Recently, there has been an increase in the interest in the free sale certificate in the international arena. This certificate, presented by the "Azexport" portal operated by the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC), is one of the documents required by some countries when exporting medical equipment, medicines and food products that come into direct contact with the human body to foreign markets.

Aykhan Gadashov, the head of the portal, said that this certificate is not in the list of necessary documents required for the export of products of the listed category from the Republic of Azerbaijan and is voluntary. "Nevertheless, in some countries, the certificate of free sale is included in the list of necessary documents. This makes the presence of a free sale certificate mandatory when importing food and pharmaceutical products in those countries. Currently, the demand for this certificate is increasing in the countries of the world. That is, every year more and more countries add the certificate of free sale to the list of necessary documents for the import of food and pharmaceutical products. In some cases, the international name of the certificate varies by region. Examples of this are forms such as "Free Sale Certificate" (FSC), "Certificate of Free Sale" (CFS) and "Free Sale Declaration" (FSD). Although the names are different, these are documents with the same rights as the free sale certificate presented by the "Azexport" portal in the Republic of Azerbaijan," said A. Gadashov.

It should be noted that the free sale certificate is presented by the "Azexport" portal in accordance with the relevant Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated September 12, 2017. The certificate confirms that the exported goods are in free circulation in the Republic of Azerbaijan, certified by the relevant state bodies and institutions, and meet the standards.

In total, from April 2018 to February 2024, certificates of free sale were presented to 696 products. Issuing the certificate facilitated the export of "Made in Azerbaijan" products to more than 100 countries of America, Asia, Oceania, Europe and the Gulf region.

Entrepreneurs who want to obtain a free sale certificate can apply through the www.azexport.az portal.