Quick Answer: USDA issues export phytosanitary certificates through APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine using the PCIT system. You register in PCIT, file the application, book an inspection with a PPQ officer or state-authorized inspector, and receive the certificate — typically 1-3 business days after a clean inspection, for a $106 federal commercial user fee.
- APHIS PPQ is the US National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) under the IPPC; it certifies plants, seeds, grain, timber and fresh produce leaving the USA under ISPM 12.
- The whole process runs through PCIT (Phytosanitary Certificate Issuance and Tracking): register, apply, pay, inspect, issue — usually 1-3 business days once inspection is scheduled.
- Federal user fee is about $106 per commercial certificate (7 CFR 354.3), plus any state inspection fees, which vary by state; verify the current APHIS fee schedule before you budget.
- The validity window is set by each importing country, and certificates must match the destination's requirements in the APHIS PExD database exactly — wrong botanical name or a missing additional declaration is the #1 rejection cause.
Your buyer in Cartagena, Callao or Veracruz calls this document the certificado fitosanitario de exportación, and their customs broker will not clear the container without it. This guide walks the USDA process end to end, then shows how the certificate fits your ocean or air booking.
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Request a quote →What is an export phytosanitary certificate and who issues it?
Quick Answer: An export phytosanitary certificate is an official government document certifying that plants or plant products meet the importing country's plant-health rules. In the United States, USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine issues it as the National Plant Protection Organization under the IPPC, following the ISPM 12 model wording.
The legal basis is the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), a treaty with more than 180 signatory countries. ISPM 12 sets the model certificate: the standard paragraphs, the security features, and the fields every NPPO must complete. That is why a certificate issued in Miami looks familiar to an inspector in Buenaventura.
APHIS PPQ is the US NPPO. In practice, state departments of agriculture act as authorized cooperators for some field inspections and certificate issuance. A Washington State inspector signs on behalf of the federal authority. You can review the federal rules in the APHIS Export Program Manual.
The certificate attests three things. The consignment was inspected, it is considered free of quarantine pests, and it conforms to the importing country's current phytosanitary requirements. Note the wording: "considered free," not "guaranteed free."
The document is addressed to the plant protection authority of the destination — not to your buyer. That means ICA in Colombia, SENASA in Peru and Argentina, SENASICA in Mexico, SAG in Chile, and MAPA in Brazil.
Pro Tip
Three certificate types exist. The standard phytosanitary certificate covers US-origin goods. The re-export certificate covers foreign goods that transited the USA. Some destinations also accept a processed-products certificate for low-risk commodities. Pick the wrong one and the consignment sits at destination while you reissue.
How is it different from a certificate of origin, health certificate and ISPM-15 stamp?
These four documents get confused constantly. They have different issuers, different purposes and different costs.
| Document | Issued by | What it proves | Typical validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phytosanitary certificate | APHIS PPQ or state inspector | Plant health, pest freedom | Set by the importing country |
| Certificate of origin | Chamber of commerce or FTA self-certification | Where goods were produced (duty rates) | Per shipment or FTA blanket period |
| Health / sanitary certificate | FDA or USDA FSIS (animal products) | Food or animal safety | Per shipment |
| ISPM-15 heat-treatment stamp | Accredited pallet or crate treater | Wood packaging treated against pests | Permanent mark on the wood |
A certificate of origin proves where goods were made, for duty purposes. A certificado fitosanitario de exportación proves plant health. Brokers in Cartagena or Callao will ask for both on the same shipment.
ISPM-15 covers the wooden pallet or crate, not the cargo. Where the importing country requires ISPM-15, solid-wood packaging must carry the ISPM-15 mark (heat-treated or methyl bromide fumigated) even when the product itself needs no phytosanitary certificate. Dunnage counts as wood packaging too — a frequent cause of container holds at Veracruz and Buenaventura.
Which products require an export phytosanitary certificate from the USA?
Quick Answer: Fresh fruit and vegetables, live plants, cut flowers, seeds, grain, hay, lumber, logs, bulbs and most unprocessed plant material require an export phytosanitary certificate. Fully processed foods — roasted, canned, refined or baked — usually do not, but some destinations still demand one by law, so always check first.
| Product category | Certificate required? | Typical treatment or extra step |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh fruit | Yes | Cold treatment or fumigation records |
| Cut flowers and foliage | Yes | Fumigation, pre-clearance inspection |
| Seeds | Yes | Phytosanitary lab testing, additional declaration |
| Grain and hay | Yes | Fumigation certificate, pest-freedom statement |
| Lumber and logs | Yes | Heat treatment or methyl bromide fumigation |
| Processed foods | Usually no | Destination-dependent — verify in PExD |
A practical example. Washington apples moving Seattle → Manzanillo for SENASICA need a certificate plus the destination's specific additional declaration. Roasted almonds on the same lane usually need nothing from APHIS.
High-volume certified commodities
Hay and forage exports out of Los Angeles/Long Beach rank among the most certified US commodities by volume. They need a specific pest-freedom declaration tied to the growing area. Timber and hardwood lumber from the Pacific Northwest need heat treatment or fumigation records attached to the PCIT application before the inspector will sign.
Seeds need the most lead time
Seed exports often require an additional declaration based on an official laboratory test. Plan 5-15 extra days for seed health testing, because the lab report must exist before the inspector can certify. Book the vessel after the lab result, not before. Rolling a booking is cheaper than rolling a lab.
How do you get a USDA export phytosanitary certificate step by step?
Quick Answer: You get a USDA export phytosanitary certificate in six steps: create a Login.gov account, register your company in PCIT, check destination requirements in PExD, submit the PCIT application, schedule the inspection with a PPQ or state inspector, then pay the fee and collect the issued certificate.
- Sign in with a Login.gov account. As of October 2026, external PCIT users log in with Login.gov credentials; USDA moved PCIT off eAuthentication in September 2024.
- Register the exporting entity in PCIT USDA (Phytosanitary Certificate Issuance and Tracking). First-time registration completes immediately after the Registration Wizard.
- Pull the destination's entry conditions in the APHIS PExD database. Copy the required additional declaration wording verbatim.
- File the PCIT application with the commodity, shipment and consignee details the system asks for.
- Book the inspection with your local PPQ office or state authorized certification official. Ask the office for its lead time, and arrange the inspection before the cargo is sealed.
- Pay the user fee in PCIT, receive the signed certificate or ePhyto transmission, and hand the original to your freight forwarder for the document pack.
These six steps are the core requisitos certificado fitosanitario exportación that every US shipper repeats on every consignment. Once your company profile exists in PCIT, repeat applications take minutes.
Insider point: inspect before the box is sealed
Schedule the inspection at the consolidation warehouse or cold-storage facility, never at the terminal. Once the container is sealed and gated in at PortMiami or Port Houston, reopening it for inspection means a new seal, a new VGM, and almost always a missed sailing. Inspectors do not work the terminal gate on your schedule.
How do you confirm the destination country's phytosanitary requirements?
Quick Answer: Check the importing country's rules in the APHIS PExD database first, then confirm with the buyer's customs broker and the destination NPPO. EU shipments may involve extra import-side steps, and China requires GACC registration. Requirements change without notice, so verify within 10 days of shipping.
PExD (Phytosanitary Export Database) is the official US source for entry requirements, required treatments and additional declaration wording by country and commodity. APHIS maintains it and updates it as foreign NPPOs notify changes. Start every shipment there, through the APHIS plant export certification pages.
| Country | Plant protection authority | System / portal |
|---|---|---|
| United States | USDA APHIS PPQ | PCIT + PExD |
| Canada | CFIA | Export certification program |
| Mexico | SENASICA (SADER) | Import permit + VUCEM |
| Colombia | ICA | SISPAP + VUCE |
| Peru | SENASA | VUCE Peru |
| Argentina | SENASA | SENASA portal |
| Chile | SAG | SAG import authorization |
| Brazil | MAPA | SIGVIG / Siscomex |
Some destinations require a prior import permit — permiso fitosanitario de importación — issued to the buyer. Check PExD and ask the buyer whether one applies before you apply in PCIT.
Consignee data must match the permit exactly
Ask the buyer early for a copy of their import permit and their RUT, NIT or RUC number. The consignee name and address on the APHIS certificado fitosanitario must match their customs registration character for character. An abbreviated company name or an old address triggers a hold at Cartagena, Callao or Veracruz, and corrections have to be handled through the issuing office in the USA.
The EU may add import-side steps for the importer; ask the buyer what applies. China requires both the exporter and the production facility to be registered with GACC. Neither rule is visible on your side of the water unless you ask.
What documents, treatments and additional declarations do you need?
Quick Answer: Before inspection you need the commercial invoice, packing list, booking or AWB details, the buyer's import permit, and any treatment certificates. An additional declaration is extra wording the destination requires on the certificate — pest-freedom statements, treatment schedules or origin-area declarations — and it must be quoted exactly.
- Commercial invoice (factura comercial) with values and consignee details
- Packing list with net and gross weights, package count and botanical names
- Lot, field or packhouse identification numbers
- Container and seal number, or AWB number for air shipments
- Buyer's import permit number and expiry date
- Treatment certificates: fumigation, cold treatment, heat treatment
- Laboratory test reports for seeds and selected propagative material
Common treatments vary by commodity. Methyl bromide fumigation requires recorded dosage and duration. Cold treatment requires temperature records that meet the destination's protocol. Lumber needs heat treatment records. Some fruit programs use irradiation.
Never paraphrase an additional declaration
The exact wording comes from PExD or the buyer's import permit. Rewriting it in "clearer" English is the fastest way to get the consignment refused at destination. Inspectors at ICA and SENASICA compare the text against their own requirement database word for word. Treatment certificates travel alongside the phytosanitary certificate — they never replace it.
Keep field inspection records, lab reports and packhouse registration numbers on hand. State inspectors routinely ask for them during the inspection, and a missing file stops the signature that day.
How much does an export phytosanitary certificate cost and how fast is it issued?
Quick Answer: The APHIS federal user fee is about $106 per commercial export or re-export certificate under 7 CFR 354.3. Under 7 CFR 354.3(g)(3), a noncommercial certificate costs $61, as does a low-value commercial certificate (under $1,250). State inspection fees vary by state. Issuance normally takes 1-3 business days after a clean inspection.
USDA phytosanitary certificate fees and turnaround
See the data
| Certificate type | Federal fee (USD) | Typical turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial export certificate | $106 | 1-3 business days |
| Re-export certificate | $106 | 1-3 business days |
| Noncommercial or low-value commercial certificate | $61 | 1-3 business days |
| Replacement certificate | $15 | Varies |
| State inspection fee | Varies by state | Same visit |
Source: USDA APHIS user fee schedule, 7 CFR 354.3 · 2026
Counted from a clean inspection, not from the day you file. Overtime, weekend and holiday inspections carry surcharges that vary by state and PPQ office.
Treatment costs sit outside the certificate fee. Container fumigation typically runs several hundred dollars. Cold treatment adds reefer days and monitoring. Seed lab testing adds both cost and 5-15 days to the timeline.
APHIS updates its fee schedule periodically through the Federal Register. Confirm the current figure in PCIT before you quote your buyer, especially on DDP terms where you absorb the cost.
Freight cost is a separate matter entirely. Ocean and air rates on these lanes depend on commodity, temperature control, gateway, equipment type and season. A reefer container of grapes from Los Angeles prices very differently from a dry box of hay.
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Request a quote →How long is an export phytosanitary certificate valid?
Quick Answer: There is no single validity window for an export phytosanitary certificate. The IPPC sets no universal expiry — validity is set by the importing country, so check PExD and the import permit for your destination.
The common windows break down like this. Latin American destinations each set their own window from issuance. The EU generally requires issuance within 14 days of departure. Fresh produce lanes are the tightest of all.
Time the inspection against the vessel ETD, not the port cut-off. Documentation cut-off closes 72 hours before the vessel's ETD, and the VGM and gate cut-offs land earlier still. Those three dates are not the same date, and shippers lose sailings by treating them as one.
If the vessel rolls and the certificate falls outside the destination's window, ask the issuing office whether a replacement certificate or a new inspection is needed; the answer can depend on where and how the cargo was held.
Air freight timing is brutal
Cut flowers and seedlings moving by air from Miami or Los Angeles can require inspection the same day the AWB is cut. Book the inspector before you book the flight. And keep the original certificate in the document pack couriered to the consignee — many Latin American customs authorities still demand the paper original unless ePhyto is active between both countries.
Paper certificate or ePhyto: which does your destination accept?
Quick Answer: An ePhyto is an electronic phytosanitary certificate exchanged government-to-government through the IPPC ePhyto Hub. It removes courier time and fraud risk and speeds clearance. The United States sends ePhytos to participating countries, but many LatAm destinations still require the paper original, so confirm before shipping.
| Factor | Paper certificate | ePhyto |
|---|---|---|
| Issuance to arrival at destination | 2-7 days by courier | Minutes after issuance |
| Courier cost | $40-$120 per pack | None |
| Fraud / forgery risk | Real — security paper only | Very low, system to system |
| Accepting countries | All | IPPC Hub participants only |
| Clearance speed at destination | Depends on courier arrival | Document already on file |
How the ePhyto Hub works
The IPPC ePhyto Hub connects national systems directly. Countries without their own platform use GeNS, the IPPC's generic national system. APHIS transmits ePhytos straight from PCIT to the partner NPPO. On a fast lane like Miami → Caucedo, the certificate arrives days before the vessel does.
Re-export certificates and the Miami FTZ
A re-export phytosanitary certificate covers foreign-origin goods that passed through the USA. Example: Ecuadorian product deconsolidated in a Miami Free Trade Zone and reshipped to the Caribbean. The original foreign certificate must accompany the application. If the destination accepts both formats, still courier the paper original unless the buyer's broker confirms receipt in writing.
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Request a quote →Why do phytosanitary certificates get rejected, and who is responsible?
Quick Answer: Most rejections come from wrong botanical names, missing or paraphrased additional declarations, consignee details that don't match the import permit, or expired certificates. Who obtains the certificate and who bears the risk depends on the Incoterm and the sales contract, so agree it with the buyer in writing.
- Incorrect or outdated scientific (botanical) name for the commodity
- Quantity or package count that does not match the packing list
- Missing treatment details — dosage, duration, temperature
- Handwritten corrections, erasures or alterations
- Certificate issued outside the destination's validity window
Never alter a certificate by hand. Ask APHIS about a replacement certificate instead. Hand alterations can get the document rejected and can trigger a formal investigation by the destination NPPO, which puts your company on their watch list for future consignments.
DDP exposes you to destination plant-health liability
Under Incoterms 2020, EXW and FCA push most of the burden toward the buyer. Under FOB and CIF, set out in the contract who obtains the certificate. DDP looks attractive on a quote sheet, but it leaves the seller carrying destination fines, destruction orders and re-export costs if SENASICA or ICA refuses the consignment. For regulated plant cargo, DAP is usually the safer ceiling.
The complete export document set for a certified plant shipment is predictable: commercial invoice, packing list, B/L or AWB, certificate of origin where an FTA applies, the certificado fitosanitario de exportación, treatment certificates, and ISPM-15 marked packaging.
Your freight forwarder does not issue the certificate. What AB Group Shipping does is coordinate the pieces around it: inspection timing against vessel ETD, container or reefer availability at the packhouse, documentation and gate cut-offs, and delivery of the original document pack to the consignee's broker. With thousands of shipments handled across the USA–Latin America corridor, the timing of that handoff is where most lanes are won or lost. For questions about duty classification or regulatory liability, consult a licensed customs broker.
Review the USDA guidance directly for your commodity: APHIS publishes requirements for plant and plant product imports as well as exports, and the FDA maintains a Food Export Library for food-side certificates. If your consignment includes live animals or pets, see the APHIS pet export rules, which run on a different document track entirely.
Plan the certificate and the booking together
Quick Answer: Sequence the shipment backward from vessel ETD: confirm PExD requirements and the buyer's import permit, book the inspection 3-5 days before loading, then align the container pickup with the packhouse. The certificate drives the booking date, not the other way around.
Your gateway depends on where you grow or store. Florida ships through Miami; Texas and the central states through Houston; California and the Southwest through Los Angeles/Long Beach. The Northeast moves through New York/New Jersey, the Southeast through Savannah, the Midwest by rail via Chicago, and the Pacific Northwest through Seattle. Canadian exporters route through Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver.
Gateway choice changes transit time, reefer availability and sailing frequency. It also changes which state inspection office signs your certificate and what their lead time looks like in peak harvest weeks.
Use the request form on this page to send your commodity, gateway, destination port and target sailing week. A specialist confirms space and the exact price with the carrier and sends it within 1 business day — including reefer, dry FCL, LCL and air options for certified plant cargo.
It depends on the importing country — there is no single global expiry. Some destinations set a maximum time between inspection or issuance and departure, and fresh-produce programs are often the strictest. Confirm the exact window in the APHIS PExD database and on the buyer's import permit before you book the vessel.
Register in USDA's PCIT system, confirm the destination's entry conditions in PExD, then file the application with the botanical name, lot details and import permit number. A PPQ or state inspector examines the fruit at the packhouse or cold store before sealing, and the certificate is normally issued 1-3 business days later. Fresh fruit often needs cold treatment or fumigation records attached.
Usually no — fully processed products such as roasted, canned, refined or baked goods are generally exempt because processing eliminates pest risk. However, a number of countries still require one by regulation for dried fruit, spices, dried herbs and milled grain. Check PExD for your exact commodity and destination, because the buyer's customs broker will not clear the shipment without it.
A phytosanitary certificate is issued by USDA APHIS and proves the plant material is pest-free and meets the importing country's plant-health rules. A certificate of origin is issued by a chamber of commerce or self-certified under a free trade agreement and proves where the goods were produced, which determines duty rates. Many shipments to Latin America need both documents.
The APHIS federal user fee under 7 CFR 354.3 depends on the certificate type: commercial, noncommercial, low-value commercial or replacement. State inspection fees vary by state, and treatments such as fumigation or cold treatment are billed separately. Confirm the current APHIS fee schedule, and send your shipment details through the form on this page for the freight quote.
Sources
We checked the rules and figures in this guide against these sources on October 22, 2026.
- eCFR / Office of the Federal Register: eCFR :: 7 CFR 354.3 -- User fees for certain international services.
- USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine: Export Program Manual · 2026-10-14
- USDA APHIS: PCIT Initial Access Guide – Accessing PCIT for the First Time · 2025-09-01
- Austrian Federal Office for Food Safety (BAES): Phytosanitary Service - BAES
- USDA APHIS: FAQs: How ePhyto functions in Phytosanitary Certificate Issuance & Tracking (PCIT) for US Exports and Reexports · 2020-07-23
- USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service: Export ISPM 15-Compliant Wood Packaging Material From the United States to Another Country · 2026-01-25
- USDA Foreign Agricultural Service: FAIRS Export Certificate Report Annual - China (CH2025-0061) · 2025-05-07
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (U.S. Office of the Federal Register / GPO): eCFR :: 19 CFR Part 192 -- Export Control
✓ Fact-checked by AB Group Shipping on October 22, 2026. Prices come from our own rate system. How we check our guides · Spotted an error? [email protected]