G/SPS/GEN/1773  
30 April 2020 
(20-3376)  Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original:  Spanish  
 
  
MEASURES CONCERNING PHYTOSANITARY CERTIF ICATES  
AIMED AT THE FACILIT ATION OF TRADE IN VI EW OF  
ISSUES ARISING  FROM THE COVID -19 PA NDEMIC  
COMMUNICA TION FROM  MEXICO  
The following  communica tion, dated  23 April 2020, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Mexico. 
 
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In light of the COVID -19 international epidemiological  emergency  and in order to facilitate  trade in 
these circumstances , the National Agri-Food Health, Safety and Quality Service (SENASICA)  of 
Mexico, through the Directorate -General of Plant Health, ruled that , from 2 7 March  2020, shipments 
of products and by -products of plant origin requiring  the submission of an original phytosanitary 
certificate  may enter the country as follows : 
1.  The interested party must send a copy of the phytosanitary certificate to officials at the relevant 
Agricultural Health Inspection Office (OISA) . This certificate must correspond with the  indications 
from the countries of origin of the goods . 
2.  Currently , this applies to shipments of products and by -products of plant origin from Ecuador, 
Costa Rica, the Netherlands , the United States , Chile and Member States of the European Union . 
However, any country may request this option from SENASICA.  
3.  The interested party must send a letter of commitment  to the relevant  OISA, in which it 
undertakes  to send the original phytosanitary certificate 15 days after the end of the COVID -19 
emergency is declared in the country of  origin . 
For its part , SENASICA's Directorate -General of Animal Health has ruled that, for the importation 
into Mexico of livestock, aquaculture and fishery products  during the emergency  period , copies of 
animal health  export certificates that meet the fol lowing conditions will be accepted:  
1.  The import er may submit a n informal  copy of the certificate , provided that the  certificate 
conform s to the agreed formats and fulfil s the requirements established in the  animal health 
requirement sheets and the aquaculture health requirement sheets , as applicable . 
2.  The import er should  send the origina l copy of a  letter with a handwritten signature to the relevant 
OISA, in which it agree s to submit the original certificate no later than  15 days after the end of the 
emergency in the country of origin . 
Interested parties can request information  on this matter  from the following contact points : 
• Mr Francisco Ramírez y Ramírez, Director -General  of Plant Health , who can be contacted by 
email at  francisco.ramirez@senasica.gob.mx  regarding  products and by -products of plant 
origin ; 
• Mr Juan Gay Gutiérrez, Director -General of Animal Health , who can be contacted by email at 
juan.gay@senasica.gob.mx  regarding  livestock, aquaculture and fishery products and 
by-products . G/SPS/GEN/1773  
- 2 - 
  In all instances , please copy  in on the email Mr René Hernández Ruiz, Director of Projects and 
Institutional Development  (rene.hernandez@senasica.gob.mx ). 
Mexico wishes to state that this communication is being made for the purposes of transparency, 
without prejudice to Mexico's rights and obligations under the Agreement  on the Application of 
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures . 
 
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