Questions and

Answers Concerning

Phytosanitary

Certificates and the

Import and Export of

Plants and Plant

Products

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.

Factsheet

Plant Protection and Quarantine February 2003

APHIS
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, sex, 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).

United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture

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.