What Types of Documents Do Cosmetic Exports Need?

Many export transactions do not require special approval in the form of licenses from the U.S. Government Cosmetics are one of them! However, there are several documents that the exporting country may require or that the dealer may request.

ACMA Certificates

The ACMA issues certificates on letterhead and subject to the conditions of the following documents. All of them are issued by the company that exports the products, signed by a company representative, and stamped by a notary. These documents are then authenticated by the ACMA, which bases their certification on the reports submitted, the legal statements of the company's directors, and public information. The ACMA certificates are then notarized and legalized for use abroad or apostilled.

• Free Sale Certificate: The free sale certificate confirms that the products listed are identical or equivalent to products sold freely in the U.S.
• Good Manufacturing Practices Certificate (GMP): A certificate of good manufacturing practices confirms that the products were manufactured in the United States in accordance with current good manufacturing practices for these products.
• Certificate BSE-Free (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy): To protect against bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as “mad cow disease”, cosmetics must not be made of, processed with, or otherwise contained in prohibited bovine materials. To obtain a BSE certificate, the manufacturer must provide a list of all the ingredients in a product; these ingredients must not contain or be processed with prohibited bovine materials.

Other Common Export Certificates for Cosmetic Products:

• Certificate of Origin (C/O): a certificate of origin confirms the place of manufacture of products in the United States and is usually included in the delivery invoice (it is common for both to be authenticated at the same time).
• Commercial Invoices (C/I): Your products must be accompanied by a commercial invoice (C/I) and a certificate of origin (C/O). Foreign states use commercial invoice values to determine duties and taxes, and information from the certificate of origin to verify where the product was manufactured. Both documents must be certified before the products can be shipped.
• Hygiene certificate: Some countries require certification that products were manufactured in safe or sanitary facilities, that the materials used (in particular water) come from safe and hygienic sources, that waste materials are properly disposed of, and that personnel are properly trained to supervise production. Hygiene certificates are issued by government bodies, such as the Department of Health, which certify that facilities, production processes, and products meet hygiene requirements.