Phytosanitary Certificate

A phytosanitary certificate is the document that tells the importing country's plant health authority that a consignment of plants, plant products or other regulated articles has been inspected and meets its import requirements. The international standard is ISPM 12 (Phytosanitary certificates) of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), in the version adopted in 2022. Under ISPM 12, certification is undertaken by the national plant protection organization (NPPO), and a certificate can be issued only by a public officer who is technically qualified and duly authorized by the NPPO. NPPOs must use the IPPC's model certificates.

What it contains

• A description of the consignment and a certifying statement that it meets the importing country's phytosanitary requirements
• Additional declarations, where the importing country asks for specific statements, for example about the place of production
• A disinfestation and/or disinfection treatment section: the date, type of treatment, chemical (active ingredient), duration and temperature, and concentration. ISPM 12 says only treatments acceptable to the importing country, done under the exporting NPPO's supervision or authority, should be listed

The certificate is usually issued by the NPPO of the country where the goods were grown or processed; a separate re-export certificate covers goods passing through another country. Electronic certificates may be used where the importing NPPO accepts them.

When one is needed

ISPM 12 lets importing countries require certificates only for regulated articles, usually plants and plant products, and not for plant products processed to the point where they cannot introduce regulated pests. Each country sets its own list by commodity and origin.

Importing into the United States

The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Plant Protection and Quarantine, sets the rules in 7 CFR part 319, and APHIS is one of the partner government agencies whose requirements apply at the border. For fruits and vegetables, APHIS defines the certificate as one patterned on the IPPC model, issued by an official of the foreign NPPO in one of the five FAO languages, addressed to APHIS, and certifying that the consignment has been inspected and is considered free from US quarantine pests (7 CFR 319.56-2). Plants for planting must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate, with limited exceptions (7 CFR 319.37-6). Requirements vary by commodity and country; APHIS publishes them in its Agricultural Commodity Import Requirements (ACIR) database.

Exporting from India

India's NPPO is the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage (DPPQS) in Faridabad, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. It is responsible for the phytosanitary certification program, with more than 200 plant protection specialists across the country authorized to issue certificates; the list of issuing authorities is on its online Plant Quarantine Management System (PQMS). The same directorate regulates imports into India under the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) Order, 2003, which matters on USA to India shipments of agricultural goods.

Phytosanitary certificate vs fumigation certificate

A fumigation certificate is a separate record of a treatment, such as methyl bromide fumigation of a container or its cargo, and is usually issued by the company that performed it. It describes the treatment, not the plant health status of the consignment. Where the importing country requires a treatment, it may expect it on the phytosanitary certificate's treatment section, on a separate treatment record, or both; check the requirement for the product and destination before booking the fumigation.

Phytosanitary certificate vs ISPM 15

Wood packaging such as pallets, crates and dunnage follows a different standard, ISPM 15. Under the US rule it must be heat-treated or fumigated and carry the IPPC mark, and it is then imported under a general permit (7 CFR 319.40-3(b)). The mark on the wood does that job; a phytosanitary certificate covers the goods themselves.

Common mistakes

• A certificate whose description, quantity or consignee doesn't match the commercial invoice and bill of lading
• Hand corrections. ISPM 12 says alterations should be avoided and, if needed, made only by the issuing NPPO and stamped, dated and countersigned; unauthorized alterations are a reason to reject the certificate
• A treatment the importing country does not accept, or a certificate issued before the treatment it records