International e-commerce entering the Algerian market
The transition to international e-commerce is the perfect opportunity for the foreign e-provider to grow and expand its business as well as to provide its goods and services worldwide.
However, knowing the various rules and regulations governing foreign businesses is essential. The foreign e-provider is any natural or legal person who wants to provide goods or services through an electronic platform from abroad to Algeria.
Since the Algerian government issued the law 18-05 relating to e-commerce, its rules are applicable if one of the parties is an Algerian citizen; resident in Algeria, or if the contract is formed / executed in Algeria.
More so, the mentioned law provided for international e-commerce and investments supporting e-commerce incentives.
Thus, what are the conditions and procedures for the foreign e-provider to supply its goods and services in Algeria?
What are the conditions for a foreign e-provider to supply its goods and services in Algeria?
According to the article 07 of the above-mentioned law, the supply of products and services by a foreign e-provider in Algeria is allowed.
On one side, the foreign e-provider looking to establish e-commerce in Algeria is subjected to registration in the trade register CNRC, plus publication of a domain hosted in Algeria.
On the other side, foreign e-provider established abroad must be clearly identified and registered according to its country’s regulation as an e-provider regardless if it was the producer or the retailer or an intermediary.
The latter must indicate the information relating to its identity and its contact details on the website.
Therefore, foreign e-provider should be in a good standing in regard to its jurisdiction and comply with the provisions of the Algerian e-commerce law.
How are the e-commerce transactions conducted?
The e-commerce transactions are regulated by the law 08-15 concerning e-commerce.
On one hand, it contains provisions of the Commercial Code, such as the necessity for the transaction to be conducted through an e-commercial offer and formalized by an e-contract. On the other hand, it provides some provisions addressing competition and consumption.
Mainly, the detailed specifications of the goods or services, the terms and conditions of delivery, the warranty and after-sales service conditions, the conditions for terminating the e-contract, the terms and conditions of payment, the terms and conditions for returning the product and the pre-order conditions and modalities.
What about terms of payment and custom clearance?
Payment and customs tariff are vital points for any international e-commerce transaction.
On one hand, the e-provider is responsible for the delivery of its goods/services within the specified deadlines. As for the buyer its responsibility is to assure the payment of the price as agreed upon. More so, the law has allowed the e-payment as a way of executing the buyer’s duty.
The e-payment is done via secured and authentic platforms that are put under the authority of Algerian bank.
On the other hand, the customs tariff is established in compliance with the Nomenclature of the International Harmonized System provided by the Brussels Convention which sets out customer’s duties and the VAT.
It has to be noted that a postal shipment is up to 30kg. Moreover, personal postal shipments, unlike commercial ones, are not subject to custom clearance and free of tax duties provided that their value does not exceed a certain amount.
The same rule applies to free commercial samples.
At the end, Fares Group focuses on providing the best service possible and will insure the implementation of all the above mentioned procedures with efficiency.