Unofficial translation

LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

PEACE INDEPENDENCE DEMOCRACY UNITY PROSPERITY

 

Ministry of Agriculture and Forest

Department of Agriculture

No. 2881/DA
Vientiane Capital

date 11 December 2019

 

Guideline

on imports and transit of plants, plant products, and controlled materials

• Pursuant to the Law on Plant Protection and Quarantine, (Amendment) No. 31/NA, dated 15 November 2016;
• Pursuant to the Order on facilitation for import-export, temporary Import, transit, and moving goods in Lao PDR, No. 12/PM, dated 16 October 2019;
• Pursuant to the Minister’s Decision on plant sanitary measures for import and transit plant, plant products, and control materials, No. 2985/DF, dated 28 June 2019.

In order to implement and ensure the management of import and transit plants, plant products and controlled materials shall be followed by the laws and regulations of the Plant Protection of the Lao PDR, as well as by the agreements and convention on sanitary that Laos is a party.

 

The Department of Agriculture issued the following guidelines:

 

1. Individuals, legal entities, or related organizations both domestic and foreign who need to import and transit plants, plant products, and controlled materials which is under the controlled list which have passed the analysis of pest risk for trade, research, and propagation shall apply the permit to department of Agriculture as prescribed on Decision on an Approval and Enforcement of the List of Plants, Plant Products and Controlled materials which shall apply the permit and pass analysis of pest risk before import to Lao PDR, No 2987/MOAF on 28 June 2019 (Annex 01). The plants, plant products, and controlled materials which are not under the controlled list shall be applied for the permit in the provincial and capital agriculture sector as prescribed on the regulations (Annex 02);
2. Issuance of import and transit licenses

The Department of Agriculture issues import licenses to importers and forwarders of controlled crops, plant products and controlled materials. The validity of permit is base on a different purpose: there is a 1-year valid date of import permit for the plants, plant products, and controlled materials which purpose to trade (Annex 03). The purpose of experimental research is valid for 03 months (Annex 04). The purpose of propagated crops is valid for 03 months (Annex 05) and the permits for transit of plants, plant products, and controlled substances to a third country is valid for 03 months (Annex 06).

The approval for importing plants, plant products, and controlled substances which are not on the control list shall be applied for the import permits by following the instruction on the management of import goods and materials through the traditional and customary checkpoints, no 3708/MOF on 16 September 2019. (Annex 07).

3. The Department of Agriculture is the sector who define the sanitary and phytosanitary requirements for the import and transit of plants, plant products and controlled substances through the official website of the Department of Agriculture www.doa.maf.gov.la (Annex 08).
4. The declaration of import and transit documents at the Plant Quarantine Checkpoint

The importer and forwarders shall notify the sanitary or phytosanitary certificate from the original country and the import and transit license which is issued by the Department of Agriculture with each package to notify the plant quarantine authority for inspection (Annex

5. Goods inspection

The plant quarantine authority shall inspect goods according to the standard of sanitary and phytosanitary ISPM , especially fresh vegetables and fruits which are easy to be perishable and record the results of each inspection (Annex

6. Application of sanitary and phytosanitary measures

In the case of detection of pest infestation in goods which is imported and transit. The plant quarantine authority shall apply the sanitary and phytosanitary measures in accordance with the international sanitary and phytosanitary standards as appropriated.

In the case of those goods does not comply with the sanitary and phytosanitary measures, those goods shall be returned to the exporting country immediately.

7. Labeling for the set of goods

After inspecting the set of goods, if no pesticides were found to be present, the quarantine officer shall label the packages which are random before releasing the goods set (Annex

8. Release and recognition through the package

Each time a package is released, the quarantine officer must stamp the containers and verify the goods (Annex

9. Inspection after import

Post-import inspections shall not exceed three (business days from the date of release of the package.

10. Procedures and measures for incorrectly imported and shipped packages

• In case of detection of pests attached to the product, the international standard of phytosanitary measures shall be by the guidelines of the Department of Agriculture;
• In the case of an importer does not comply with the phytosanitary conditions for import and export, the first time will make a memorandum signed by the owner of the goods and the authorities who quarantine the plant at the checkpoint, and the second time the import license will be revoked until it is resolved;
• In the case of importers and officials who quarantine plants in violation, the rules and regulations shall be followed.

11. Budget

The budget used for the inspection of goods for the assessment of pest risk for the import and export of crops, plant products, and controlled substances in Lao PDR is the responsibility of the importers and exporters by Presidential Decree issued periodically.

20. he provincial and capital agriculture sector and other relevant departments are in charge of disseminating and implementing this guideline to individuals, legal entities, local authorities, government officials, and entrepreneurs to the people to fully recognize and understand it and implement it effectively.

Therefore, this guideline is for your reference and implementation.

 

Deputy Director General of the Department of Agriculture

Ph.D. Soulaphone Inthavong