SPS E-CERTS Accelerating Cross-Border Paperless Trade

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Asia-Pacific region has increased the implementation of digital trade facilitation measures and sought to improve efficiency of cross-border trade operations. For example, the Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific, developed by member States of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), entered into force in February 2021.

One of the crucial building blocks in accelerating cross-border paperless trade in food and agriculture products is digitalization of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) certificates. Paperless SPS systems can improve traceability throughout supply chains, cut trade times and costs, lower food waste, reduce fraudulent certificates and build trust among trading partners. This webinar will provide an overview of the “state of play” on SPS eCert in the relevant international standard-setting bodies and present case studies from countries across the Asia-Pacific region. Participants will share lessons and experiences from using the “ePhyto Solution” to facilitate the exchange of electronic phytosanitary certificates and explore challenges and highlight developments in scaling up electronic veterinary and food safety certification.