Overview
The Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency (ZCSA), a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce, Trade, and Industry, is responsible for standardization, standards formulation, quality control, quality assurance, import and export quality inspection, certification, and removal of technical barriers to trade. ZCSA develops its own standards by consensus with stakeholders, but also has the competence and expertise to certify organizations to Quality Management Standard ISO9001:2015. ZCSA implements compulsory standards through import and export inspections, which fall under the Import Quality Monitoring Scheme.
ZCSA is Zambia’s designated World Trade Organization/Technical Barriers to Trade (WTO – TBT) National Enquiry Point (NEP). According to the WTO – TBT Agreement, Zambia’s NEP is responsible for notifying the WTO Secretariat of all proposed government regulations, conformity assessment procedures, standards, and other information that may significantly affect international trade. The NEP also maintains a record of the third country trade notifications sent by the WTO Secretariat and disseminates them to interested parties for review and comment.
Zambia generally does not apply European Union directives and standards. In some cases, Zambia has applied European Committee for Standardization (CEN) directives and standards.
Standards
The ZCSA establishes and enforces compliance with regulatory standards to ensure public safety and environmental protection. Through direct adoption or adaptation, Zambia uses international standards such as Codex Alimentarius, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, American Society for Testing Materials, European Committee for Standardization, the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization, and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute. Zambia also uses private international standards (e.g., International Organization for Standardization, the International Electrotechnical Commission, or the International Telecommunications Union)
Testing, Inspection and Certification
Zambia uses the regional accreditation body, the Southern African Development Community Accreditation Services (SADCAS), to accredit its laboratories. The laboratories test both locally manufactured and imported goods in compliance with Zambian standards, international standards, or client specifications. Test certificates from foreign laboratories are accepted if the laboratories are accredited. U.S. testing laboratories can operate in Zambia and test U.S. products to comply with domestic regulatory requirements. If the product quality complies with requirements of the relevant standard and the manufactured products adhere to good manufacturing practices, most products can freely enter the market.
Publication of Technical Regulations
Zambia’s technical regulations, both proposed and final, are published in the Government Gazette, which is maintained by the Zambia Compulsory Standards Association (ZCSA). Government regulations mandate a 60-day public consultation period during the regulatory development process, however, the government’s adherence to this requirement has been inconsistent.
Contact Information
Key government and regulatory agencies:
Zambia Bureau of Standards
Lechwe House, Freedom Way
P. O. Box 50259
Lusaka, Zambia
Tel: +260 211 221 386
Fax: +260 211 238 483
http://www.zabs.org.zm/
Patents and Companies Registration Agency
Mwayi House, Haile Selassie Avenue
Long Acres
P. O. Box 32075
Lusaka, Zambia
Tel: +260 211 255 151
Fax: +260 211 255 426
Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority
Plot No. 2350/M Off Kenneth Kaunda International Airport Road
P.O. Box 31890
Lusaka, Zambia
Tel: +260 211 432 350 | +260 211 432 351
U.S. Commercial Office in Zambia
Embassy of the United States of America
P. O. Box 31617
Lusaka, Zambia
Tel: +260 211 357 000
Use ePing to review proposed technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures.
The ePing SPS&TBT platform (https://epingalert.org/), or “ePing”, provides access to notifications made by World Trade Organization (WTO) Members under the Agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), distributed by the WTO from January 16, 1995 to present. ePing is available to all stakeholders free of charge and does not require registration unless the user wishes to receive customized e-mail alerts. Use it to browse notifications on past as well as new draft and updated product regulations, food safety and animal and plant health standards and regulations, find information on trade concerns discussed in the WTO SPS and TBT Committees, locate information on SPS/TBT Enquiry Points and notification authorities, and to follow and review current and past notifications concerning regulatory actions on products, packaging, labeling, food safety and animal and plant health measures in markets of interest.
Notify U.S., operated and maintained by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) since 2003 to distribute and provide access to notifications (and associated draft texts) made under the WTO TBT Agreement for US stakeholders, has reached its end of life. Per obligation under the TBT Agreement, each WTO Member operates a national TBT (and an SPS) Enquiry Point. National TBT Enquiry Points are authorized to accept comments and official communications from other national TBT Enquiry Points, which are NOT part of the WTO or the WTO Secretariat. All comment submissions from U.S. stakeholders, including businesses, trade associations, U.S domiciled standards development organizations and conformity assessment bodies, consumers, or U.S. government agencies on notifications to the WTO TBT Committee should be sent directly to the USA WTO TBT Inquiry Point. Refer to the comment guidance at https://tsapps.nist.gov/notifyus/data/guidance/guidance.cfm for further information. This guidance is provided to assist U.S. stakeholders in the preparation and submission of comments in response to notifications of proposed foreign technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures.