APHIS Announces a Process Change to Invoke Certificate of Foreign Inspection and/or Treatment (PPQ Form 203) for Precleared Shipments from Selected Countries

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Starting on May 20, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will roll out use of APHIS Core Message Set for Certificates of Foreign Inspection and/or Treatment (PPQ Form 203, LPCO type code A07) for air shipments of precleared commodities from Chile, air shipments of precleared commodities from Thailand, and both air and maritime shipments of precleared commodities from Argentina.

This process improvement facilitates commodity inspections and expedites trade. Additionally, it creates an electronic database—for Certificates of Foreign Inspection and/or Treatment—that can be invoked by filers and accessed by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agriculture Inspectors through the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Document Image System (DIS).

APHIS will continue to send stakeholder announcements as the PPQ203 is phased in for different international preclearance locations and commodities. Brokers and filers are reminded to submit Preclearance PPQ203s using the APHIS Core Message Set.

The process will function like current permitting and ePhyto capabilities in ACE, which means:

  • Brokers or Filers must have a properly filed APHIS Core Message Set and invoked the PPQ Form 203 (LPCO type code A07) to populate within the DIS. (APHIS inspectors overseas will send PPQ Form 203s directly to the DIS.)
  • Brokers or Filers must ensure that the form data declared matches the data transmitted by the overseas APHIS inspector to enable CBP Agriculture Inspectors (in the United States) to view and utilize the PPQ Form 203. 
  • Brokers or Filers must appropriately report in PG13/14: LPCO Type to A07, LPCO issued date, LPCO commodity quantities, and LPCO (PPQ Form 203) certificate number.

For help with the APHIS Core Message Set filing please visit our website, send an email to ace.itds@usda.gov, or call our Help Desk at 1-833-481-2102.