Standards and certification
Origin of goods: CEMAC zone and European Union
To sell duty free in other CEMAC countries, a Gabonese product must be originating under community rules and, if manufactured, approved for the generalised preferential tariff by decision of the President of the CEMAC Commission, after review by the National Approval Committee and then the Regional Origin Committee. For the European Union, Gabon has had no preferences since 2014: origin does not give a duty reduction, but the buyer may ask for a non-preferential certificate of origin.
- Steps
- 4
- Total indicative delay
- Not published
- 3 steps without a published delay
- Total indicative cost
- Proportional or variable fees
- Indicative
- Last validation
- 22 September 2026
- Version 2
- Responsible institution
- Directorate General of Trade (foreign trade) (DGC)
- Freshness
- Up to date
Illustrative data Values marked "indicative" are not officially published: check them with the institution.
Steps
-
Check the CEMAC origin criteria
What to do
Goods originate in CEMAC when they are wholly obtained in a member state, are handicrafts, are made with at least 40% (by value) of community raw materials, or generate community value added of at least 30% of their ex-works cost. Originating goods have circulated at a zero rate since 1998 but remain subject to domestic taxes in the country of consumption.
- Channel
- Online
- Delay
- Not published
- Fees
-
- No fee 0 FCFA Indicative
-
Have the manufactured product approved for the generalised preferential tariff
What to do
Industrial products manufactured in CEMAC must be approved for the preferential regime of intra-community trade. The procedure is set by Regulation No. 19/08-UEAC-010 H-CM-18 of 19 December 2008, revised by Regulation No. 0127/25-UEAC-010A-CM-42, adopted by the UEAC Council of Ministers on 11 October 2024 and signed on 9 January 2025. The company files its application, prepared on the reference model annexed to the regulation, with the ministry in charge of the economy, trade or industry (article 3). The National Approval Committee reviews it and checks the community origin; the minister forwards the files it retains, with the committee's formal opinion, to the CEMAC Commission (article 4). The Commission submits them to the Regional Origin Committee, whose members receive them 30 days before the session (article 6). If the opinion is favourable, approval is granted by decision of the President of the Commission and notified to the company through its minister; an unfavourable opinion is a reasoned rejection and the application may be filed again (article 7). Approval is granted for an unlimited period, but any change to the manufacturing process must be reported to the Commission (article 8), which may carry out an unannounced check no earlier than three years after approval (article 9). According to the press, the Regional Committee meets twice a year, the foreign trade directorate represents Gabon, and the country had 249 approved products held by 14 companies in September 2026. The file model is not attached to the version of the regulation published on the CEMAC website.
- Channel
- At the counter
- Delay
- Two regional committee sessions a year according to the press; files sent to its members 30 days before the session (Regulation No. 0127/25, art. 6); approval of unlimited duration Indicative
- Fees
-
- Not published
-
Issue the certificate of origin for each shipment
What to do
Each shipment to a member state is accompanied by a certificate of origin presented to customs in the destination country. The Gabonese authority that endorses this certificate and the applicable fee are not published online; check with the DGDDI or the foreign trade directorate. For precious substances the certificate of origin is issued by the ministry in charge of mines.
- Channel
- At the counter
- Delay
- Not published
- Fees
-
- Not published
- Documents
-
For the European Union: provide a non-preferential certificate if requested
What to do
Gabon has been ineligible for the generalised scheme of preferences and Everything But Arms since 2014 and has not concluded an economic partnership agreement, so its goods enter the EU at the most favoured nation duty. No preferential proof of origin (EUR.1 form or statement on origin) therefore applies. A non-preferential certificate of origin is sometimes still required by the buyer, the bank or for certain trade measures.
- Channel
- At the counter
- Delay
- Not published
- Fees
-
- Not published
- Documents
Process diagram (BPMN)
The diagram cannot be displayed: the BPMN file is invalid.
Documents to prepare
Tick each document as you go. Official templates can be downloaded when they exist.
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Decision approving a manufactured product as originating in CEMAC, taken after review by the Regional Origin Committee.
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Document stating the country of origin of the goods; requested on imports into Gabon and on exports when the importing country requires it. In CEMAC trade it allows approved products to benefit from the generalised preferential tariff.
-
Supplier invoice showing the transaction value, the basis for customs value.
Fees
| Step | Fee | Amount | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No fee | 0 FCFA | Fixed amount | Indicative |
| 2 | Not published | Not published | Variable | |
| 3 | Not published | Not published | Variable | |
| 4 | Not published | Not published | Variable |
Illustrative data Values marked "indicative" are not officially published: check them with the institution.
Legal basis
Ask a question about this procedure
The assistant answers from the procedures and texts published on the portal, with sources.
Sources
6 sources cited
- La fiscalité douanière (copie archivée de douanes.ga) (opens in a new tab)
- Cemac : 70 produits gabonais agréés (26 février 2020) (opens in a new tab)
- Commerce sous-régional : le Gabon face au défi de la valorisation de ses agréments CEMAC (17 septembre 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- EPA Central Africa (opens in a new tab)
- Examen des politiques commerciales des pays de la CEMAC, rapport du Secrétariat, annexe 3 Gabon (WT/TPR/S/445, 16 août 2023) (opens in a new tab)
- Règlement n° 0127/25-UEAC-010A-CM-42 portant révision du règlement n° 19/08-UEAC-010 H-CM-18 du 19 décembre 2008 relatif à la procédure d'agrément des produits originaires CEMAC (adopté le 11 octobre 2024, signé le 9 janvier 2025) (opens in a new tab)
