27 January - 2 February 2000

New Customs directive on imported detergents withdrawn

by Franco Aloisio

Substantial shipments of detergents have been locked up in the Customs bonds for over a week, after a new directive was issued by the Customs Department. This resulted in a number of firms making a financial loss. The new directive stated that imported detergents cannot be released from Customs until the necessary tests on chosen samples are carried out. When the directive did not work, it was withdrawn. Because of the directive, hundreds of detergent samples were taken to the Standards Laboratory, without actually being tested due to limited resources. This resulted in a huge backlog for the laboratory, with the result that imported detergents could not be released. Detergents are tested by the National Laboratory for Perborates, known also as salts of boron. Perborates are extremely harmful to agricultural products. Importers of detergents immediately opposed the new practice, saying these new practices were a waste of time and money. Their appeals were immediately upheld, and the system was reverted to how it was until December 1999. Last year, the importers could release the detergents but could not put them on the local market until the necessary tests for Perborates were carried out. Imported detergents could only be placed on the shelves when a certificate was issued by the Standards Laboratory saying that the product was free from Perborates.