CERTIFYING YOUR PRODUCTS IN KAZAKHSTAN
By Nataliya Antonenko
Although aimed at ensuring the quality and safety of imports, the complex and costly product certification process in Kazakhstan has often served as a barrier to trade. The new Kazakhstani “Law on Certification,” which came into force on July 16, 1999, may help to ease this process. The intent of the new law is to bring regulations on certification in Kazakhstan into conformity with the requirements of international and interstate regulations on certification of goods and services and to specify the functions, rights, and obligations of Kazakhstani certification agencies.
The Certification System
The state certification system in Kazakhstan includes the following bodies:
1. The Committee on Standardization, Metrology and Certification (Gosstandart), attached to the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Trade, which is the central Kazakhstani standards and certification agency;
2. Accredited centers for certification of products, technologies, works, and services (44 throughout Kazakhstan), which are legal entities independent from manufacturers, suppliers, and consumers, and also incorporate testing laboratories; and
3. Testing laboratories (237 throughout Kazakhstan), which are independent legal entities or structural divisions of legal entities.
What Products Should be Certified?
The law provides for the mandatory and voluntary certification of products, works, and services in Kazakhstan. Voluntary certification is conducted on the initiative of manufacturers or traders to prove conformity of products within regulation requirements. Voluntary certification does not substitute for mandatory certification.
Products subject to mandatory certification include motor transport; industrial pipeline fittings; metalwork and woodwork machine-tools; arms and ammunition; industrial laundry equipment; food industry and catering equipment; electric insulating materials; cables; electromechanical, radiotechnical, and electronic products; means of communication; heating devices; household chemicals; toys; consumer goods that involve contact with skin, potable water, and food; packing materials; construction materials; medicines and medical devices; perfumes and cosmetics; agricultural and food products; fodder; fuel raw materials; mineral fertilizers and chemicals; and metallurgical industry products.
Certification Documents
A certificate of conformity is issued by an accredited center for products, technologies, works, and services. Currently, 10 different schemes are used in Kazakhstan to certify various products and equipment.
The documents required for completing certification include, but are not limited to, (1) a standard application form (available at certification centers), (2) a customs declaration, and (3) a supply contract or agreement. Additionally, depending on the nature of the goods/certification scheme, the following documents may be required: (1) a hygiene resolution and (2) a declaration of conformity. All required documents should be submitted to an accredited center that specializes in certification of certain products. Following submission of the documents, the testing of samples takes place. Only after passing this testing may a certificate be issued.
The cost of the certificate is specified in a special agreement between the applicant and the center. The cost depends on the type of certification scheme and may vary from one center to another depending on the applied calculation method. Different certification schemes provide for different terms of validity of the issued certificate. Products that contain components from other manufacturers are tested and certified as “final products.”
The mark of conformity can be affixed to the certified products. It functions as a copy of the certificate. The type and the size of the mark will depend on the type of products. The mark should be affixed to each unit of the certified product, close to the trademark of the producer, on the unremovable part of the product, and on the operating manual or label.
U.S. companies are encouraged to contact Gosstandart for more information on certification regulations and procedures.
Useful Contacts
Committee on Standardization, Metrology and Certification (Gosstandart)
Tel: +7 (3172) 75-29-91; Fax: +7 (3172) 75-26-41
Email: standart@akmo.kz
Website: www.banknet.kz/gosstandart (in Russian)
Almaty Branch of Gosstandart
Tel: +7 (3272) 21-65-41, 21-48-45; Fax: +7 (3272) 21-65-59
KazSERTICO Almaty Branch (accreditation of certification centers and testing laboratories)
Tel: +7 (3272) 28-32-95, 28-65-44; Fax: +7 (3272) 21-75-18
Email: kazsert@kazsert.almaty.kz
Kazakhstani Customs Committee
Tel: +7 (3172) 75-04-47; Fax: +7 (3172) 75-30-16
U.S. Commercial Service Almaty
Tel: +7 (3272) 58-79-20, 58-79-24; Fax: +7 (3272) 58-79-22
Email: almaty.office.box@mail.doc.gov
Website: www.usis.kz/csalmaty
Contacts: Julie Snyder, Senior Commercial Officer
Nataliya Antonenko, BISNIS Representative