G/LIC/N/2/MWI/4  
 
14 February 2017  
(17-0888)  Page: 1/3 
Committee on Import  Licensing  Original: English  
 
AGREEMENT ON IMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES  
NOTIFICATION UNDER A RTICLE 5.1  OF THE AGREEMENT1 
MALAWI 
The following notification, dated 25 April 2016 , is being circulated at the request of the delegation 
of Malawi . 
 
_______________  
 
Pursuant to Article 5(1) of the Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures, Malawi hereby notify 
the World Trade Organization (WTO) Secretariat and Member States the procedures for obtaining a 
licence to import specified products into Malawi.  
 
(a) List of Products Subject to Licensing Procedures  
 
The following products shall require an Import Licence obtained from the Ministry of Industry and 
Trade to be imported into Malawi in accordance with the provisions of the Control of Goods Act, 
Chapter 18:08 of the Laws of Malawi:  
 
(i) Clothing  and uniforms, designed for military, naval, air force or police use;  
(ii) Radioactive substances;  
(iii) Mist nets for the capture of wild birds;  
(iv) Wild animals, wild trophies and wild animal products;  
(v) Live fish;  
(vi) Compound products containing fl our, meal residues and other preparations  of 
any kind suitable only for use as animal foodstuffs and excluding the following:  
- Chemical additions to animal foodstuffs;  
- Antibiotic growth stimulants;  
- Inert fillers;  
- Trace elements;  
- Synthetic animal foodstuffs;  
- Bird seed; and  
- Cat and dog foods.  
(vii) Eggs of poultry;  
(viii) Live poultry;  
(ix) Meat products including dressed poultry, is prohibited without prior permission 
in writing from the Minister of Industry and Trade. The Minister has, however , 
exempted the following from import licensing:  
- All tinned meat;  
- All potted meats;  
- Meat soaps;  
- Edible meat fats;  
- Tallow;  
- All cooked or cured meats other than cooked pork, ham and bacon; and  
- The importation of all animals and other animal prod ucts require to be 
certified as free from disease before importation.  
(x) Dieldrin;  
(xi) Aldrin;  
(xii) Kitchen and table salt  G/LIC/N/2/MWI/4  
 
- 2 - 
 
  (xiii) Portland ordinary cement;  
(xiv) Cane sugar;  
(xv) Wheat flour;  
(xvi) Fertilizers;  
(xvii) Matches  
(xviii) Agricultural produc ts (soya beans and its products, cotton lint and all other 
forms of cotton products, oil seeds, grain of any variety, maize and maize 
products, sorghum, fruits and vegetables)  
(xix) Livestock products (hides and skins)  
 
(b) Contact Point for Information on  Eligibility  
 
All enquiries should be forwarded to:  
The Principal Secretary  
Ministry of Industry and Trade  
P.O. Box 30366  
Lilongwe 3  
Malawi  
Tel: +265 1 770 244; +265 1 770 290  
Fax: +265 1 770 680  
Email: moit@moit.gov. mw  
 
(c) Administrative Body(ies) for Submission of Applications  
 
The Ministry of Industry and Trade is the main administrative body for issuance of import 
licences. Address is the same as in (b) above.  
 
(d) Date and Name of Publication Where Licensing Pr ocedures are Published  
 
The schedule of products that require an import permit and the procedures are published as 
supplement to the Control of Goods Act, Chapter 18:08 of the Laws of Malawi and is 
gazetted. The current schedule and procedures were gazette d in 2010.  
 
(e) Indication of Whether the Licensing Procedure is Automatic or Non -Automatic  
 
PRODUCTS  TYPE OF LICENCE  PURPOSE  
Eggs of poultry  
Live poultry  
Compound products containing flour 
meal residues and other preparations 
of any kind suitable for use  as animal 
foodstuffs  
Meat and meat products  
Kitchen and table salt  
Dieldrin  
Aldrin  
Agricultural products  
Livestock products  Automatic licence  Public health  
Portland ordinary cement  
Cane sugar  
Wheat flour  
Fertilizer  
Matches  Automatic  Data collection, qual ity 
And standards purposes  
Clothing and uniforms, designed for 
military, naval, air force or police use  
Radioactive substances  
Mist nets for capture of wild birds  
Live fish  Non-automatic  Security  
 
(f) - (g) Procedures for Application for Licence  
 
Import licence is granted to all persons, firms and institutions that have fulfilled the statutory 
requirements pertaining to the importation of a specific product that requires a licence.  G/LIC/N/2/MWI/4  
 
- 3 - 
 
  The documentation varies according to specific product. However, name of a pplicant, product to be 
imported, specifications of the product, and a pro forma invoice should be provided. Where an 
import licence gives conditions pertaining to health, an appropriate health certificate is also needed 
upon importation.  
 
There is no admi nistrative fee that is required to obtain the licence. The application can be made  
any working day throughout the year.  
 
Where a licence issuance has been refused, reasons for refusal are granted and the applicant has 
the right to appeal.  
 
(h) Expected Du ration of Licensing Procedures  
 
The import licence is issued within 7 days upon receiving the application. The licence is valid for six 
months and can be extended for another six months with satisfactory reasons.  
 
 
__________  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                
1 "Members which institute licensing procedures or changes in these procedures shall notify the 
Committee of such within 60 days of publication [...]" (Art. 5.1) .