Export Process Streamlined

May 19, 2006 - As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) overall eGovernment initiative to transform and enhance the delivery of its programs, services and information, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on Thursday launched a new electronic system to streamline its export process.

The Phytosanitary Certificate Issuance and Tracking System (PCIT), currently in the second phase of a multi-phase effort, is an interactive, Web-based system that allows U.S. exporters to apply for phytosanitary certificates online, schedule commodity inspections and printout copies of certificates. This new system will improve the tracking and trace-back of federal phytosanitary certificates, improve reporting capabilities and reduce the incidence of error or fraud.

The current phase allows exporters to apply for the following two plant protection and quarantine (PPQ) certificates online: PPQ Form 572-Application for Inspection and Certification of Domestic Plant and Plant Products for Export and PPQ Form 577-The Phytosanitary Certificate.

More advances are underway, including the ability to apply for more types of certificates, as well as a payment engine capability so customers can pay federal fees as part of the on-line process.

PCIT is available online at: https://pcit.aphis.usda.gov/pcit/.