- Submit a request for phytosanitary certification in PCIT, the USDA on-line Phytosanitary Certificate Issuance and Tracking system. (You can access the program via external links.)
- Provide all necessary documentation, which may include import permits (IP), bills of lading, manifests, shipping invoices, foreign export certificates, and inspection certificates.
- Present all original official communication from the foreign country and the English translation. Applicants are responsible for the accuracy of all translations. Documents must be translated completely. Examples of official communication from the foreign country include import permits and letters on official country letterhead.
- Provide third country import requirements for Re-export certification. Re-export certificate applications will not be processed unless you provide the entry requirement for your commodity, per USDA policy.
- Ensure the commodity is available for inspection, sampling, testing, etc. The applicant is responsible to ensure the shipment is sampled and/or inspected prior to loading containers.
- Provide labor to open and close packages and adequate facilities to perform the inspection. The facilities must include supplies, equipment, and proper lighting for an efficient inspection before certification.
- Provide for any required treatments, reconditioning, or other actions to meet the import requirements of the foreign country.
- Export only those commodities properly inspected and certified under an export certificate.
- Safeguard the certified shipment from infestation between the date the shipment was sampled and the actual shipping date, and ensure the certified shipment departs within the time limits specified by the importing country.
Adapted from the USDA Export Program Manual, Appendix E: Responsibilities
