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The Philippines and Thailand successfully conducted the exchange of electronic phytosanitary certificates through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Single Window on July 9
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The exchange with Thailand follows the successful exchange with Indonesia on June 10
The Philippines and Thailand successfully conducted the exchange of electronic phytosanitary (e-Phyto) certificates through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Single Window (ASW) on July 9, according to the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI).
The exchange with Thailand follows the successful exchange with Indonesia on June 10.
READ: PH, Indonesia exchange e-Phyto certificate
BPI director Gerald Glenn Panganiban in a Viber message to PortCalls said the new development aligns with the directive of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel “to streamline export processes and provide exporters with the tools they need to navigate international trade with ease.”
The pilot exchange of e-Phyto with Indonesia and Thailand was agreed upon by the BPI and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) last year. The BOC earlier said this initiative aims to promote the adoption of digital systems for the issuance and verification of phytosanitary certificates, which will help ensure efficient, reliable, and secure trade in agricultural products within the region.
An e-Phyto certificate is the electronic equivalent of a paper phytosanitary certificate and guarantees that a plant or plant product for export is free from pests and diseases, and conforms to other phytosanitary requirements by an importing country.
BOC’s e-Phyto portal has access to the e-Phyto certificates issued by the BPI, the country’s official National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO), as well as to e-Phyto certificates issued by the respective NPPOs of exporting countries.
The BOC e-Phyto portal also serves as the repository for all e-Phyto certificates issued and received by the BPI. To facilitate verification of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance by BOC examiners, all SPSIC issued by the BPI will also be in the BOC portal.
In October 2022, the BPI relaunched its e-Phyto system that allows exporters to apply for phytosanitary certificates online and enable the Philippines to exchange e-Phyto certificates with other trading countries and eventually do away with paper versions.
The implementation of the e-Phyto is in compliance with the global initiative under the International Plant Protection Convention, a multilateral treaty deposited with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and recognized by the World Trade Organization (WTO), which the Philippines is a member of. It also complies with the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.
The ASW is the regional initiative to speed up cargo clearance and promote regional economic integration by enabling the electronic exchange of border documents among the 10 ASEAN member states. – Roumina Pablo
