WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/VAL/W/63/Rev.10 
13 May 2008 
 (08-2206) 
Committee on Customs Valuation  
  
 
PRESHIPMENT INSPECTION 
 
Note by the Secretariat
 
 
Revision  
 
 
   
 
  At its meeting of 12 and 25 November a nd 17 December 1999, the Committee on Customs 
Valuation agreed that the Secretariat would prep are, in advance of regular meetings of the 
Committee, a document indicating the situation with regard to countries using preshipment 
inspection (PSI) regimes.  This document is the eleven th of this series.  It presents the information 
that is compiled exceptionally for the WTO by th e International Federation of Inspection Agencies 
(IFIA) Pre-Shipment Inspection Committee in res ponse to a request by the WTO.  In this 
submission, dated 9 May 2008, IFIA continues to present the information in a format designed to show the recent trends in PSI programmes.  Thes e trends, IFIA notes, show a marked reduction in 
traditional PSI programmes with considerable grow th in more modern programmes that are less 
intrusive for exporters. 
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PSI Programmes for Customs Purposes 
(Revenue Protection) 
 
Country Mandated Member(s) of  IFIA  
PSI  Committee Basis of Member 
Choice 
 
Angola BIVAC, Cotecna, SGS Importer 
Bangladesh BIVAC,  Intertek , SGS Geographical 
Benin BIVAC - 
Burkina Faso Cotecna - 
Cambodia BIVAC - 
Central African Rep. BIVAC - 
Chad BIVAC - 
Congo Cotecna - 
Dem. Rep. of Congo BIVAC - 
Iran(1) BIVAC, Cotecna, Intertek,  
OMIC, SGS  Importer 
Mauritania SGS - 
Mexico(2) BIVAC, Intertek, SGS Importer This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's own 
responsibility and without prejudice to the positions of Members 
and to their rights and obligations under the WTO G/VAL/W/63/Rev.10 
Page 2  
 
  PSI Programmes for Customs Purposes 
(Revenue Protection) 
 
Country Mandated Member(s) of  IFIA  
PSI  Committee Basis of Member 
Choice 
 
Niger Cotecna - 
Uzbekistan(3) Control Union International, Intertek, 
OMIC,  SGS Importer / Exporter  
 (1) Physical inspection (quantity/quality only) for foreign exchange purposes.  
 (2) Only certain categories  & origins of goods if their unit value is inferior to estimated prices 
published by Government . 
 (3) Including reporting for foreign exchange purposes. No programmes now include 
intervention on invoiced price. 
  
 
Customs Support Services 
(including Destination inspection and/or Selective PSI) 
 
Country Mandated Member(s) of  IFIA  
PSI  Committee Basis of Member 
Choice 
Burundi(1) SGS - 
Cameroon(1)(2) SGS - 
Comoros(1) Cotecna - 
Côte d’Ivoire(2) BIVAC  
Ecuador(2) BIVAC, Cotecna, Intertek, SGS Customs 
Equatorial Guinea Cotecna  
Ghana(2) BIVAC, Cotecna  Air & land / sea-
freight 
Guinea (Conakry) (1)(2) BIVAC  
Haiti(1) SGS - 
Liberia(1)(2) BIVAC  
Mali(1)(2) BIVAC  
Mozambique(1) (2) Intertek - 
Nigeria(2) Cotecna, SGS Port of Arrival 
Senegal(1)(2)  Cotecna - 
Sierra Leone(1) (2) Intertek - 
Tanzania(2) Cotecna - 
Togo(2) Cotecna - 
 (1)"Selective": only certain shipments subject to  physical PSI based on risk assessment. 
 (2)Cargo destination inspection which may include price verification and classification on a 
preshipment or post-shipment basis. 
  G/VAL/W/63/Rev.10 
 Page 3 
 
 
  Other Programmes for Customs NOT subject to the WTO Agreement on PSI  
  
Other Non-PSI Support Services 
 
Country Mandated Member(s) of  IFIA  
PSI  Committee Basis of Member 
Choice 
Bahrain (1) SGS - 
Gambia(1) SGS  
Guatemala(3) SGS  
Ghana(2) SGS - 
Guinea (Conakry) (1) Intertek - 
Kosovo(1) SGS  
Madagascar(1) (2) (3) SGS - 
Mexico(1) (3) SGS, Cotecna Customs 
Uruguay(1) SGS - 
 (1)Cargo scanning.  
 (2)Network Community services. 
 (3)Post Shipment /Post-entry verification services. 
 
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