Cosmetics export rules by country

What to check by country before you export cosmetics: certification, registration, labels and duty, with official sources and check dates. Covers United States, EU, Japan, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Australia, Canada, Brazil.

This is not legal or tax advice. Rules and rates change, so confirm with the official source and a local authority, your importer or an expert before you sell.

• United States: FDA MoCRA: facility registration and product listing; sunscreen is an OTC drug in the US (Drug Facts label, monograph-compliant UV filters)
• EU: EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009: before sale, an EU Responsible Person (who keeps the product information file), a CPNP notification and a safety report (CPSR)
• Japan: Needs a Japanese marketing-authorisation holder; sunscreen/whitening claims may make it a quasi-drug needing approval
• China: NMPA registration (special use) or notification (general); cross-border e-commerce (e.g
• Vietnam: Vietnam: an imported cosmetic may be sold only after the Drug Administration of Vietnam (Ministry of Health) issues a receipt number for its notification
• Thailand: Thailand: a cosmetic may be imported for sale only after its details are notified to Thai FDA
• Malaysia: Malaysia: every cosmetic must be notified to NPRA (Ministry of Health) before it is imported or sold (Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984, regulation 18A)
• Singapore: Singapore: the importer notifies each cosmetic, and each shade or scent variant, to HSA through PRISM before supplying it; the notifier needs a local entity registered with ACRA, so your Singapore importer or distributor files it, and every importer files its own notification even when another company has notified the same product
• Philippines: Philippines: a cosmetic is placed on the market only with a Certificate of Product Notification from FDA Philippines, filed in the cosmetic e-portal by a Philippine distributor, trader or manufacturer that holds an FDA licence to operate (LTO), so a Korean brand files through its local partner
• Australia: Whoever imports cosmetics or soap into Australia for sale registers the business with AICIS before the first import, whatever the volume, and renews each registration year (1 Sep to 31 Aug); every ingredient must be on the AICIS Inventory or categorised, with an annual declaration
• Canada: Within 10 days after a cosmetic is first sold in Canada, the manufacturer or importer notifies Health Canada with the Cosmetic Notification Form
• Brazil: Brazil: only a Brazilian company with a local operating licence and ANVISA's company authorisation (AFE) to import cosmetics can bring them in, and it holds the product's registration or notification, so your importer or distributor files it

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