Products and commodities subject to Mandatory Standards and classified to the regulatory Import groups 2 and 3

Law amending the Import and Export Decree (No. 6) - 5724-2024; (12 page(s), in Hebrew)

The Minister of Economy and Industry had signed the sixth law amending Israel's Import and Export Decree. This amendment creates a significant reform in Israel's import regime. It eases import requirements applying to products and commodities subject to Mandatory Standards and classified to the regulatory Import groups 2 and 3, such as toys, electrical and electronic products, tableware, cleaning materials, faucets, construction materials, etc.

The reform allows the importation of various products without the preliminary requirements to perform a model or a compliance test. It will rely on an importer's Declaration of Conformity. These acts will be backed up with an enhancement of market surveillance. The law includes the following steps:

1.    Entry into force immediately (17 January 2024):

o   Changes in the timeline allowed for market surveillance control. It extends to 144 hours, the maximum time allowed for inspection and submission of a Product File required for inspection.

o   Changes in the documentation required to substantiate an importer's Declaration of Conformity.

2.    Entry into force of the reform (1 July 2024, with an option to postpone for an additional three months):

o   Eliminates the need to submit requests to a testing laboratory for the release of shipments on declaration routes;

o   Removes the obligation to keep a compliance certificate in the Product File required in import group 3 for one year;

o   Cancels of the Importer's Register at the Ministry of Economy and Industry;

o   Simplifies the possibility of moving to carry out compliance tests in a laboratory different from the one where the model was approved;

o   Expands the powers given to the Commissioner of Standardization against importers that breach trust;

o   Obliges the testing laboratory to provide information about standard certificates issued by them;

o   Reduces the penalty for importers who performed a preliminary voluntary test;

o   Doubles the sanction amount for an importer who does not hold a Product File as required.