GSA suspends pre-shipment inspection of imported used vehicles

The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has suspended the pre-shipment inspection exercise for imported used vehicles, with a new date for the commencement of the programme expected to be announced later.

The suspension was communicated in a public notice signed by the Director-General of the GSA, Professor George Agyei, on Monday, October 5, 2026.

The notice, referenced GSA/DGS/PN/26/11, informed vehicle importers and other stakeholders that the authority had suspended the pre-shipment inspection exercise for used vehicles imported into Ghana.

The decision follows an earlier directive by the GSA requiring used motor vehicles destined for Ghana to undergo Pre-Shipment Verification of Conformity by an approved inspection agent under the FlexiPass Programme.

Under the programme, vehicles are inspected against GS 4510, with the objective of identifying non-conforming vehicles before shipment. The system is intended to prevent importers from incurring freight and duty costs on vehicles that fail to meet safety and other applicable requirements.

The GSA had indicated that only inspection results and certificates issued by approved inspection agents would be recognised under the programme.

Two inspection bodies — Autoterminal Japan and EAA Company Limited — had been approved to conduct the inspections. Both companies are accredited to ISO/IEC 17020 and collectively operate more than 100 inspection locations in 15 countries across five regions.

The inspection centres cover major markets from which used vehicles are exported to Ghana.

According to the GSA, inspections are carried out against the requirements of GS 4510 regardless of the country or inspection centre where the vehicle is examined.

The approved agents also offer mobile inspection services for importers and exporters who cannot conveniently access fixed inspection centres. Such inspections can be conducted at an exporter's yard, auction site, port terminal or premises by appointment.

Inspection fees

Under the FlexiPass Programme, inspection charges were determined according to the country of origin of the vehicle.

Vehicles imported from Japan attracted a fee of US$200, while those from Korea, Singapore and other Asian countries, the People's Republic of China and India, the United Arab Emirates and African countries attracted US$250.

A fee of US$300 applied to vehicles from the United Kingdom and European countries, the United States of America, North and South America, and Australia and New Zealand.

The GSA said the FlexiPass fees were set at or below standard global rates for pre-shipment verification of conformity.

The authority also advised importers to deal only with the approved inspection agents, warning that inspection reports or certificates issued by other entities would not be accepted under the programme.

Importers were encouraged to have vehicles inspected before shipment and to instruct exporters to arrange the inspection before the vehicles were loaded for export.

They were also advised to verify inspection details before making payments and to contact the GSA or the official contacts of the approved agents if they had doubts about an inspection centre or certificate.

The authority further urged importers to report any demands for payments above the approved inspection fees.

For additional information, the GSA said members of the public could contact its Vehicle Homologation Unit via the contact details provided in the notice, including +233 303980177 and +233 256061634.