Overview of the different labeling and marking requirements, including any restrictive advertising or labeling practices and where to get more information.
Last Published: 8/23/2019

The Angolan Government requires labeling in Portuguese on all products imported and sold in the country.  Labels must include: list of ingredients, expiration dates, quantity, production batch, name and address of manufacturer or seller, and country of origin.  Imports are only permitted if a minimum six-month shelf life is remaining for the product.

Unlabeled products or those with language labeling not in Portuguese are subject to confiscation, though products with labeling in only English, Spanish, or Chinese can be found in both formal and informal retail sales locations.

The Angolan government is increasing its focus on enforcing sanitary standards especially for food products and medications, including through the expansion of testing laboratories, and increased scrutiny of labeling and expiration dates on products.

Due to the Portuguese language labeling requirement and historical colonial ties, a significant portion of consumer goods imported into Angola are sourced from Portugal, and to a lesser extent from Brazil.  U.S. companies can leverage their Portuguese or Brazilian Portuguese language marketing material and product information (labeling and user guides) for positioning in the Angolan market.  Please note that Angolan Portuguese is similar to continental Portuguese, though Brazilian Portuguese is widely accepted.

While it can be cost efficient on the short-term to use other Portuguese language country-based distributors for sales into Angola, U.S. companies can be most competitive in Angola by establishing distribution and representation directly with an Angolan company.  A well-selected Angola distributor should be able to assist in meeting Portuguese language labeling requirements together with other in-country services and sales support.
 

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.