The first ePhyto industry workshop kicks off in the Republic of Korea

Rome, 14 April 2021. Representatives of the National Plant Protection Organization, the ePhyto Industry Advisory Group (IAG) and the IPPC Secretariat held a workshop on the development of the IPPC ePhyto Solution in the Republic of Korea.

Korea’s Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) announced that it intends to exchange electronic phytosanitary certificates (ePhytos) for all commodities beginning in May with the US, and will gradually extend implementation with a number of countries, including Generic ePhyto National System (GeNS) countries (Uganda, Sri Lanka and Guatemala) in the coming months. The NPPO was highly complementary of the opportunities that ePhyto represents for facilitating trade in plants and plant products and stressed that no paper certificate is required for imports when using the ePhyto Solution.

Industry Advisory Group representatives offered to work together with the Republic of Korea to provide information to their Korean industry members on the launching of the Korean ePhyto national system for commercial ePhyto exchanges. The IAG is also planning to host a number of similar workshops between NPPOs and industry groups throughout 2021 to enhance communication and collaborations on the implementation of the IPPC ePhyto Solution.

To find out more on the IPPC ePhyto Solution please visit: www.ephytoexchange.org