30 July 2010
Industry Advice Notice No. G2010/12
Grain and Plant Products - China – Electronically Generated Phytosanitary Certificates
This Industry Advice Notice is to advise that a protocol was recently signed between the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) of the People’s Republic of China and the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) on the electronic exchange of information for all health certification from Australia. This process includes horticulture, meat, fish, dairy, grain and plant products.
This means that all export certification for grain and plant products to China will require electronic documentation similar to all Taiwan export certification. At present the only system able to provide electronic certification is EXDOC.
The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine have requested the electronic transfer of information via eCert protocols be adpoted for all export commodities as soon as possible. It is anticipated that the eCert functionality for grain and plant products will be finalised by the end of July 2010 in EXDOC.
From 1 September 2010, all grain and plant product exports to China will require electronically generated Phytosanitary certification.
The Grains and Seeds Export Program have identified the following options for industry to meet this requirement by 1 September 2010:
- All exporters will be required to register with EXDOC to enable their name and address to be printed on the electronic export certification.
- Once registered with EXDOC, those exporters who are not Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Users or do not have access to operate in the Exdoc environment will have the following options:
- Adopt EXDOC capacity within your business by becoming an EDI User. This will require registering with AQIS as an EDI User after procuring accredited third party software. This will enable the exporter to operate in the Exdoc ‘test’ environment initially and then migrate to the Exdoc ‘production’ environment once testing has been successfully completed.
- Employ the services of an agent who is already a registered and approved EDI User to create electronic export certification on your behalf.
To register with Exdoc as an Exporter or to become an EDI User please contact the Grains National Systems Administrator.
The Grain and Seed Export Program also seeks comments and feedback from industry members who export to the China market on the feasibility of meeting the intended deadline for a complete change over to electronic export certification. Please provide your comments to the Grain Exports Program before 15 August 2010 to enable the Grain and Seed Exports Program to negotiate this deadline with AQSIQ.
Grain & Seed Exports Program
Telephone: 02 6272 3229
Facsimile: 02 6272 5423