REMINDER: Permit required for import of items that do not use ozone-depleting substances

Vanuatu has another legislation, administered under the Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation (DEPC), that regulates the import of controlled substances, especially refrigerants and other controlled substances found in dry-cleaning machines, fire extinguishers, automobile and truck air conditioning units (whether on vehicles or not), marine and transportation refrigeration, domestic, commercial and industrial refrigerators, freezers, chillers, dehumidifiers, water coolers, ice machines, display cabinets, air conditioning and heat pump units, and any other air conditioning and heat pump equipment.

All controlled substances found in items mentioned are regulated under the Ozone Layer Protection (OLP) Act that was gazetted on February 25, 2020 along with the OLP Regulation Order No. 20 of 2020.

An import permit, that is usually done online through any Customs Brokers via the Single Windows system, is required for each shipment of a controlled substance, in particular HCFCs such as R-22 and HFCs and their mixtures as well as manufactured products containing HFCs.

Importation of R600a and R290, which are environment friendly gases, are encouraged by DEPC, but Controlled substances such as CFCs remain prohibited.

One of the offences under this Act is punishable by imprisonment or a fine not exceeding VT2.5 million for an individual and not exceeding VT5 million for a corporate body.

This law was enacted to meet Vanuatu’s obligations under the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer.