Restricted & Prohibited Items Policy
Gloseg B2B Limited Effective Date: August 16, 2026 Version: 2.1
Definitions
- "Prohibited Item" means goods that may never be listed, quoted, sampled, or transacted on the platform under any circumstances.
- "Restricted Item" means goods that may be listed and transacted only where the seller organization holds and produces the documentation, licence, or category approval this policy requires.
- "Listing" means a seller organization's published offer of goods or services on the platform, whether standing catalogue or response to a request for quotation.
- "RFQ" means a request for quotation raised by a buyer organization describing goods it wishes to source.
- "Category Gating" means a platform control that prevents a listing in a defined category from publishing until specified documentation or approval has been verified.
- "Sanctions Screening" means automated and manual checks of parties, goods, and destinations against applicable sanctions and denied-party lists.
- "Provenance" means documented evidence of a good's origin and chain of custody sufficient to establish it was lawfully sourced.
- "Dual-Use Item" means goods or technology capable of both civilian and military application and subject to export control.
- "Reinstatement" means the restoration of a listing, member, or organization's platform access following a successful appeal or remediation of a violation.
- "Strictest Applicable Law" means, where more than one jurisdiction's law could apply to a listing or transaction, the law imposing the greater restriction on the goods concerned.
1. Purpose and Application
1.1 Purpose
This policy sets out the categories of goods that may never be transacted on the Gloseg platform, and the categories that may be transacted only subject to specified documentation, licensing, or approval. It exists to protect buyers, sellers, and Gloseg from legal exposure, to keep the platform lawful across the 54 African countries in which sellers are based and the jurisdictions in which buyers are located worldwide, and to support Gloseg's own compliance obligations.
1.2 Application across the platform
This policy applies to every form of activity on the platform through which goods are offered, described, or discussed, including:
- Standing catalogue listings and category pages.
- Responses to buyer RFQs.
- Samples offered or shipped ahead of a full order.
- Messages exchanged between buyer and seller members within the platform, including attached images, specification sheets, and negotiated terms.
1.3 Application to all members
This policy binds every member acting on behalf of a seller or buyer organization, regardless of seniority or role, and an organization remains responsible for a violation committed by any member acting, or appearing to act, with its authority.
2. Prohibited Versus Restricted
2.1 Prohibited items
A prohibited item may never be listed, quoted, sampled, or otherwise transacted on the platform. No documentation, licence, disclaimer, or buyer acknowledgement permits a prohibited item to be offered, and any such listing is removed on detection regardless of the stage it reaches.
2.2 Restricted items
A restricted item may be listed and transacted, but only where the seller organization has, at the point of listing, the documentation, licence, or category approval this policy or the applicable category gate requires, and continues to hold it for as long as the listing remains active.
2.3 Practical distinction
The distinction is not one of degree of risk alone; it reflects whether lawful trade in the item is possible on this platform at all. Items are prohibited where the risk of unlawful use, harm, or illegality is inherent to the item itself or where Gloseg has determined that no documentation could adequately mitigate that risk within a marketplace model; items are restricted where lawful trade is possible provided the applicable safeguard is in place.
3. Prohibited Categories
3.1 Table of prohibited categories
| Prohibited category | Reason |
|---|---|
| Weapons and munitions | Inherent risk to life and safety, and pervasive licensing regimes that a marketplace cannot verify at listing scale |
| Explosives and precursors | Catastrophic harm potential and specialist regulatory control incompatible with open listing |
| Narcotics and controlled substances | Illegality in virtually all destination jurisdictions and public health harm |
| Endangered species and CITES-listed wildlife products | International and domestic wildlife protection law and conservation harm |
| Human remains and organs | Fundamental ethical and legal prohibition on commodifying the human body |
| Counterfeit goods | Infringement of third-party intellectual property and consumer deception |
| Stolen goods and looted cultural property | Illegality of dealing in stolen or unlawfully removed property |
| Conflict minerals without traceable provenance | Association with armed conflict financing and human rights abuse |
| Hazardous waste | Environmental harm and specialist cross-border movement controls |
| Illegal timber | Deforestation harm and breach of timber legality regimes |
| Unregistered pharmaceuticals and falsified medicines | Public health risk and absence of regulatory oversight |
| Tobacco and nicotine where prohibited | Jurisdiction-specific legal prohibition and public health regulation |
| Radioactive materials | Severe safety risk and specialist regulatory licensing |
| Surveillance and interception equipment | Human rights risk and export control sensitivity |
| Sanctioned-origin goods | Breach of applicable sanctions regimes |
3.2 No exceptions by documentation
None of the categories in section 3.1 can be converted into a restricted category by the production of documentation, a licence, or a buyer acknowledgement. Any purported licence or certificate submitted for a prohibited category is disregarded for platform purposes and treated as an indicator warranting further review of the seller organization.
4. Restricted Categories
4.1 Table of restricted categories and required documentation
| Restricted category | Required documentation |
|---|---|
| Food and agricultural products | Phytosanitary certificates issued by the relevant plant or food safety authority |
| Pharmaceuticals and medical devices | Regulatory approval from the relevant national medicines or device authority |
| Cosmetics | Product safety documentation and compliance with destination cosmetic regulation |
| Chemicals | Safety data sheets and, where applicable, transport classification documentation |
| Dual-use items | Export licences from the relevant export control authority |
| Precious metals and gemstones | Provenance documentation establishing lawful sourcing |
| Alcohol | Applicable trade licences and destination import permits |
| Seeds and plant material | Phytosanitary and, where required, plant variety certificates |
| Live animals | Veterinary health certificates and CITES documentation where applicable |
| Batteries and lithium cells | Transport safety certification, including UN 38.3 test summary where applicable |
| Drones | Export and, where applicable, dual-use control documentation |
| Fertilisers | Safety data sheets and destination import compliance documentation |
| Veterinary products | Regulatory approval from the relevant veterinary medicines authority |
| Used goods and refurbished electronics | Condition disclosure and, where required, destination import permits for used goods |
4.2 Documentation currency
Documentation submitted for a restricted category must be current, issued by a recognised authority or accredited body, and specific to the goods listed. Expired or generic documentation does not satisfy this policy and will result in the listing being gated or removed.
4.3 Category gating
Category gating applies automatically to every category listed in section 4.1, meaning a listing in that category cannot publish until the required documentation has been submitted and verified.
5. Seller Responsibility
5.1 Licensing and legality of origin
The seller organization is solely responsible for holding all licences, permits, and approvals required to lawfully produce, hold, and export the goods it lists, and for ensuring that the goods and their listing description comply with the law of its own jurisdiction.
5.2 Destination legality
The seller organization is responsible for making reasonable enquiry into whether the goods it lists are lawful to import into the destination markets it is willing to sell into, and for not knowingly offering goods into a destination where their import is prohibited or restricted in a manner the seller cannot support with documentation.
5.3 Ongoing accuracy
A seller organization must update or withdraw a listing promptly if the documentation supporting a restricted category listing expires, is revoked, or the underlying regulatory position changes.
6. Buyer's Import Responsibility
6.1 Buyer as importer of record
Except where the order expressly allocates import clearance to the seller or a nominated agent, the buyer organization is responsible for its own import compliance, including obtaining any import permits, licences, or quota allocations required in its jurisdiction, and for correct customs classification and duty payment on arrival.
6.2 No substitute for buyer due diligence
A seller's compliance with this policy, or the presence of documentation on a restricted listing, does not relieve a buyer organization of its own obligation to confirm that the goods it intends to import are lawful to bring into its destination market, since import law varies by country and buyer circumstance in ways a marketplace control cannot fully anticipate.
6.3 Gloseg not a customs broker
Gloseg is a marketplace intermediary and is not a customs broker, freight forwarder, or import agent, and does not clear goods through customs or assume the buyer's or seller's import or export obligations.
7. Enforcement Mechanisms
7.1 Automated listing screening
Every listing and RFQ passes through automated screening at creation and on material edit, checking category, keywords, and structured attributes against the prohibited and restricted category lists in sections 3 and 4.
7.2 Keyword and image review
Automated tools scan listing text and images for indicators of prohibited or undisclosed restricted goods, including terms and visual markers associated with the categories in section 3.1, flagging matches for further review.
7.3 Manual review queues
Listings flagged by automated screening, reported by users, or selected through risk-based sampling are placed in manual review queues staffed by trained reviewers who assess the listing against this policy before it is allowed to remain live.
7.4 Category gating
As described in section 4.3, gating prevents publication of a restricted category listing until required documentation is verified, and re-triggers where documentation expires.
7.5 Sanctions screening
Listings, seller and buyer organizations, and shipment destinations are screened against applicable sanctions and denied-party lists on onboarding and on an ongoing basis, consistent with the Sanctions & Trade Compliance Policy.
8. Enforcement Ladder
8.1 Escalating response
Gloseg applies a proportionate, escalating response to violations of this policy, taking into account severity, intent, and history:
- 8.1.1 Listing removal, for a first or isolated instance of a policy-inconsistent listing.
- 8.1.2 Listing suspension pending documentation, where a restricted category listing lacks current documentation but the category itself is not prohibited.
- 8.1.3 Category-level restriction, preventing the organization from listing in the affected category pending review.
- 8.1.4 Member-level restriction, where a specific member is responsible for repeated or deliberate violations.
- 8.1.5 Organization suspension, for serious or repeated violations across multiple listings or categories.
- 8.1.6 Organization termination, for prohibited category violations, sanctions violations, or a pattern of conduct demonstrating disregard for this policy.
- 8.1.7 Referral to authorities, for violations involving prohibited categories under section 3.1, suspected sanctions breaches, or conduct that may constitute a criminal offence, which Gloseg may report to the relevant law enforcement, customs, or regulatory authority.
8.2 Immediate action for severe categories
Weapons and munitions, explosives and precursors, narcotics, endangered species products, counterfeit goods, stolen or looted cultural property, and sanctioned-origin goods result in immediate listing removal and organization suspension pending investigation, without progressing through the earlier steps of the ladder.
8.3 No advance warning requirement
Gloseg is not obliged to give advance warning before removing a listing or suspending an organization under this section where it reasonably believes a prohibited category violation has occurred or a legal or safety risk is present.
9. Appeals and Reinstatement
9.1 Right to appeal
An organization subject to listing removal, suspension, or category restriction under section 8 may appeal by submitting a written explanation and any supporting documentation to legal@gloseg.com within 14 calendar days of the enforcement action.
9.2 Review of an appeal
Appeals are reviewed by a compliance reviewer who was not involved in the original enforcement decision. The reviewer may confirm, vary, or reverse the action, and communicates the outcome in writing.
9.3 Reinstatement conditions
Reinstatement following a successful appeal, or following remediation of a documentation deficiency, is conditional on the organization demonstrating that the underlying deficiency has been cured and that the listing or category now satisfies this policy. Reinstatement is not available for organizations terminated for prohibited category violations under section 8.2 or for sanctions violations.
10. Reporting a Violation
10.1 Who may report
Any member, buyer, seller, or third party who becomes aware of a listing, RFQ, or message that may violate this policy may report it to Gloseg.
10.2 How to report
Reports may be submitted through the in-platform reporting function on the relevant listing, or by email to legal@gloseg.com, including as much detail as possible about the listing, the goods, and the concern.
10.3 Handling of reports
Reports are reviewed by the manual review queue described in section 7.3, and reporters are not identified to the reported organization. Gloseg does not guarantee a specific outcome or timeline for every report but treats reports involving prohibited categories as priority matters.
11. Interaction With Related Policies
11.1 Sanctions and Trade Compliance Policy
This policy operates alongside the Sanctions & Trade Compliance Policy, which governs sanctioned-party and sanctioned-destination screening in more detail. Where a good is not itself restricted or prohibited under this policy but the counterparty, destination, or transaction structure raises a sanctions concern, the Sanctions & Trade Compliance Policy governs the response.
11.2 Intellectual Property Policy
Counterfeit goods are prohibited under both this policy and the Intellectual Property Policy. Where a listing raises both a counterfeit concern and an intellectual property infringement notice, the two policies are applied together, and a rights holder notice under the Intellectual Property Policy may be used as evidence supporting removal under this policy.
12. Jurisdictional Variation
12.1 Variation across markets
The legal status of goods within the restricted and prohibited categories in sections 3 and 4 varies between jurisdictions. A good that is freely tradeable in one seller's country of operation may be restricted or prohibited in a buyer's destination market, or vice versa.
12.2 Strictest applicable law governs
Where the law of the seller's jurisdiction, the buyer's jurisdiction, and any transit jurisdiction differ in the restriction they impose on a given good, the strictest applicable law governs for the purposes of whether the listing may proceed on the platform. Sellers and buyers must structure their listings and orders accordingly, and Gloseg's category gating and screening controls are calibrated to this principle where jurisdiction can be determined from the listing and order data.
12.3 Buyer and seller confirmation
Sellers targeting multiple destination markets, and buyers sourcing from multiple origin countries, remain responsible for confirming the applicable legal position for their specific transaction, since Gloseg's automated controls cannot substitute for jurisdiction-specific legal advice in every case.
13. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution
13.1 Governing law
This policy is governed by the laws of England and Wales, without prejudice to the mandatory application of local law in any jurisdiction where a listing, order, or enforcement action under this policy has effect.
13.2 Escalation
Disagreements about the application of this policy to a specific listing or organization should first be raised through the appeal process in section 9. Any dispute not resolved through that process is subject to good-faith negotiation and platform mediation before either party escalates further.
13.3 Arbitration
Any dispute concerning this policy that is not resolved through the routes in section 13.2 is referred to and finally resolved by arbitration seated in London under the rules of the London Court of International Arbitration, in English, before a single arbitrator unless the parties agree otherwise.
Contact
Legal notices, questions about this document, data protection requests and compliance enquiries: legal@gloseg.com
Data subject requests may also be submitted through the Privacy & My Data surface at /privacy/my-data.
Gloseg B2B Limited Accra, Ghana, West Africa