Five SONCAP mistakes that hold consignments at Apapa

Serial-range mismatches are the single most common cause of a stopped inspection. If the range on the carton labels does not match the packing list and the Request for Certificate exactly, the PVoC agent cannot sign off, and re-submission typically costs five to ten working days.

Second: filing the Form M after the goods have shipped. The Form M must be in place before shipment, and the PAAR follows from it. Retro-fitting the paperwork is expensive and sometimes impossible.

Third: an expired or model-mismatched Product Certificate. A PC covers specific models for a defined period — a new configuration needs its certificate updated before the shipment is booked.

Fourth: missing battery documentation. Lithium cells require a UN38.3 test summary and MSDS in the shipping file, separate from the safety and EMC reports.

Fifth: importer details on the labels that do not match the entity on the Form M. Get the labelling standard from the document pack and apply it before the container is sealed, not after.