Exporting

Export permit (Phytosanitary certificate)

In order to protect the Agricultural, Ornamental and Forest plants of destination countries from the threat of local plant pests and disease, travellers must adhere to the following rules and regulations:

  • Before travelling with Plant or unprocessed plant products they must be inspected by a Plant Quarantine Officer at the Agriculture Department. A Phytosanitary (plant health) certificate will be issued once the products are found to be healthy, pest and disease free and the importing country accepts that type of commodity
  • It is preferred if plant and/or unprocessed plant products are taken in paper bags, vegetable bags or cardboard boxes instead of plastic bags to prevent the produce from spoiling easily . If individuals do not abide by these rules they would reduce their chances of receiving a phytosanitary Certificate.
  • When travelling with plants they MUST be treated with a chemical pesticide.
  • The traveller or exporter must be able to tell the quarantine officer or officers what the plants were treated with and other relevant information related to treatment.
  • ONLY dried tea leaves are allowed to be taken to the U.S.A mainland without an import permit. Other products MAY be accepted but an import permit will be needed from the importing country.
  • Products must be clean, soil free and pest free!

NB* If commodities will be in an overnight transit it’s not allowed, for example. If persons are travelling to Canada/England with mangoes and have to overnight in Miami or any U.S territory the commodities will be confiscated.

The fee for the Import license and Phytosanitary Certificate (Export certificate) is $5. This fee is to be paid at the Administration office at the Department of Agriculture.

Import, export or transit restrictions or prohibitions.

Our restrictions are based on the exporting country’s Pest status.

For example Banana and Plantain fruits are allowed once treated, tissue cultured Bananas and Plantain planting materials are allowed but the suckers are prohibited due to wide spread of Black Sigatoka in St.Vincent, St.Lucia and Dominica.

If exporting countries can successfully apply Sanitary and phytosanitary measures then commodities would be accepted.

Imported Prohibited Commodities

  • Mangoes from Dominica , Guadeloupe
  • Mangoes from the Dominican Republic
  • Sweet Potatos from St.Vincent and Dominca

Export Prohibited Commodities

  • Mangoes to the U.S.A mainland

Penalty provisions for breaches of import, export or transit formalities

A person who commits an offence under this Act for which no specific penalty has been assigned is liable:

  • in the case of a first offence, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding one thousand five hundred dollars, or to imprisonment for a period of one month, or to both such fine and imprisonment;
  • in the case of a second or a subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding five thousanddollars, or to imprisonment for a period six months, or to both.
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