The Entomology Program, under the authority of USDA, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ), issues federal export certificates to facilitate the export of plants and plant products. These certificates are required by many foreign countries in order to import plants and plant products into their country. Each country has its own phytosanitary requirements and certain standards or criteria must be met before the commodity can be imported into that country. These standards may apply to stored grain insects, nematodes, plant diseases, chemical treatment, and weeds.
NDA also issues state phytosanitary certificates for plants and plant products moving interstate. Examples of products that may need a state phytosanitary certificate include nursery stock to California, or seed to Puerto Rico (an U.S. territory).
Usually, an inspection of the product before shipment and before issuance of the phytosanitary certificate is all that is necessary. For some bulk grain commodities, our Department utilizes USDA, Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS), inspection logs and Official Export Grain Certificates as a basis for certifying exports.
Exports of seed for propagation may require growing season inspections of fields from which the seed is harvested, before certification. Some countries require a laboratory test for plant diseases before the seed may be exported. Special surveys for plant pests may be necessary in order to attest to freedom of certain plant pests.
Import permits are required by some countries before the plant product can be imported. When import permits, laboratory test results, and/or growing season field inspection reports are required by a foreign country, these documents must be presented to our office before certificates can be issued.
Please choose from the following selections:
Growing Season Field Inspection Application
Phytosanitary Certification Statistics
Phytosanitary/Export Certificate Application
Treatment
Verification Form