If you intend to export agricultural commodities, you may need a phytosanitary certificate. Importing countries often require phytosanitary certificates to accompany incoming agricultural shipments in order to ensure that detrimental pests and diseases are not introduced. Typically, the process of obtaining a phytosanitary certificate includes the specific steps outlined below:
- Import requirements are determined
- Application is submitted through the Phytosanitary Certificate Issuance and Tracking (PCIT) website
- Commodity is inspected
- Phytosanitary certificate is issued
Some commodities have additional requirements such as lab testing, pesticide treatments, field inspections, or obtaining import permits from the destination country. If you have any questions regarding a specific commodity and export scenario, please call our office.
In order to obtain a phytosanitary certificate, you will need to set up an account on the US Department of Agriculture’s PCIT website. You can find instructions on how to set up the account through PCIT.
The fee for a phytosanitary certificate is based on time, mileage and the state and federal fees associated with the certificate. For cost information, please see our agricultural fee schedule. Exporters can set up an appointment to bring commodities to our office for inspection, which can reduce the cost of certification.