WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/LIC/N/2/MWI/1 
10 May 2010 
 
 (10-2659) 
Committee on Import Licensing Original:   English 
  
 
AGREEMENT ON IMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES 
 
Notification under Article 5 (1)
 
 
MALAWI 
 
 
 The following notification, dated 4 May 201 0, has been received from the delegation of 
Malawi.  
 
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 Pursuant to Article 5 (1) of the Agreemen t on Import Licensing Procedures, Malawi hereby 
notify the World Trade Organization (WTO) Secr etariat and Member states the procedures for 
obtaining a license to import some specified products into Malawi. 
 
(a) List of products subject to licensing procedures 
 The following products shall require an import license obtained from the Ministry of Industry 
and Trade to be imported into Malawi as provide d under the Control of Goods Act (CAP 18:08 of 
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 animal trophies and w ild animal products, (including birds and 
reptiles) and any egg produced by such birds or reptiles; 
(v) Live fish, including the eggs and spawn thereof; 
(vi) Compound products containing flour, meal residu es, 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; G/LIC/N/2/MWI/1 
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  - Synthetic animal foodstuffs; 
- Bird seed; and 
- Cat and dog foods. 
(vii) Eggs of poultry, whether in shell, pulp or dried forms; eggs of wild birds. 
(viii) Live poultry, including day-old-chicks 
(ix) Meat products including dressed poultry, is prohibited without prior permission in 
writing from the Minister of Industry, Trade and Private Sector Development.  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 ot her animal products require to be 
certified as free from disease before importation. 
(x) Dieldrin 
(xi) Aldrin 
(xii) Kitchen and table salt 
(xiii) Portland Ordinary Cement 
(xiv) Cane sugar 
(xv) Wheat flour 
(xvi) Fertilizers 
(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 Fax:  265 1 770 680 
Email:  ps-mci@malawi.net;  minci@malawi.net 
    
  G/LIC/N/2/MWI/1 
 Page 3 
 
 
  (c) Administrative body(ies) for submission of applications 
 The Ministry of Industry and Trade is the main administrative body for issuance of import 
licenses.  
The Principal Secretary 
Ministry of Industry and Trade 
P.O. Box 30366 Lilongwe 3 MALAWI Tel.:  265 1 770 244 
Fax:  265 1 770 680 
Email:  ps-mci@malawi.net;  minci@malawi.net  
(d) Date and name of publication where licensing procedures are published  
 The schedule of products that require impor t permit and the procedures are published as 
supplement to the Control of Goods Act (CAP 18:08 of Laws of Malawi ) and is gazetted in 
Government Notices .  The current schedule and procedures were gazetted in 2008. 
 
(e) Indication of whether the licensing pro cedure is automatic or non-automatic  
PRODUCTS TYPE OF LICENSE 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 Automatic license Public health 
Portland ordinary cement 
Cane sugar 
Sterl milk Wheat Fertilizer Automatic Data collection purposes 
 
    
 
Clothing and uniforms, designed for 
military, naval, air force or police 
use Non-automatic Security G/LIC/N/2/MWI/1 
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  PRODUCTS TYPE OF LICENSE PURPOSE 
Radioactive substances 
Mist nets for capture of wild birds Live fish Dieldrin Aldrin Non-automatic Environmental protection 
 
(f) – (g)    Procedures for application for license 
 Import license is granted to all persons, firms a nd institutions that have fulfilled the statutory 
requirements pertaining to the importation of a specific product that requires license. 
  The documentation vary according to specific product, however, name of applicant, product 
to be imported, specifications of the product, and a pro forma invoice should be provided.  Where an 
import license gives conditions pertaining to health, an  appropriate health certificate is also needed 
upon importation. 
  There is no administrative fee that is required to obtain the license.  The application can be 
made any working day throughout the year.   Where a license issuance has been  refused, reasons for refusal is  granted and the applicant has 
the right to appeal. 
 
(h) Expected duration of licensing procedures 
 The processing of the license takes a period of 3 to  7 days before it is issued.  The license is 
valid for three months and can be extended. 
 
  
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