Questions and Answers Concerning Phytosanitary
Certificates and the Import and Export of Plants and Plant Products
Plant Protection and Quarantine
February 2003
Q. What is a phytosanitary certificate?
A. A phytosanitary (plant health) certificate is an official
document issued by an exporting country, which a certifies that the
phytosanitary status of a shipment meets the phytosanitary regulations
of the importing country.
Q. Who needs a phytosanitary certificate?
A. Anyone wishing to import certain plants and plant products
into the United States is required to have a phytosanitary certificate.
PPQ employees advise importers on phytosanitary restrictions and provide
information (including regulations, policies, and procedures) on bringing
agricultural commodities into the United States.
Foreign countries may also require exporters of U.S. commodities to
obtain a phytosanitary certificate from APHIS, in accordance with the
importing country’s requirements for importing U.S. plants and
plant products. PPQ offers information to exporters on the requirements
of importing countries for U.S. commodities through its EXCERPT database.
Q. Why would APHIS require me to have a phytosanitary certificate
before bringing certain products into the United States?
A. The intended purpose of a phytosanitary certificate is to
expedite the entry of plants or plant products into the United States
while protecting American agriculture. Through its issuance of a phytosanitary
certificate, an exporting country is verifying that the shipment has
been inspected and conforms to the phytosanitary import requirements
of the United States. In addition, the phytosanitary certificate indicates
that the shipment is free of pests and diseases that do not exist in
the United States.
Q. How do I obtain a phytosanitary certificate to import an
item into the United States?
A. In order to obtain a phytosanitary certificate you must
contact a the national plant protection organization of the exporting
country. A plant regulatory official authorized to inspect and certify
the phytosanitary conditions of plants and plant products offered for
export will inspect the item, and if satisfied, will issue a phytosanitary
certificate for your items.
If you will be traveling and wish to return to the United States with
an agricultural item, you should review the import requirements for
that particular item before you try to bring it into the United States.
Q. Is there a fee for obtaining a phytosanitary certificate
from an exporting country?
A. Contact the plant quarantine office of the exporting country
to determine this, or to locate agriculture departments in other nations,
visit http://www.nalusda.gov/ref/govern.htm.
Q. Does APHIS issue phytosanitary certificates to export U.S.
agricultural commodities?
A. APHIS applies the same standards to its exported plants
and plant products that it requires of imported goods. PPQ staff members
inspect many plants and plant products to ensure they meet the phytosanitary
regulations of the importing country before they leave U.S. shores.
PPQ aids American farmers and exporters in trading their commodities
by providing phytosanitary inspection and certification for plants and
plant products when foreign countries request documentation that the
products have been examined.
PPQ issues two kinds of phytosanitary certificates: those for domestic
plants and plant products and those for foreign plants and plant products
offered for reexport. The phytosanitary certification process has facilitated
more than $100 billion of trade over the last 5 years.
Q. Is there a fee for obtaining an APHIS-issued phytosanitary
certificate?
A. To help APHIS with the operating costs involved in conducting
phytosanitary inspections and issuing the necessary certificates, Congress
gave PPQ the authority to charge user fees for performing its inspection
services. PPQ employees are required to collect that payment prior to
issuance of the certificate.
To obtain information or apply for phytosanitary inspection and certification,
contact your local PPQ or State plant regulatory office. General information
for plant export certification is available at www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/pim/exports,
or can be obtained by contacting USDA-APHIS-PPQ Export Services, 4700
River Road, Unit 140, Riverdale, MD 20737-1228, or by calling (301)
734-8537.
Q. What if I need to import or export fruits and vegetables?
A. Information concerning the import and export of these products
or acquiring a PPQ permit may be obtained by contacting USDA-APHIS-PPQ,
4700 River Road, Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737, or by calling 1-877-770-5990.
Permit information may also be obtained by visiting the USDA-APHIS-PPQ
Web site at www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq and clicking on “permits.”
Q. What if I need to import or export animals or animal products?
A. For information concerning the import and export of animals
and animal products, please contact APHIS Veterinary Services’
National Center for Import and Export at (301)734-3277, or visit them
on the Web at www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ncie.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination
in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national
origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual
orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases
apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative
means for communication of program information (Braille, large print,
audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600
(voice and TDD).
To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office
of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue,
SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD).
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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