Procedures for Exports of FSIS Products in the Public Health Information System
FSIS Notice
05-25
Issue Date
Feb 26, 2025
Expiration Date
Mar 01, 2026
Full Notice
- PURPOSE
This notice provides instruction for inspection program personnel (IPP) at all locations where FSIS performs export verification or certification for meat and poultry products, including verifying that information on the FSIS Form 9080-3, Establishment Application for Export, is accurate. This notice also includes instructions to IPP for verifying that information on the FSIS Form 9060-6, Application for Export Certificate, is accurate and verifying there is a valid FSIS Form 9060-5, Meat and Poultry Certificate of Wholesomeness, for each shipment. In addition, this notice provides instructions for IPP to inform management of establishments that export meat and poultry products of the procedures specified in this notice. FSIS is issuing this notice to clarify current instructions to IPP. - BACKGROUND
For countries included in the Public Health Information System (PHIS) export module, all FSIS Form 9060-5 series export certificates generated through PHIS are digitally signed by IPP in PHIS. Industry personnel with a PHIS export access role may then print the export certificate. The printed certificates are to include the PHIS-generated watermark and are to accompany each shipment, unless otherwise noted in the Export Library. Once a country is added to the PHIS export module, FSIS no longer issues wet-signed 9060-5 series export certificates or letterhead certificates on security paper for meat and poultry products. - AWARENESS MEETING WITH ESTABLISHMENT MANAGEMENT
- Immediately upon receipt of this notice, the inspector-in-charge (IIC) is to have a meeting with establishment management at any establishment or facility that exports meat or poultry products.
- During the meeting, the IIC is to inform establishment management of the following requirements and procedures:
- Countries that use the PHIS export module are listed under the green bar, "Country Rollout Schedule" on the PHIS Components webpage. Export applications (FSIS Form 9060-6) for these countries need to be complete and accurate at the time they are submitted in PHIS. Errors or incomplete fields may delay approval and may delay when product can be shipped for export. Export applicants can unlock and edit limited fields on a submitted export application up until the final approval and digital signature on the export certificate by FSIS. Edits made after the application is submitted may cause delays and the need for additional coordination with IPP. Edits, including typographical errors, that need to be made after final approval require submission of an application for a replacement certificate. If an edit cannot be made via the replacement certificate, the applicant will need to start over with a new original application and mark the product with the new export certificate number;
NOTE: The following edits cannot be made on a replacement certificate: addition of new products, increases in Marked Net Weight of Lot, increases in Number of Packages in Lot, changes in Package Type, Shipping/Identification Marks, Product Code, HACCP Category, Species, Maturity, Frozen/Shelf-Stable, or Export Mark to be Used. Changes to these fields require a new original export application and new seven-digit export number applied to the product because these edits may require IPP to perform additional verification that the export consignment complies with FSIS regulations and the importing country's requirements. Approval of the new original export application will result in a new original export certificate. Certain countries may also prohibit replacement certificates, edits to the Remarks section, or any edits on FSIS Form 9060-5B, Continuation Sheet, so a new original export application may be required in any of these instances if stated in the Export Library. - If an export certificate was replaced in the PHIS export module, only the last replacement is valid. The original, any copies, and any interim replacement certificates are no longer valid and cannot be used to export products. Printed approved export certificates bear a watermark "Approved Certificate - Available for Validation in PHIS" and should match the corresponding PHIS version exactly. Any discrepancy may cause shipment delays or rejection;
- IPP are to discuss that, unless the establishment has no PHIS access or printer, exporters print the approved export certificate from the PHIS export module on plain paper bearing the PHIS-generated watermark and include the printed, valid paper certificate to accompany the export shipment to the point of entry when indicated in the Export Library;
- To export to countries that require individual establishment approval by FSIS (listed here), the establishment profile information in PHIS needs to match the listing on the Eligible U.S. Establishment list for the appropriate country (if applicable). If the establishment information on the country listing and export paperwork do not exactly match, a shipment may be rejected by the importing country. The establishment profile information in PHIS is the data source for the Meat, Poultry, and Egg Product Inspection (MPI) directory. Industry personnel can view their establishment information by searching the FSIS Inspected Establishment Listings of the MPI directory;
- Establishments can correct the information on the applicable country establishment list posted on the Eligible U.S. Establishment list by submitting a new FSIS Form 9080-3 and can ask the IIC to correct the PHIS establishment profile information; however, some establishment profile updates may require the establishment to submit an updated FSIS Form 5200-2, Application for Federal Inspection, or FSIS Form 5200-6, Application/Approval for Voluntary Reimbursable Inspection Service;
NOTE: The FSIS Form 9080-3 is only to be submitted for countries that require individual establishment approval (listed here). When a new FSIS Form 9080-3 is submitted, it overwrites the existing entry and only the information on that form will be listed so exporters are advised to only submit complete FSIS Form 9080-3 applications that cover all products they intend to export to that country. - If stated in the export library, exporting establishments should not produce or ship product to a foreign country that requires establishment approval until the importing country has accepted and updated the posted eligible establishment list;
- Countries may have specific requirements for formatting of the establishment number selected on the 9060-6 application in PHIS stated in the Export Library; and
EXAMPLE: Mexico's certification system that generates the Mexico approved plant list excludes the "M" (for meat) and "V" (for voluntary) prefixes for FSIS establishment numbers. Even if the M or V are listed on the FSIS Form 9080-3, they will be removed on Mexico's approved plant list. When exporting product to Mexico, the export applicant should select the establishment number in the PHIS application dropdown menu that exactly matches the number listed on the country's approved list and does not include the "V" for voluntary inspection or the "M" for meat product inspection. - Exporters may find these references useful:
- Countries that use the PHIS export module are listed under the green bar, "Country Rollout Schedule" on the PHIS Components webpage. Export applications (FSIS Form 9060-6) for these countries need to be complete and accurate at the time they are submitted in PHIS. Errors or incomplete fields may delay approval and may delay when product can be shipped for export. Export applicants can unlock and edit limited fields on a submitted export application up until the final approval and digital signature on the export certificate by FSIS. Edits made after the application is submitted may cause delays and the need for additional coordination with IPP. Edits, including typographical errors, that need to be made after final approval require submission of an application for a replacement certificate. If an edit cannot be made via the replacement certificate, the applicant will need to start over with a new original application and mark the product with the new export certificate number;
- IPP are to follow the instructions in FSIS Directive 13000.7, Public Health Information System Support, and provide the PHISTechnicalQA@usda.gov e-mail address to industry users as applicable for technical issues.
- IPP RESPONSIBILITIES
- IPP are to follow the instructions in FSIS Directive 9000.1, Export Certification, and FSIS Directive 13000.5, Public Health Information System Export Certification, when certifying a shipment for export. IPP are to verify that the 9060-6 application for export includes accurate information and does not contain obvious typographical errors before approving the application. IPP are to inform the applicant when they observe obvious typographical errors and withhold a final decision until these errors are corrected.
- IPP are to verify the following before signing a FSIS Form 9080-3 for countries that require establishment approval:
- Listed country is one that requires FSIS approval using the FSIS Form 9080-3 process;
- Establishment has completed any additional documentation required by the Export Library and this documentation is uploaded into PHIS using the FSIS Form 9080-3 application process;
- Product type/class of product, species, type of operation, and any "Doing Business As" designations match the information in the PHIS establishment profile;
- Product type/class of product, species, and type of operation are eligible for export to that country from that location (e.g., State or county are not associated with a specific date for any restrictions); and
- Establishment capability to meet country specific facility, documentation, and labeling requirements listed in the Export Library.
- IPP are to approve FSIS Form 9080-3 when all applicable Export Library requirements can be met and the only issue is a geographic animal health restriction with a specific date (e.g., temporary HPAI county restrictions with a finite start and end date). A temporary geographic animal health restriction impacts individual export shipments, but the establishment can still be approved to be eligible to export to a country so that the approval is in place after the restriction expires.
- IPP are to review the Export Library for each export and verify that the 9060-6 application is complete and correct. IPP are to follow the instructions in FSIS Directive 9000.1 to verify the 9060-5 series certificate is complete and accurate, and all requirements listed in the Export Library for that country are met. IPP are to use their direct knowledge of the operation and documentation provided by the export applicant to make these determinations. IPP are to verify:
- Establishment number formatting matches the formatting listed for that country in the Export Library (if applicable);
- Establishment is listed on the importing country eligible establishment list in the Export Library (if applicable), that the information on the importing country eligible establishment list exactly matches the information in the PHIS establishment profile, and the labels exactly match the information on the importing country eligible establishment list;
- Products and species are correctly listed on the export application, match the label, and are eligible for export to that country; and
- Statements that appear on the application are applicable to that product and appear in the order specified in Export Library (if applicable).
- As instructed in FSIS Notice 16-24, Export Module of the Public Health Information System - Phase Nine, IPP are to print the approved export certificates only for establishments that do not have functional printers or PHIS access. This is expected to be a rare occurrence. IPP are not to print a copy of the signed export certificate exclusively for recordkeeping purposes.
- If a 9060-6 application is submitted as a "replacement," "split", or "consolidate" type, IPP are to verify that all requests for replacement certificates are accompanied by a letter on establishment letterhead referencing the number of any certificates being replaced and stating that all paper copies of the replaced certificates, if any were printed, have been returned to FSIS or destroyed.
- IPP are not to rescind an approved certificate to avoid replacement certificates in PHIS. IPP are to be aware that an application that has been rejected cannot be replaced. IPP are to follow the instructions in FSIS Directive 9000.1 for instructions on replacement certificates.
- IPP are not to sign letterhead certificates outside of PHIS unless the Export Library explicitly states these are required for that country. For most countries in the PHIS export module component, the required statements for exports are captured in the statements pre-programmed into PHIS and appear on the digitally signed export certificate.
NOTE: PHIS-generated, digitally signed PDF certificates are NOT the same as the electronic certification (eCert) process and are NOT transmitted directly to the foreign country's system as eCert data.
- QUESTIONS
Refer questions about the PHIS system requirements for exports to your supervisor. Refer questions regarding this notice or export related directives to your supervisor or as needed to the Office of Policy and Program Development through askFSIS or by telephone at 1-800-233-3935. When submitting a question, complete the web form and select Export for the Inquiry Type.
NOTE: Refer to FSIS Directive 5620.1, Using askFSIS, for additional information on submitting questions.