3.72.  The National Enquiry Point and Information Centre is the national enquiry point under the WTO SPS Agreement.[171] The Directorate General of Animal Wealth (DGAW) and the Directorate General of Agricultural Development (DGAD), under the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, are the authorities on SPS matters including food safety and plant and animal health. No specific trade concern has been raised about Oman's SPS measures. In 2017, the GCC countries started to apply the GCC Guide for Control of Imported Foods to ensure that all imported food complies with the GCC regulations and requirements.[172]

3.73.  Since 2004, Oman has been applying the GCC Laws on Veterinary Quarantine and Plant Quarantine.[173] Imports, exports, and domestic production of plants and animals are subject to inspection by the quarantine section of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, which also examines and issues SPS certificates for all agricultural products prior to their export. Prior permission from the DGAD is required for imports of agricultural seeds, plants, and plant parts and products, which generally takes a week.[174]

3.74.  A health certificate and prior permission from the Department of Veterinary Licenses of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources are required to import live animals from all countries, including GCC countries

3.75.  Imports of foodstuffs of live animals and plants, animal feed, red meats, poultry meat, agricultural materials, timber, grains and other unprocessed agricultural products are inspected by the DGAW at any point of entry. They must be free from contaminants, and milk products must be accompanied by a certificate declaring them free of radiation and dioxin. The Health Quarantine Department is responsible for the inspection of imported semi- and fully processed food products, while municipalities have an additional role of inspection in the ports and markets. All consignments that are imported must be accompanied by a health certificate issued by the relevant authority in the country of origin to ensure that the items are fit for human consumption and that animal feed is fit for animals. Unfit foodstuff and animal feed are rejected at the port of entry; they are either destroyed at the supplier's expense or returned to the country of origin

3.76.  For plant and animal imports, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources' quarantine section imposes additional inspections. In 2017, the Ministry imposed new verifications of imported vegetables and fruits regarding maximum levels of pesticides allowed

3.77.  Between August 2012 and October 2020, Oman made 65 SPS notifications to the WTO

3.78.  Oman is a member of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), and Codex Alimentarius.[175]

3.60.  The National Enquiry Point and Information Centre, under the MOCIIP, is Oman's national enquiry point established for implementation of the TBT Agreement.[157] The Directorate General for Standards and Metrology (DGSM) is responsible for standardization, metrology, testing, quality control and quality assurance, conformity assessment and certification, and accreditation activities.[158] Oman accepted the TBT Code of Good Practice on 18 December 2000.[159] Between August 2013 and June 2021, Oman made 298 notifications to the WTO's TBT Committee. No specific trade concerns have been raised about Oman's TBT measures

3.61.  Oman is harmonizing its technical regulations and standards at the GCC level through the Gulf Standards Organization (GSO), which is based in Riyadh. GSO standards and technical regulations are developed by first being proposed as a draft to the Secretary of the GSO Committee by a working group or the member State in charge of the project, and then presented to the member States and tested through a study by the members. International standards go through a fast-track mechanism.[160] Once approved, GSO standards are circulated to all GCC member States for adoption. Members must withdraw any existing national standard that conflicts with the new GSO standard. In general, GCC and Omani standards are based on international standards

3.62.  According to the authorities, Oman develops technical regulations and standards at the national level only if there is a pressing need. All standards and most technical regulations are processed by the DGSM; any proposed technical regulation or standard is examined by one of the seven technical committees under the DGSM[161], which has nine months to approve, finalize, and adopt it. All draft standards and technical regulations are made available for public comments for at least 60 days[162] before they are adopted. A Ministerial Decision is required for a standard to become compulsory. Technical regulations are published in the Official Gazette. Technical regulations and standards normally enter into effect six months after their publication, unless an emergency situation requires this period to be reduced

3.63.  As of January 2021, Oman had 23,508 standards in place, 22,262 of which were based on GCC standards as formulated by the GSO, and 1,264 technical regulations. Sixteen are purely national technical regulations, covering products such as gas cylinders, fluorescent induction lamps, and safety footwear.[163]

3.64.  All mandatory standards in Oman apply equally to locally produced and imported products. Mandatory standards apply mainly on food products, construction material, toys, cosmetics, and motor vehicles. Compliance of imported goods is verified by the customs authorities. Non-food products are allowed automatic entry on the basis of a Manufacturer's Declaration of Conformity Assessment Certificate, supported by a test report verified by the DGSM; in parallel, some samples are collected unless a mutual recognition agreement is in place. Imported products that are not covered by certificates are released temporarily and their samples tested. Oman has concluded mutual recognition agreements with the Kingdom of Bahrain, Egypt, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen

3.65.  Oman is a member of the Arab Centre for Standardization and Metrology in the Arab Industrial Development & Mining Organization, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML)

3.66.  Labels must be in Arabic or Arabic and English, although during the pandemic the MOCIIP temporarily waived the Arabic requirement in April 2020.[164] Food labels must contain product names, production and expiry dates, country of origin, name and address of the manufacturer, net contents in metric units, list of ingredients and additives in descending order of importance, lot identification, and instructions for storage and use (where applicable). Products shipped in bulk should conform to GSO labelling requirements.[165]

3.67.  For meat and poultry products, Oman requires slaughtering according to Islamic halal procedures.[166] Packaged fresh or frozen meat and poultry must also carry the following information in Arabic: country of origin, production (slaughtering or freezing) and expiry dates, shelf life of the product, metric net weight, and product identification. Pre-packaged processed meat and poultry must be accompanied by production and expiry dates, as well as the net weight of the product

3.68.  The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) issued labelling guidelines for telecommunication equipment in June 2010. Dealers of such equipment must register with the TRA. The label must contain the approval number and the dealer number. Imported goods may be labelled after customs clearance, but before entering the Omani market. Under Royal Decree No. 59/2015 issuing the Regulation for Dealing in Telecommunications Devices, failure to affix required labels can be sentenced to a fine of OMR 500

3.69.  All precious metals, jewellery, and gemstones, whether imported or locally produced, must be hallmarked under Royal Decree No. 109/2000. The DGSM is responsible for assaying of precious metals and testing of gemstones, as well as providing quality controls, certification, and hallmarking of gold jewellery.[167]

3.70.  In August 2011, the GSO adopted labelling requirements for tobacco products, introducing mandatory warnings on cigarette packages. Labels using terms such as "light" or "low" on packages are deemed misleading and thus prohibited. These rules were taken up by Oman through Ministerial Decree No. 12/2012.[168] GSO standard No. 223/2013 establishes that breast milk substitutes bear labels indicating the sources of the protein, and a statement expressing the superiority of breast feeding. Oman adopted the GSO standard on energy labelling requirements for air conditioners through Ministerial Decision No. 107/2018.[169]

3.71.  Cosmetic products should not have labels that are inconsistent with Islamic traditions and social values, and parts of the labels must be translated into Arabic.[170] The relevant norm for cosmetics is GSO standard No. 1943/2021. For simple fertilizers, complex compounds, and soil improvers, the relevant legislation on labelling is the GCC Law of Fertilizers and Agricultural Soil Improvers