International: Export

Once you have been in the Bath & Body business long enough, you start to hear talk about International distributors, EU standards, Free Sale Certificates….it can be very confusing. While I don’t have all the answers and am by no means an expert, I will share with you what I have learned.

It’s up to you to do further research, but you will at least have a better start than I did.

Out of the blue, I received an inquiry from a spa in Lebanon. They had a rep here in the sates and were interested  in distributing my product. I quickly Twittered about it and 2 fellow Indie Beauty Network members came to my rescue; Marla Bosworth of Back Porch Soap Company and  Lela Barker at Bella Lucce. They gave me lots of helpful advice and further areas to research. Thanks Ladies!

Coincidently enough, I received a call from the Georgia commerce department the same day and was educated further.

Since then, I’ve met with the commerce department several times and was furnished with information that hours of googling would not have uncovered.

This is a work in progress….check back for updates:

BUYUSA.GOV | U.S. COMMERCIAL SERVICE
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ITA International Trade Commission
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Welcome to trade.gov, the Web site of the International Trade Administration (ITA) of the Department of Commerce! ITA’s mission is to create prosperity by strengthening the competitiveness of U.S. industry, promoting trade and investment, and ensuring fair trade and compliance with trade laws and agreements. Trade.gov provides you access to ITA’s valuable information and services regarding U.S. international trade policy. For those businessess wanting to expand their export markets, visit the U.S. Government Export Portal, export.gov.

Export.gov
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Export.gov brings together resources from across the U.S. Government to assist American businesses in planning their international sales strategies and succeed in today’s global economy.

Export-U.com
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At Export-U, our goal is to deliver  free and convenient export training to business professionals and students regardless of their location, resources, or schedule.

This web site is the product of a collaboration between the US Export Assistance Center in Atlanta, the  International Trade Center of the University of Georgia SBDC, and several of our partners and allies.  It is currently being developed with support from the U. S. Department of Commerce through its Rural Export Initiative (REI), and with the help of other private and public sponsors identified throughout the site.

Cosmetic Exports (includes bath products)
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FDA: Firms exporting products from the United States (U.S.) are often asked by foreign governments or customers to supply a “certificate” as a required part of the process to import a product into their country. Please note:

• FDA does not require that you obtain an export certificate,
• FDA is not required by law to issue certificates for cosmetics (although the agency intends to continue to provide this service as resources permit), and
• FDA does not issue certificates for cosmetics manufactured outside the U.S.

If you export cosmetics, it is your responsibility to–

• follow U.S. laws and regulations, and
• know the cosmetics requirements of the countries to which you export.

European Commission – Cosmetics
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The European Commission embodies and upholds the general interest of the Union and is the driving force in the Union’s institutional system. Its four main roles are to propose legislation to Parliament and the Council, to administer and implement Community policies, to enforce Community law (jointly with the Court of Justice) and to negotiate international agreements, mainly those relating to trade and cooperation.

Certificates of Free Sale
Definition: Document required in certain countries or for certain commodities (such as pharmaceuticals), certifying that the specified imported goods are normally and freely sold in the exporting country’s open markets and are approved for export.

Information on Certificates of Free Sale, now called Certificates for Foreign Governments or Certificates of Export, are generally found in the Export Reference Manual. These certificates can be obtained from the Food and Drug Administration. For a checklist of what you need to apply and order information, click here.

BSE Non-Use Certificate
This is a statement made by the owner/president of the company (probably you)  that your products and all their ingredients are free from Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy; Mad Cow Disease.

This should be on company letterhead. Each country you export to may have different standards in regards to format. Some may requite you list lot numbers and ingredients. If you are a distributor, you may have to get the manufacturer of your goods to sign the statement.

*This may have to be notarized or endorsed.

EU Listing for Allergens
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EU Directive 76/768/EEC, Annex VIII (a), the work of the Scientific Committee on Cosmetic Products and Non-Food Products (SCCNFP), identified 26 fragrance allergens. They include cut-off levels beyond which the products must be labeled. These levels are 0.01% for rinse-off products and 0.001% for leave-on products. These allergens are also of concern outside the EU. The Directive lists another 36 allergens that may be banned, 25 are currently available.