Table of Contents
1 Regulations and Policies
1.1 Trade Regulations and Policies
1.1.1 Principal Authority Governing Trade
1.1.2 Trade Regulations
1.1.3 Relevant Provisions on Trade Administration
1.1.4 Inspection and Quarantine of Imported and Exported Commodities
1.1.5 Customs Administration Rules and Regulations
1 Regulations and Policies
1.1 Trade Regulations and Policies
1.1.1 Principal Authority Governing Trade
The government department responsible for the economy of Slovenia is the Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sport. The Directorate-General for Economic and Trade Relations within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs specifically handles foreign economic and trade relations. Its responsibilities include promoting and managing foreign economic and trade activities, fostering bilateral economic cooperation, overseeing the work of economic and commercial offices at Slovenian embassies abroad, maintaining and facilitating economic and trade-related contacts and cooperation with foreign governments and international organizations, as well as participating in multilateral and bilateral trade negotiations.
1.1.2 Trade Regulations
As a member of the European Union (EU), Slovenia fully implements the Union's trade policy and does not maintain separate domestic trade legislation.
1.1.3 Relevant Provisions on Trade Administration
As a member state of the EU, Slovenia fully adheres to the Union's unified trade policy. Goods and services may be freely imported and exported, with import licensing procedures required only in exceptional cases. For instance, pursuant to the EU's New Approach to Technical Harmonisation, certain products must comply with specific quality standards. Compliant products are required to bear the CE mark as evidence of conformity with applicable standards. The manufacturer or importer affixes this mark to the product to confirm its compliance through self-declaration.
EU directives establish the principle of product liability, stipulating that producers are responsible if a product is defective and causes injury to consumers. This principle applies to all agricultural products and consumer goods containing movable components. Manufacturers must comply with EU product liability legislation. This law covers product defects not ordinarily anticipated by consumers and imposes legal liability on both the seller of the product within the EU and the product's manufacturer. In terms of environmental protection, manufacturers must also comply with the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive. This directive clearly defines the general standards for waste recovery and recycling.
Additionally, the EU chemicals regulation known as Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) officially came into effect on June 1, 2007, with pre-registration commencing on June 1, 2008. The primary objective of the REACH is to protect human health and environmental safety, maintain and enhance the competitiveness of the EU chemical industry, and pursue sustainable social development. To this end, the European Commission establishes a specialized chemical monitoring and management system and achieve unified management of all relevant chemicals in 2012. The system incorporates approximately 30,000 chemical products in the EU market and their downstream sectors, such as textiles, light industry, pharmaceuticals, and others, into three management and monitoring systems: registration, evaluation, and licensing. According to the schedule established by the EU, chemical substances with a production volume exceeding 1,000 tons must be registered within 3 years; those with a production volume of 100–1,000 tons must be registered within 6 years; and those with a production volume of 1–100 tons must be registered within 11 years. Products that fail to be included in the management system within the stipulated time cannot be sold in the EU market.
1.1.4 Inspection and Quarantine of Imported and Exported Commodities
Slovenia imposes strict requirements on the quality, appearance, packaging, and variety of designs and patterns of imported goods. The Slovenian Institute for Standardization (SIST) was established in 1991.
The Republic of Slovenia is a member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), as well as an affiliate country to ISO Europe (CEN) and IEC Europe.
[Authority Issuing Inspection Certificates] The Republic of Slovenia hereby recognizes inspection certificates issued by the following bodies:
(1) Laboratories operated by members of the International Organization for Inspection and Certification;
(2) Laboratories operated by international organizations or accredited by European laboratories;
(3) Laboratories authorized to issue national certification data in accordance with bilateral agreements on the mutual recognition of test data signed with the SIST or other relevant authorities;
(4) Laboratories recognized by the European Commission;
(5) Laboratories authorized by the SIST.
[Provisions on Inspection and Quarantine] The Republic of Slovenia's regulations on product inspection and the quarantine of animals and plants are as follows:
(1) Inspection of mechanical and electrical products (M&E products)
Slovenian regulations mandate that M&E products imported into the country must be accompanied by warranty certificates, user manuals, and the contact addresses of authorized repair service providers as printed by the Slovenian importer’s representative offices or foreign enterprises’ local representatives. All product information must be printed in Slovenian, and product labels must adhere to the language requirements specified by Slovenian authorities. A total of 46 product categories, primarily consisting of M&E products, construction materials, and personal protective equipment (including electronic goods, home appliances, closed-circuit television wiring systems susceptible to radio frequency interference, cement, construction panels, respiratory protection devices, elevators, fire-resistant helmets, safety belts, automotive brake pads, and trailers, among others), must undergo inspection by institutions authorized by the SIST and bear the SVN certification mark prior to entering the Slovenian market.
(2) Quarantine regulations for animals and their products
Slovenian law mandates that the import and export of livestock must comply with the pertinent animal quarantine agreements duly signed by the respective animal quarantine authorities of both exporting and importing parties. The specific documentation required to be provided to the counterpart party during import and export operations shall be mutually agreed upon. Prior to the signing of a similar agreement, Slovenia enforced stringent quarantine measures on the importation of foreign live animals. Each animal must be accompanied by a health certificate and an internationally recognized animal quarantine certificate. As China and Slovenia have not entered into a similar agreement, Chinese products registered with the quarantine authorities of EU countries may freely enter Slovenia. However, products not registered with the quarantine authorities of EU countries must be registered with Slovenia’s animal quarantine department prior to entry.
(3) Quarantine of plants and their products
Slovenia is a member of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO), and it enforces the relevant provisions of these conventions and organizations.
1.1.5 Customs Administration Rules and Regulations
When engaging in trade with third countries, Slovenia adheres to EU customs regulations. However, member states retain the authority to legislate in areas not explicitly covered by EU rules. For areas not specifically regulated by the EU, Slovenia has enacted the Act Implementing the Customs Regulations of the European Community. The primary customs regulations of the EU are as follows:
[Rules of Origin] Under the Rules of Origin, goods imported from third countries into the EU are classified into two categories:
(1) Goods of preferential origin are entitled to preferential tariff treatment or may be exempted from customs duties;
(2) Goods of non-preferential origin are subject to the EU's standard tariff rates and other trade regulations.
[Integrated Tariff Schedule and Rate Assessment] Goods are classified into the customs tariff schedule based on their categories, technical specifications, and uses. After assessing the specific details of the goods, EU Customs publishes their specific information under the Integrated Tariff Schedule.
[Customs Valuation] Customs valuation is one of the fundamental customs regulations and is determined by the invoice value submitted to the customs.
[Pre-Entry Consignment] The Customs of Slovenia consigns imported goods in accordance with the Act Implementing the Customs Regulations of the European Community. In accordance with the procedures, parties may designate consignees for pre-entry consignments. Consignees must meet specific criteria (educational qualifications, national accreditation, etc.).
Furthermore, Slovenia has the following provisions regarding tariffs:
(1) No taxes are imposed on exported goods, implementing a zero tax rate with subsequent refund after collection;
(2) Equipment and accessories used for certain medical and humanitarian services may be eligible for tax exemption, subject to application and approval by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia. The importation of productive raw materials is not eligible for tax exemption. Applications for tax exemption for other products must be submitted directly to the relevant competent authority.
Slovenia implements two import tariff policies: a preferential tariff policy for EU countries and countries that have signed preferential trade agreements with Slovenia; and a general tariff rate for other countries (including China). For instance, the preferential tariff rate for agricultural products is 11.9% and the general tariff rate is 12.6%; the preferential tariff rate for industrial products is 1.3% and the general tariff rate is 7.1%. Generally, the preferential tariff rate is 3.8% and the general tariff rate is 8.8%. Slovenia has specific regulations for the importation of pharmaceutical products, military equipment, garbage, waste materials, as well as toxic and explosive substances, while other products are subject to free importation.
Website of Slovenia Customs: https://www.fu.gov.si/podrocja#c5023
Disclaimer：The above content is translated from Chinese version of Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China. The Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China version shall prevail.