G/LIC/N/3/KHM/3  
 
24 May 2013  
(13-2742)  Page: 1/4  
Committee on Import Licensing  Original: English  
 
  REPLIES TO QUESTIONNAIRE ON  IMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES1 
 
NOTIFICATION UNDER ARTICLE 7.3 OF THE AGREEMENT ON IMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES 
FOR LIVE ANIMAL AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS AND AGRICULTURAL MATERIALS 
CAMBODIA  
The following communication, dated 15 May 2013, is  being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Cambodia. 
 
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Outline of system 
1.  The licensing system for live animals and animal products covers all animals and animal 
products, and is part of a broad and comprehensive effort to protect animal and human health. 
 
The licensing system for agricultural materials is designed to help manage potentially dangerous 
substances and sensitive products, thereby help ing protect human and animal health and the 
environment.   Purpose and coverage of licensing 
2.  Live Animal and Animal Products (list A): 
 
In the Sub-Decree No 16 on Sanitary Inspection of Animal and Animal Product, animal means: 
 
 Domestic and wild quadruped animals, including their breeding families; 
 Domestic and wild birds; including their breeding families; 
 Primate; including their breeding families; 
 Bees, silk worm, reptiles, amphibians, mollusc, crustaceans, fishes. 
 Animal product means: 
 
 Dead or slaughtered animals, carcass or part of carcass that have not been cooked or 
processed into other products; 
 Tusks, horns, fur and feathers from living or dead animals, which have not been processed; 
 Meat or any animal products for supply for human food, animal feed, using in public health, 
agriculture or industrial purpose.   
 
Agricultural Materials (list B) 
 Pesticides, fertilizers, seeds, animal feed and veterinary medicine. Products are found in the 
following HS lines: 
 
                                               
1 See document G/LIC/3, Annex, for the Questionnaire. G/LIC/N/3/KHM/3 
 
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  310100, 310210, 310220, 310230, 310240, 310240, 310250, 310260, 310270, 310280, 310290, 
310310, 310320, 310390, 310410, 310420, 310430, 310490, 310510, 310520, 310530, 310540, 310550, 310560, 310590, 380810, 380820, 380830, 380840, 380890.  
3.  Both systems apply to products originating in all countries and do not discriminate by country 
of origin.  
4.  Live animals and animal products (Hereafter referred to as List A ). The licensing is not 
intended to restrict the quantity or value of imports. Rather, it is designed to assist in the 
regulation and monitoring of the movement of animals and animal products into Cambodia, in order to prevent the spread of animal infectious diseases and protect animal and human health, 
and to enforce veterinary rules on import, export, transit and transportation of animals and animal 
products from one place to another within the Kingdom of Cambodia.  The importation of animals and animal products that contain infectious disease agents specified in the lists of animal infectious 
diseases is prohibited.  
 
Agricultural Materials (Hereafter referred to as List B ). The import licensing regime for agricultural 
materials does not call for the limitation of imports. It seeks to ensure an adequate supply of these 
materials at reasonable prices to meet the need s of Cambodia’s growing agricultural production. 
However, on occasion the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) may restrain imports of individual products to align them with effective domestic demand. This may be 
necessary to avoid the creation of domestic stockpiles that exceed Cambodia’s safe warehousing 
capacities and that create the risk of the ex piry date of the materials being exceeded.  
 
5.  List A : Import licensing is regulated by Sub-De cree No.16 of 13 March 2003 on the Sanitary 
Inspection of Animal and Animal Products, and Regulation No. 178 of 18 May 2009 on the Sanitary 
Inspection of Animals and Animal Products. The list of products subject to licensing is specified in 
the Sub-Decree. The Royal Government can nullify the Sub-Decree without reference to the 
legislature.  List B : Import licensing of agricultural materials is required by Government Sub-Decree N0 69 on 
Agricultural Material Standards and its Management (28 October 1998) and Circular N0 345/MAFF 
(21 October 2002). All import agricultural material traders have to ask for import licenses from MAFF in conformity with the required process of implementing the Agricultural Material 
Registration System, except pesticide and fertilizer which are maintained under the Law on the 
Management of Pesticide and Fertilizer. The regulations leave the designation of the materials that are subject to import licensing to administrative discretion. The Royal Government does not 
require the agreement of Cambodia’s parliament to abolish the system. 
 Procedures 
6.  List A and B : Not applicable. 
 
7.  
a. List A: Importers must apply for a license at least two weeks before importation. They 
must also arrange for sanitary inspection of imports at least five days prior to 
importation. 
 List B: There are no requirements regarding ho w far in advance an application must be    
 made, but the license is valid only one year after the date of approval and the company 
 has to renew the license three months before the expired dated. Moreover, the licenses  can be granted only for registered agricultural materials.  
b. Lists A and B: No. 
c. Lists A and B: No. 
d. List A: The license application is considered by the Department of Animal Health and 
Production of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. 
 List B: The application is considered only by MAFF. The license is granted by MAFF. 
 G/LIC/N/3/KHM/3 
 
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  8.  List A : An application will be refused only if the necessary documentation is absent or 
incomplete. Applicants may appeal a refusal to issue a license to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. It may also be refused if there has been a recent outbreak of disease in the 
area from which the animals originate. 
  
List B : Applications that conform fully to the requirements spelled out in the relevant legal texts 
are never refused. 
 
Eligibility of importers to apply for a licence 
9.  List A : Any person or legal entity registered with the Ministry of Commerce to do business in 
Cambodia may apply for sanitary inspecti on and an import license (See annex 1
*). 
 
List B : All legal persons registered with the Ministry of Commerce may ask the Ministry of 
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries for the agricultural materials registration and then for an import 
license (See annex 2*). 
 Documentation and other requirements for application for license 
10.  List A: There is at present no application form. An importer wishing a license addresses a  
letter to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries through the Department of Animal Health and Production requesting a license. Th e letter must be accompanied by the applicant’s 
business license issued by the Ministry of Commerce;  sanitary certificates issued by the exporting 
country; and animal or animal products identification (See annex 1
*). 
   
List B:  Please see application form, attached (See annex 2*).  
 
11.  List A :  
 Business license issued by the Ministry of Commerce; 
 Import license issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; 
 Sanitary certificate issued by the exporting country; 
 Animal or animal products identification; 
 Contract between the owners of the goods and the Department of Animal Health and 
Production.  
 
List B : The import license and the usual import documentation.   
 
12.  List A : There is no fee or charge for the import lice nse. However, a service charge is levied to 
cover the cost of the sanitary inspection and a fee will be charged for laboratory tests, if these are 
required.  
 List B : There is no licensing fee. 
 
 
13.  List A and B : No. 
 Conditions of licensing 
14.   List A : The license is valid for one year, and, upon request, can be extended. 
 List B : One year. The validity of the license may not be extended. 
 
15.   List A : No, but non-utilization will be taken into account in considering a subsequent license 
application.  
List B : A license may be refused to an importer who has not fully utilized a previous license. 
 16.   List A and B : No. 
 
17.   List A : None, other than those specified under point 10, above. 
  
                                               
* Available for consultation (Market Acce ss Division) in English language only. G/LIC/N/3/KHM/3 
 
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  List B : No. 
 Other procedural requirement 
18.   List A and B:  No. 
 
19.   List A and B:  Foreign exchange is freely available. 
 
 
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