| Country | System | Who files | When | What reaches the exporter's papers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | Advanced Cargo Information (ACI); the number is the ACID | The Egyptian importer | Cargo data declared no later than 48 hours before loading; the ACID is issued within 48 hours | An email to the foreign exporter with three items: the 19 digit ACID, the importer's 9 digit tax number and the exporter's registration number. All three go on every shipping document. |
| Nigeria | Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR), named by the US International Trade Administration, together with the Single Window Portal, as a critical tool | Your importer's side; your importer confirms who files | Before the goods arrive | Not stated in the source we read; your importer tells you what the PAAR draws on |
| Kenya | Inspection by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) at destination, for shipments from Europe, Africa, America and Canada | Your importer confirms how the inspection is arranged | On arrival in Kenya. KEBS advises product testing at an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory before export. | Not stated in the source we read; your importer confirms |
Sources are the ACI guide for shipping lines (version 1.5, 9 April 2021), the US International Trade Administration's Nigeria country guide and an SGS news item of 13 February 2026. Checked 14 October 2026.
What is Egypt's ACI and what is an ACID number?
ACI is Egypt's advance cargo information system; the ACID is the 19 digit number it issues for a purchase. The importer declares the cargo data no later than 48 hours before loading, and the ACID is issued within 48 hours. One ACID covers one shipper and one consignee for one purchase.
The system is implemented by Misr Technology Services on behalf of the Egyptian government, and its guide to shipping lines is published on the website of the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone). It describes the system for goods shipped to Egypt. Whether your product category has extra steps, your importer confirms.
Who files the ACI when I am the exporter?
The Egyptian importer files, not the exporter. The foreign exporter receives an email with the ACID, the importer's 9 digit tax number and the exporter's own registration number, and puts all three on every document that goes with the shipment.
For you as the brand, that means your importer registers the purchase and passes the three items to whoever prepares the documents. We supply the batch papers: a Certificate of Analysis and the product specification with every batch. The ACID does not replace them; it is a number that must appear next to them.
When does the ACID have to be ready?
Before the cargo is booked or loaded. The guide says the carrier or its agent must check the ACID before booking or loading, so the number is needed before the line takes the cargo.
Two periods of 48 hours appear in the guide: the declaration at least 48 hours before loading, and the issue of the ACID within 48 hours. Our reading is that an importer should start the declaration before the cargo is ready to move, not on the day. The guide gives no longer lead time than these two, so we add none.
What is Nigeria's PAAR?
PAAR stands for Pre-Arrival Assessment Report. The US International Trade Administration names the PAAR, together with the Single Window Portal, as a critical tool in Nigeria's import process, and the report comes before the goods arrive.
The same guide gives congestion as a cause of delays. It does not say what the PAAR draws on for a food supplement, and it sets no number of days. Registration of the product with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is a separate step, and our page on West Africa sets out what that file asks of the manufacturer. Your importer confirms what the PAAR needs for your shipment.
What happened to Kenya's PVoC for shipments from Europe?
Since February 2026, shipments from Europe, Africa, America and Canada are subject to destination inspection by KEBS. SGS reports that Kenya renewed the mandate for pre-export verification of conformity services for three years from 9 February 2026, so 2026 to 2029.
The same news item says a KEBS notice of 2 February 2026 advises testing the product at a laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 before export. Our source is SGS, a contractor of KEBS, not KEBS or the Kenyan law itself, so your importer confirms with KEBS which route and which tests apply to your shipment. More on the market is on our East Africa page.
Who files under EXW, FCA and DAP?
The importer files under all three. What changes is who waits for whom. We ship EXW by default, with FCA or DAP on request. Under Incoterms 2020, EXW leaves export clearance to the buyer, while under FCA and DAP the seller clears the goods for export; import clearance and duties stay with the buyer under all three. This is our summary of Incoterms 2020; the rules themselves are an ICC publication.
Our reading for Egypt: under DAP the seller arranges the carriage, so the booking needs the ACID, and the seller needs the number from the importer before it books. Under EXW the importer's forwarder books, but the three items still have to reach the documents the seller issues. See export documents for the papers that come from the plant.
What your situation decides
Each line shows what a choice costs in time or risk.
| Your situation | What it decides | What it costs you |
|---|---|---|
| DAP to Egypt (our reading) | The seller books the carriage, so the ACID has to be in hand first | Time: the shipment waits for the importer's number, which the carrier checks before booking |
| EXW to Egypt (our reading) | The booking sits with the importer's forwarder | Risk: the ACID, tax number and registration number must still appear on the sender's documents, and the set is incomplete without them |
| Nigeria, any term | The PAAR comes before arrival and depends on the importer's side | Time: the guide names congestion as a cause of delays, so close document gaps before sailing |
| Kenya from Europe | Inspection happens at destination, not before export | Time and risk: the result comes on arrival; testing at an ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory before export is the step KEBS advises |
| One product for all three | Three systems, three timings, one set of batch papers | Time: your importers file separately, so ask each for its list before you order |
What do we supply, and what does your importer confirm?
We supply a Certificate of Analysis and the specification with every batch, and copies of the plant's certificates with their numbers on request. A visit to the plant is possible, and we send a sample before you order. Where the country of sale asks for documents to be legalised, legalisation is arranged as well.
Your importer handles the ACI declaration, the PAAR and the KEBS inspection, and confirms which documents each system draws on. We do not file in any of the three countries and we do not promise a result. The carton carries the batch number and the expiry date; standard shelf life is 24 months.
Questions buyers ask about pre-arrival filings
What is an ACID number in Egypt?
It is a 19 digit number issued under Egypt's Advanced Cargo Information system for one purchase, from one shipper to one consignee. The importer declares the cargo data at least 48 hours before loading, and the ACID is issued within 48 hours.
Does the exporter or the importer file the ACI?
The Egyptian importer files. The foreign exporter receives an email with the ACID, the importer's 9 digit tax number and the exporter's registration number, and puts all three on every shipping document.
Can a shipping line load without an ACID?
The ACI guide says the carrier or its agent must verify the ACID before booking or loading the goods. So the number is needed before the line takes the cargo, and your importer should have it before the booking is made.
What is a PAAR in Nigeria?
A Pre-Arrival Assessment Report. The US International Trade Administration names it, together with the Single Window Portal, as a critical tool in Nigerian import clearance. It comes before the goods arrive. Your importer confirms what it needs for a supplement shipment.
Is a PAAR the same as a NAFDAC registration?
No. The PAAR belongs to import clearance; NAFDAC registers the product, which is a separate step. Your importer files the registration, and we supply documents for the file. Our West Africa page sets out what it asks of the manufacturer.
Does Kenya still use pre-export verification (PVoC)?
Kenya renewed the mandate for pre-export verification services for three years from 9 February 2026, but shipments from Europe, Africa, America and Canada go to KEBS inspection at destination. Your importer confirms the route for your shipment.
Should I test the product before sending it to Kenya?
A KEBS notice of 2 February 2026, as reported by SGS, advises testing at a laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 before export. Whether your product needs it, and which tests, your importer confirms with KEBS.
Which of these filings does the manufacturer make?
None. Your importer handles Egypt, Nigeria and Kenya. We supply the Certificate of Analysis and specification with each batch, plant certificate copies on request, and legalisation where the country of sale asks for it.
Under which delivery terms do you ship?
EXW by default, with FCA or DAP on request. Under Incoterms 2020, EXW leaves export clearance to the buyer, and under FCA and DAP the seller clears the goods for export. Import clearance and duties stay with the buyer under all three.
Are these rules current?
Check before you ship. The ACI guide we read is version 1.5 of 9 April 2021, and the Kenyan item is a contractor's news report, not the law. Your importer confirms the current rules with the Egyptian, Nigerian and Kenyan authorities.
Read more
North Africa · West Africa · East Africa · Export documents
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Sources
- Advanced Cargo Information System, Shipping Lines/Agents Questions and Answers, ACI-SLG V1.5, 9 April 2021, Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone), implemented by Misr Technology Services. Used for: the 48 hour declaration, the 19 digit ACID, the three items for the exporter's documents, the carrier's check before booking or loading. sczone.eg. Checked 14 October 2026. The current state of the system on the Egyptian portal is for your importer to confirm.
- SGS: Kenya renews mandate for pre-export verification of conformity services, news of 13 February 2026. Used for: the three year mandate from 9 February 2026, destination inspection by KEBS for shipments from Europe, Africa, America and Canada, the KEBS notice of 2 February 2026. A secondary source; neither KEBS nor Kenyan law was opened. sgs.com. Checked 14 October 2026.
- US International Trade Administration: Nigeria, Import Requirements and Documentation (Country Commercial Guide). Used for: the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report and the Single Window Portal as critical tools, congestion as a cause of delays. trade.gov. Checked 14 October 2026.
- International Chamber of Commerce (ICC): Incoterms® 2020 rules, overview page. Our summary of Incoterms 2020; the rules themselves are an ICC publication. iccwbo.org.