Croatia

• Labeling Requirements
• Required Documents
• Licensing
• Import Procedures
• Taxes/Tariffs
• Contacts

LABELING REQUIREMENTS

Labels must be in Croatian and include the following information:

• Name of the product;
• List of ingredients;
• Quantity of specific ingredients or the category of the ingredients;
• Net quantity for the packaged food;
• Expiration date;
• Name and address of the producer or the person who packages the food and/or places it on the market;
• Name and address of the importer’s head office and the country of origin next to the name and address of the producer;
• Place of origin, if absence of this information could be misleading to the consumer about the true origins of the product;
• Instructions and usage where necessary for proper handling; and
• For beverages containing more than 1.2% vol. of alcohol, the alcohol content by volume must be stated.

GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) Food Labeling:

Food or ingredients containing GMOs must have a visible indication that indicates it contains GMOs by using the term “GMO”.  The indication must clearly state “genetically modified organisms” or contain the sentence “This product contains genetically modified organisms.”  Food and food ingredients originating from GMOs but not containing them must also have a visible indication that they originate from GMOs.

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REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

The following is a list of the documents that may be required for importing into Croatia (for Customs purposes).  However, exporters are advised to consult with an importer for the most up-to-date information.

• Customs Declaration form
• Invoice/Commercial invoice
• Packing list
• Certificate of Origin
• Customs Value Declaration
• Freight documents
• Insurance certificate

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LICENSING

Food products do not have to be registered for import into Croatia; however, they must comply with food quality standards prescribed by the Croatian laws and regulations.

Importers of wine products must obtain a “quality certificate” from the Croatian Institute of Viticulture and Enology before placing their product on the market. The Institute of Viticulture and Enology also issues so-called “control stamps” that must be placed on each wine bottle.

Importers of beer and distilled spirits products must obtain a business registration for imports of distilled spirits and beer as well as a separate license from the Croatian Customs Administration for excise tax purposes.

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IMPORT PROCEDURES

Incoming goods go through Customs storage at transport terminals or airports.  After the goods arrive at the Customs storage, the importer or freight forwarder must start the procedures for checking and clearing goods.  The Sanitary Inspection Department of the Ministry of Health must check all products, and samples are taken for quality checking every time an importation occurs.

In certain instances (i.e. after frequent shipments), products may only be required to be inspected periodically.  The importer is responsible for any fees incurred as a result of these product examinations.  A Customs officer will compare the accompanying documents with the commodities after they have been checked for quality purposes, after which the removal from storage may be carried out by the importer.

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TAXES/TARIFFS

For the most current tariffs and taxes applied to imported products for this country, please visit the Online Tariff Database provided by Tariffic at: http://www.tariffic.com/ITA/, and click on “On-The-Fly Tariffeed”.  Please ensure you have a 10-digit HS classification code in order to obtain tariff information.  Also see the Census Bureau’s Schedule B search function (http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/schedules/b/index.html), which allows you to classify your product according to United States export codes. Simply click "Search" and enter the keyword (i.e. beer) that best describes your product.

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CONTACTS

Most of the information in this guide was obtained from direct contact with various governmental organizations and embassies, as well as online sources.  The FAS Attaché reports at: http://www.fas.usda.gov/scriptsw/attacherep/default.asp served as the primary (online) sources used for this report.

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