Fumigation Certificate for Export: Importance & How to Obtain

As an exporter, you have to comply with all the laws and regulations in place, especially those regarding the health and safety of the goods being shipped. It’s vital for businesses to take care that the products they export from India to other nations meet international quality standards and reach there safely and damage-free. But, once the shipment is packed and ready for shipping, it may get contaminated by pest infections, viruses, or termites. Therefore, you must take all the necessary measures to disinfect the cargo. You should also procure a fumigation certificate for export. It’s mandatory in most of the countries like the USA, UK, Australia and Japan to fumigate shipment containers before shipping them from the origin country.

Certified fumigation experts use various chemicals to carry out this process. The Plant Quarantine Government of India department, Faridabad, is one of the approved fumigators. It inspects your shipment and issues a certificate confirming that the export goods are fumigated. This article explains what a fumigation certificate is, why it is important, how you can acquire one, best practices, and more.

What is a Fumigation Certificate?

A fumigation certificate is an authenticated document that confirms that the shipment containers are chemically disinfected. During export, goods are generally stored in wooden boxes that need fumigation before transit to keep pest infestation at bay. After fumigation is successfully completed, the concerned authority issues a Fumigation Certificate.

There’s a treaty constituting International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) that details all the international measures applied to wooden packaging to control pest infestation that can occur on wood pallets.

Moreover, countries that import or export stuff have the National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPO) established, which are responsible for ensuring that any incoming or outgoing consignment meets phytosanitary measures and international standards. They issue the Phytosanitary Certificate during imports. 

Although similar, the Fumigation Certificate and Phytosanitary Certificate differ slightly. A Fumigation certificate is issued by the official body that accomplishes a fumigation process, while the Government organisation (NPPO) has the authority to issue a phytosanitary certificate to reinforce that the cargo is treated for pest control.

Here are some of the important details in a Fumigation Certificate:

• Certificate ID
• Description, details and number of the shipment
• Details of issuing authority
• Purpose of treatment
• Name of the fumigant or chemical used
• Exporter’s address
• Importer’s address
• Container details
• Destination/entry port of the cargo

Importance of a Fumigation Certificate for Sellers

A fumigation certificate is an evidence document that lets the importer and customs department know that the shipment has been fumigated and that it’s pest-free. When you export products, specifically via sea, they are locked up inside the shipping container for weeks or even months at times. The cargo goes through many temperature changes and humidity while it’s in transit. These conditions are a perfect breeding ground for pest infestation, particularly in wooden objects.

Moreover, many nations have rendered it mandatory for shipments to undergo fumigation and only then do they get customs clearance. A large number of importers also want to see a fumigation certificate to ensure that the goods inside the container are pest-free. So, if you’re exporting goods cross-borders, it’s beneficial and even mandatory in many cases to get a fumigation certificate.

You need a certificate proving that you have disinfected wooden products. However, fumigation is not required for some wood-derived products such as particle board, cardboard, or any other man-made materials. Many shippers even opt for plastic packaging to do away with the need for fumigation.

How to Obtain a Fumigation Certificate for Export

Now that you know why a fumigation certificate is necessary, you must understand the process to obtain the same. To secure a fumigation certificate, you, as an exporter, can follow these steps:

• You must file an application to the concerned PQ station’s officer-in-charge at the designated port from where your cargo will be exported.
• The PQ officer will then take an appropriately sized sample for lab testing.
• The samples then go for testing. If the testing personnel find any pest infestation, you need to arrange for the shipment to be fumigated by the fumigation operator at an approved place.
• Next, you need to pay the fumigation fees. Fumigation agencies usually charge INR 1000-5000 per container for Full Container Load (FCL) and around INR 500 per pallet for Less than Container Load (LCL) shipments.
• After this process, the respective authority issues a fumigation certificate for export.

Understanding the Requirements and Best Practices 

Fumigation is a process of expelling pests, termites, and other unwanted or harmful bacteria by either suffocating or poisoning them. Fumigation experts spray the cargo or affected areas with various chemicals (also called fumigants). Methyl bromide and phosphine are usually the most widely used fumigants. However, many fumigation agencies also use chemical compounds chloropicrin, dichloropropene, hydrogen cyanide, methyl isocyanate, formaldehyde, sulfuryl fluoride, etc., as fumigants.

After packing and shutting the container, fumigators inject these chemicals into the container using specially designed equipment. The closed doors allow the gas to spread, cover the entire container evenly, and prevent it from leaking. However, this process is prohibited when transporting several food products or other edible items for direct consumption.

As an exporter, you can choose to have your cargo fumigated at your factory or warehouse or at the port or Inland Containter Depot (ICD). After packing the goods and loading them into the container, contact a certified government fumigation facility and tell them about your requirements and cargo contents. As the charges can vary for different agencies, you may want to look for multiple service providers, compare their rates and choose the most suitable fumigator to fit your requirements.

After finalising a fumigation expert for your shipment, decide on a date for them to arrive at the facility and fumigate your cargo. The fumigators come with their toolbox and fumigate your container(s). Once they are satisfied with the pest-control treatment, they’ll issue a fumigation certificate (it may say “pest-control certificate” in some cases) for your shipment container. You can give this certificate to the customs department at the ports and also to importers.

Conclusion

A fumigation certificate, sometimes called a pest-control certificate, is a document that confirms to customs officials and importers that any wooden pallets, i.e. packing materials used in a shipment, have been successfully fumigated to make them pest- or virus-free. This certificate contains details, including fumigants used, treatment purpose, temperature range, and more.

You must obtain a fumigation certificate for export purposes, as it’s mandatory to show this for customs clearance to countries that require it, like the USA, UK, Japan, Australia, and others. Sometimes, even the importers ask for a fumigation certificate, and you need to present one to prove that there is no infestation of any type. Generally, the fumigation process can only take place at authorised fumigation facilities or agencies, and only government-certified organisations can issue it to you. So, whenever you have to export goods, especially in wooden boxes, contact a fumigation operator to treat your cargo and make it eligible for export.