VERIFICATION OF CONFORMITY (VOC)

Consumer and environmental protection by implementation of national/international standards

Governments today give high priority to promoting international trade while protecting consumer health, safety and the environment. Most national standard organizations, acting within a legislative framework, call for the intervention of independent third-party companies as a way to maintain full control on goods entering the domestic market.

What is VOC?
The Verification of Conformity service involves checking conformity of goods according to national standards or an international equivalent. At the same time it encourages importers and exporters to understand the need for compliance and its benefits. For ad hoc or first time shipments, importers go through the basic shipment process: documentary evidence is required to prove compliance with the required standards, or the goods can be tested in an approved laboratory.
The shipment will be subjected to physical verification to ensure that the documents match the products and that no deviations are found. Regular shipments can be treated under registration or licensing.

What are the key benefits?
- Protect consumers against dangerous, sub-standard or counterfeit products.
- Provide a guarantee to the buyer that the goods ordered are those shipped.
- Ease trade operations by recognizing existing conformity proof to avoid unnecessary additional testing.
- Conform with recommendations of the World Trade Organization “Technical Barriers to Trade” Agreement.
- Protect domestic industry from unfair competition of poor quality imports.
- Improve the environment.
- Enhance the quality of exports.