Practical Guide  | Export Procedure   See also      Saudi Arabia      Bahrain      Egypt      United Arab Emirates      Kuwait      Oman      Qatar      Jordan      Lebanon      Syria      Yemen           Lebanon Import Rules 1. Exchange controls 2. Import controls 3. Insurance of imports from the Europe 4. Local representation / agents and distributors agency legislation 5. Standards and technical regulations 6. Labelling and packaging regulations 7. Export Controls 8. Documentation 9. Customs duties   1. Exchange controls   There are no exchange control regulations   2. Import controls   Lebanon has an association agreement with the European Union (EU) under which Lebanese industrial exports and some agricultural exports have preferential access to the EU market. For the latest available information about import duties, import control regulations, taxes, and other legislation in Lebanon affecting UE exports, please contact your commercial attache.   3. Insurance of imports from the Europe   Any Public or private insurance offers protection to companies and institutions concerned about the risks arising from political instability in Lebanon. Cover only extends to damage to physical assets.   4. Local representation / agents and distributors agency legislation   Agent is advisable, at least in the early days of business in Lebanon, to help navigate the particular regulations within the market. By contrast with Syria where agency regulations are more flexible and less bureaucratic.   Bidding for government contracts normally requires an agent.   5. Standards and technical regulations   European standards often quoted in local contracts.   Many local companies obtaining ISO accreditation   6. Labelling and packaging regulations   Products (particularly food and medicines) must be clearly marked, stamped, branded or labelled, to indicate the country of origin.   Use of English is acceptable, but for added safety, bilingual or even trilingual language (Arabic and French) labelling is advisable, particularly if the product is aimed at the mass market.   Providing information on : country of origin, Placement of identification data Identification of the manufacturer Product information Standard quality disclosures Ingredients Date of manufacture Date of expiry (no goods are permitted with an expiry date of less than six months).   7. Export Controls   The Europeans Governments maintain export controls to prevent the export of goods, including technology, for a variety of reasons including: the collective security of the UE states and its allies in NATO national security and foreign policy requirements international legal obligations and commitments non-proliferation policy If goods or technologies are subject to UE governements export controls, a licence is required to gain the legal authority to export them.   8. Documentation   Shipments must be covered by a commercial invoice and as many copies as the importer may require. The exporter's nearest Chamber of Commerce must certify the invoice in the firm's country of residence. The invoice must also be legalised by the Lebanese Embassy in your country . One copy of the invoice should contain a declaration by the exporter clarifying the price and country of origin of the goods, along with a statement that the goods do not originate from Israel. Note also that the vessel must not have docked in an Israeli port. Goods not accompanied by the correct documentation are subject to fines.   9. Dazi doganali   Three systems of custom exemption are in operation: temporary admission industrial warehouse status free zone entry. Temporary admission Goods should be covered by a bank guarantee for the required amount of customs duty; once the goods have been re-exported the guarantee is cleared. Commercial samples/temporary imports Samples of no trade value are exempt from all duties. Parcel post import regulations The custom's authorities may inspect parcel post. The parcel post manifest should the bill of lading number, number of the remittent, name of the addressee, product weight and value of the goods.