When exporting from Malawi, there are a variety of formalities and paperwork that must be completed; these requirements largely rely on the kind of product that must be declared. An exporter may declare the following three categories of exports and their associated processes: direct exports, temporary exports, and re-exports.

Direct export

This relates to exports of items intended for final export from Malawi, such as those from open stock, those exported directly following bonded warehousing, and those exported following free zone or bonded factory procedures.

Temporary export

This relates to exports of products that will be brought back to Malawi, such as:

• Temporary exportation for outward manufacturing or processing 
• Before exportation, goods exported using this technique must be produced for Customs.
• Temporary exportation for repair
• Temporary exportation for return in the unchanged state: 

Items may be temporarily exported to another nation for repair before being brought back to Malawi depending on the value of the repair, import fees may apply to returned goods. This is the procedure of temporarily exporting something for return to Malawi in an unaltered state. items exported for trade shows, or automobiles exported for return, for instance.

Re-export

This is a process that involves exporting several kinds of commodities following temporary admission:

• Re-exportation following a brief admission for inward processing (suspension system)
• Re-exportation following a brief admission for inward processing (drawback system)
• Re-exportation following a brief admission to return in an undamaged state
• Re-exportation following a free trade zone or bonded factory method

For the consignee in the importing country to be able to clear the products through local authorities, all documentation must be completed before the consignment leaves the country of origin and at the destination.

Documents typically required by an exporter

Several documents are necessary for export cargo, but the exporter should keep in mind that they differ according to the kind of goods and market requirements:

• Currency Declaration CD1 Form
• GSP Form A
• Export License/Permit
• Export quality certificate
• Carrier’s Cargo Manifest
• Customs Declaration Form 12
• The Suppliers Commercial Invoice
• Certificate of Origin
• GSP form ADA 59
• Certificate Form D
• Zimbabwe Certificate of Origin Form No. 60
• Bill of Lading
• The Consignment Note or Airway Bill Shipping Instructions
• The Shipping Instructions on the Consignment Note or Airway Bill
• The Certificate of Health and Phyto-Sanitary Certificate
• Certificate of Fumigation

Exchange control – CD1 form

This exchange control document form must be filled out for every shipment with a value greater than US$5000. Copies are delivered to the Reserve Bank of Malawi and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. After the specified period at which payment was anticipated to be received, the Reserve Bank will inquire with the exporter to determine whether such payment has been received. If not, the Reserve Bank will ask why the payment wasn’t received. All commercial banks have this document on hand.

Form 12

All exports must submit Form 12 to Customs for clearance. Import clearance is also handled using this form. Forms 34 (for exports) and 21 (Bill of Entry) have been superseded by them (for imports). You can get this form from Malawi Revenue Authority.

The commercial invoice

To enable the importer to clear his products in his country, the Commercial Invoice must be completed. It includes the exporter’s name, the item’s weight, price, and description.

Certificate of origin

To verify the originality of the goods, the Certificate of Origin is completed in the exporting nation. Before leaving the port of dispatch, the Malawi Revenue Authority must properly stamp it.

Other documents from buyers required by an exporter

In addition to the payment documents, an exporter needs the following:

Import permit

Some products are restricted from trading internationally or between nations. In the majority of countries, import permissions are necessary for items like ivory, skins, ammunition, etc. To prevent the importation of forbidden goods and the loss of foreign currency, import permits are necessary. Therefore, before exporting the goods, an exporter will need an import license from his buyer to be certified by customs authorities and attached to his documentation.

Export license/permit

Except for a handful, most products do not need an export license; information on these products can be obtained from the Ministry of Industry and Trade. To enable the exporter to transport the items outside of the nation, the document is finished.