The Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) have taken the lead in facilitating the exchange of the Electronic Phytosanitary (e-Phyto) Certificate system with Indonesia and Thailand.

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.

The e-Phyto Certificate is an electronic version of the phytosanitary certificate, which certifies that agricultural products being exported are free from pests and diseases that could harm the receiving country’s crops. This digital system will enhance the efficiency of the trade process and reduce the risk of fraud and errors associated with paper-based systems.

During a recently conducted meeting between the BOC and BPI, both agencies agreed to participate in the pilot e-Phyto exchange with Indonesia in May and with Thailand in June this year.

As two key agencies involved in the implementation of phytosanitary measures, the BOC and BPI are committed to working closely to ensure the successful testing and implementation of the e-Phyto Certificate exchange. This will involve ongoing coordination and support with ASEAN counterparts throughout the testing process.

The end-to-end test exchange of the e-Phyto Certificate with Indonesia and Thailand is a concrete step of the BOC, under the leadership of Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio, towards harmonizing, simplifying, and facilitating trade across the region.#