrate the e-Permit and e-Form on the Nigerian Trade Portal for products with non-overlapping HS codes. Acquiring an E-Form M is a mandatory step in the Nigerian importation process according to the SON Conformity Assessment Programme. The E-Permit is also issued by the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for interested importers of consumable products. Information on the merger of these trade forms, can be accessed on the Nigeria Trade Portal for products, eases the registration for/of imported goods by prospective traders.

This is to inform all authorised dealers, the Nigeria customs service and the general public that the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has integrated its e-Permit for NAFDAC regulated products with e-Form ‘M’ on the Nigeria Trade Portal for products with non-overlapping HS codes with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria.

The commencement date for the use of NAFDAC’s e permit on the Nigeria Trade portal for processing e-Form ‘M’ shall be September 9^th 2019.

Does This Affect Me?

The “Harmonized System (HS)” was created and is administered by the Brussels-based World Customs Organization (WCO). It consists of numerical codes that allow the systematic definition and classification of all goods in international trade, within the tariffs of signatory countries.

The purpose of the HS Tariff is to facilitate internationally uniform tariff classification of All goods. The codes are used to classify and define goods traded globally to determine the rate of duty, eligibility for exemptions, qualification for approved manufacturer/assembler tariff provisions and calculation of any other additional taxes (e.g. excise).

With regards to the SONCAP program, they ensure consistency between the SON System and the Nigeria Customs System via the Nigeria Single Window for Trade.

Importers need to declare the HS Code of their products at the Form M stage, which is before SONCAP certification. The purpose is to ensure that the products submitted match the goods imported and certified.

The HS Code will also appear on Product Certificates (PCR and PCL) as well as the SONCAP Certificate.

For more information on HS Codes, refer to the Nigeria Customs Service website where you can find the Nigeria CET Tariff Section and Chapters for the complete list of Nigeria CET Code.