Conformity Assessment Programmes (CAP)

Using our Conformity Assessment Programmes (CAP), Intertek has assisted governments in countries such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Mozambique, Kuwait, Kurdistan, Uganda, Iraq, and Tanzania in preventing the import of unsafe goods into the country.

Intertek Conformity Assessment Programmes ensure that products are fully tested in a recognised laboratory and a certificate is issued before they are shipped to the client country. Testing is to agreed national, or international standards. Intertek has a vast worldwide network of testing laboratories, meaning that we can operate Conformity Assessment Programmes covering a wide range of products

Intertek's programmes are tailored to meet the requirements of individual countries. However, the following is a typical approach to implementation:

The Government instructs the National Standards Body in the country to enforce specific standards of quality and safety on imports and defines the list of products which must comply.
The Standards Body appoints Intertek to undertake the testing.
Intertek provides test services to exporters, and issues certificates of conformity for products that pass the tests.
The Intertek Certificate of Conformity is a mandatory document required by Customs.

Intertek is the global market leader in the following testing industries: Electrical products; textiles, footwear and garments; toys; building products, and petrochemicals

Benefits

Unsafe products cannot be imported and are eliminated from the national market.
Dumping of poor quality and sub-standard products is prevented, helping domestic manufacturers to compete fairly.
Exporters usually pay for programmes. This means that the government or importers do not bear the costs.
International standards are selected wherever possible. This means that reputable manufacturers will be able to comply with very little effort.
Conformity Assessment Programmes have been very widely adopted by the developed world, forcing unsafe and unreliable products into emerging economies. Intertek Conformity Assessment Programmes help to eliminate this situation.
A Conformity Assessment Programme can operate independently. However, it works best when linked to a PSI programme: the certificate of conformity can be one of the documents requested by the PSI agent