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Certificate of Analysis: What is its role in export trade?

A certificate of analysis is used to verify the product manufactured is as per the client's requirements. Learn more about its uses and example in the blog.

Customers who buy products on e-commerce platforms cannot try and test a product before purchase. Instead, they rely on reviews, product specifications, and quality assurance from the manufacturer to make their purchase. To ensure customer satisfaction and compliance with quality and safety standards, a certificate of analysis (COA) is used in international trade. Companies use a certificate of analysis to demonstrate that their products meet required standards and are quality-assured. This blog post will explore the details of the COA, its components, uses, and the process of creating one.

What is Certificate of Analysis?Amazon trivia

A certificate of analysis (COA) is a document that confirms that a product has been laboratory tested and meets agreed-upon quality standards. A COA also provides information about a product’s composition, quality, and safety. It helps businesses reduce returns, replacements, and customer complaints. COAs are generally used for products like pharmaceuticals, food, and chemicals, among others. In international trade, it is usually the result of an agreement between the manufacturer or exporter and the customer or importer.

What elements does a certificate of analysis (COA) have?

The following are some key details that are generally included in a COA:

Supplier Information

A COA contains the identification number and information about the material supplier, including name, address, and other contact information.

Materials Identification

This section contains lot numbers, product codes like GTIN, and descriptions to identify the material being certified by a particular COA. For example, a dairy product COA would list ingredient names and lot numbers.

Transportation Data

Transportation-related content in a COA includes the ‘ship to customer’ name and address, original purchase order, and bill of lading number. This helps meet shipping requirements and helps the receiver verify the shipment and confirm the chain of custody.

Evidence of Conformance

This section has the most important information on COA with details on tests conducted, respective results, customer-specific requests, and regulatory requirements for that particular product.

Signature Data

The last section of the COA includes a signature, indicating that a qualified and authorized product inspector has reviewed the evidence.¹

What is Certificate of Analysis used for?

The following are some uses of a certificate of analysis in international trade:

• Guarantees that products meet customer expectations and standards.
• Serves as an inspection and identification document for product status.
• Offers more detailed information than a product label.
• Provides material users with details on identity, quality, and purity.
• Assures customers of consistent product quality, building trust in suppliers.

How to create a certificate of analysis?

Creating a certificate of analysis can be streamlined by using an online certificate generator, which allows for bulk creation from spreadsheet data, reducing manual effort and minimizing errors. This is particularly valuable for accurate, efficient COA generation, especially for exports. There are various methods for creating a certificate of analysis, depending on industry-specific testing methods and quality standards. The general requirements for creating a COA are as follows:

• Product name: Begin the certificate with the name of the product.
• Batch/lot number: Include the batch or lot number to identify the specific group of products tested.
• Manufacturing date: Mention date on which the product was manufactured.
• Expiry date: Indicate the date until which the product remains usable.
• Quality control results: Provide details on product quality, including purity levels and other relevant test outcomes.
• Tests performed: Describe the various tests conducted on the product.
• Test results: Present the results obtained from the tests.
• Analyst: Name the person who performed the analysis.
• Certification ID: Include a unique ID for the certificate.
• Signature: Feature the signature of the authorized representative who approves the certificate. ²

Difference between COA and COC

While COA and Certificate of Conformance (COC) are often used interchangeably, they are different. A COC confirms that a product meets the specified standards and regulations, while a COA provides detailed test results proving compliance with safety and quality benchmarks. Essentially, a COA focuses on detailed analysis and test results, whereas a COC attests to meeting quality and regulatory standards without going into the details of any specific test conditions or results.³

Amazon Global Selling: Easy e-commerce exports and hassle-free shipping

If you are a business owner and want to sell your products to the world, Amazon Global Selling enables you to list and sell ‘Made in India’ products on 18 Amazon global marketplaces. As an e-commerce exports program, Amazon Global Selling provides support and guidance at every step of your exports journey – documents and licenses, logistics, payments, advertising, and more.

Registered sellers can choose to ship their products by themselves through Merchant Fulfilled Network (MFN) or they can opt for Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) and outsource order fulfillment to Amazon including packing, storage, delivery, and returns. Amazon Global Selling simplifies the process of international shipping to the world, helping businesses navigate customs and reach a vast audience.

Read now: Guide to exporting with Amazon

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I need a certificate of analysis?

As a manufacturer, a certificate of analysis is tangible proof that the quantity of every compound in your product is within its legal limits and that the product is legally compliant overall, certifying its quality.⁴

Who provides or issues a certificate of analysis?

A COA can be obtained from accredited and certified laboratories where manufacturers have submitted their final products or their components for testing.

What if you don't use a certificate of analysis?

While some might think that creating a COA is too expensive, it can come at a heavy price. Customers could lose trust in the manufacturer’s brand. Moreover, failure to comply with such necessities in industries with strict regulations could lead to product recalls, heavy fines, or legal action.

Published on April 30, 2022.

Sources:

1. https://www.datacor.com/the-datacor-blog/what-is-a-certificate-of-analysis-definition-requirements-example
2. https://certifier.io/blog/certificate-of-analysis
3. https://www.inboundlogistics.com/articles/certificate-of-compliance-vs-certificate-of-analysis
4. https://safetyculture.com/topics/certificate-of-analysis/

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