Brazilian government launches electronic phytosanitary certification to boost foreign trade

The Ministry of Agriculture (Mapa) held a ceremony this week to launch the electronic phytosanitary certificate (ePhyto). Aimed at plant products, the certificate aims to shorten deadlines and eliminate bureaucracy in international trade operations. 

The National Association of Cereal Exporters (Anec) and the National Association of Cotton Exporters (Anea) are actively working with Mapa to issue and test the first certificates, which promise to contribute to the elimination of steps such as sending physical copies of documents and their manual filling. 

“In addition to making the process less bureaucratic, ePhyto reduces the risk of fraud and tampering with the physical document and represents the reduction of bureaucracy in grain export processes, with greater speed, transparency and information security. Thus, Brazil becomes increasingly automatic and electronic in the foreign trade process”, explains Marcos Amorim, president of the Anec External Contracts Committee.

According to Mapa, currently more than 70 countries are exchanging certificates through the ePhyto solution. Now Brazil, as one of the world's largest exporters, joins this list.