Export Certification; Accreditation of Non-Government Facilities

We are amending the export certification regulations to provide for the establishment of a program under which non-government facilities may become accredited to perform specific laboratory testing or phytosanitary inspection services that may serve as the basis for the issuance of a Federal phytosanitary certificate, export certificate for processed plant products, or phytosanitary certificate for reexport. Prior to this rule, only tests conducted by public laboratories or inspections carried out by Federal, State, or county inspectors or by agents could be used as the basis for the issuance of Federal certificates. The accreditation criteria for particular laboratory testing and phytosanitary inspection services will be developed by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in cooperation with other interested government, industry, academic, or research entities. The accreditation program will provide a mechanism for qualified non-government facilities to become accredited to perform testing or inspection services that may be used as supporting documentation for the issuance of certificates for certain plants or plant products.