NOTE: DO NOT IMPLEMENT THIS NOTICE UNTIL: MAY 16, 2022

1. PURPOSE
   1. This notice informs FSIS inspection program personnel (IPP) that effective May 16, 2022, approved export certificates with a digital signature will no longer be printed on security paper.  Industry will now print approved digitally signed export certificates on plain white copy paper.  IPP are to print the certificates on plain white copy paper for establishments that do not have functional printers or PHIS access.
   2. When a country requires a wet ink signature or security paper, FSIS will continue to print and sign or use security paper.
   3. Approved plain paper export certificates printed from the View Export Records (9060) grid in PHIS will include a new watermark, "Approved Certificate - Available for Validation in PHIS."
2. BACKGROUND
   1. On June 29, 2018, FSIS implemented the PHIS export module with an initial group of countries and has gradually added more countries and territories. 80 countries and territories are currently active in the PHIS export module, 79 of which utilize a digital signature upon approval by the FSIS certifying official.
   2. A complete list of all countries active in the PHIS export module is available from the Country Rollout Schedule tab in the Export section of the PHIS Components page of the FSIS website.
   3. PHIS will continue applying a digital signature for IPP when they approve export applications and issue export certificates for countries that accept a digital signature. After IPP review and approve the certificate package, PHIS will automatically apply the enhanced digital signature to all pages and upload a digital PDF of the signed export documents into the export task.
   4. For any country that requires a wet signature and security paper (e.g., China), FSIS IPP are to continue with current PHIS procedures for printing approved export certificates from the Attachments grid on FSIS security paper, signing (wet ink signature), scanning, and uploading the export certificates. If a country requires a wet ink signature and/or security paper, those requirements will be reflected in the Export Library. 
   5. When printing from the 9060 grid, the new watermark "Approved Certificate - Available for Validation in PHIS" will be present on the copy of the printed certificate. Copies of export certificates with the new watermark are not to be printed on security paper and are to be used only for purposes of printing the plain paper export certificate copy. When the FSIS signing officials print an export certificate from the Attachments grid, no watermark appears on the export certificate. Therefore, printing from the Attachments grid should be used only for purposes of printing on security paper when required in the Export Library.
   6. PHIS prescribes the type of signature (wet or digital) by country during application approval. Therefore, IPP will not be able to select the signature type when reviewing and approving an export application in PHIS. At this time, China is the only country in the PHIS export module that requires a wet ink signature with the approved export certificate printed on FSIS security paper. PHIS will continue displaying the steps for IPP to follow to print, sign, and upload the wet ink signed documents. For countries that allow for plain paper export certificates, PHIS will continue to apply the digital signature of the FSIS certifying official once IPP click the "Approve and Sign" button in the export task. In addition, if an export destined to one of the digital signature countries will transit the European Union (EU), PHIS will automatically route those applications to the FSIS Public Health Veterinarian (PHV) for final approval and a wet ink signature on all export documents. The FSIS PHV is to continue to print all approved export documents for EU transit shipments on FSIS security paper and apply a wet ink signature to all pages.
3. AWARENESS MEETING WITH ESTABLISHMENT MANAGEMENT
   Immediately upon receipt of this notice, the inspector-in-charge (IIC) is to have a meeting with establishment management. During the meeting, the IIC is to inform establishment management that, beginning May 16, 2022:
   1. The export applicant, exporter, or representative with PHIS access will print a copy of a plain paper approved export certificate from the Create/View 9060-6 Export Applications (9060) grid in PHIS;
   2. FSIS IPP will only print a copy of approved export certificates from the Attachments grid on FSIS security paper for countries that require security paper for U.S. exports as reflected in the Export Library, such as China;
   3. A copy of an approved certificate will not be available for printing unless the status in the 9060 grid says "Approved;"
   4. If not already known, IPP are to request the name of the establishment individual who serves as the Establishment Administrator, in addition to a current e-mail address.  IPP are to enter the Establishment Administrator into the Contacts page of the Establishment Profile as outlined in FSIS Directive 5300.1, Managing the Establishment Profile in The Public Health Information System; and
   5. The PHIS Components page of the FSIS website provides additional information for exporters on gaining access to PHIS, as well as additional information regarding use of the PHIS export module.
4. IPP RESPONSIBILITIES
   1. Beginning on Monday May 16, 2022, IPP are no longer to print a copy of approved export certificates from the Attachments grid on FSIS security paper for digitally signed certificates. However, IPP are to continue to print approved export certificates from the Attachments grid on security paper for countries listed in the Export Library that require FSIS export certificates on security paper or are signed with wet ink signatures.
   2. IPP are to print the approved export certificates for establishments that do not have a functional printer or PHIS access using the instructions in Section VI below.  IPP are to access and print approved plain paper export certificate copies only from the View Export Records (9060) grid so the watermark, "Approved Certificate - Available for Validation in PHIS", is applied. Printing from any location in PHIS other than the View Export Records (9060) grid is not permitted when the certificate is digitally signed and printed on plain paper, as the required watermark will not be applied.
   3. IPP are to continue to follow the enhanced digital signature procedures outlined below when reviewing and approving an export application for all countries that utilize a digital signature.
5. ENHANCED DIGITAL SIGNATURE
   1. FSIS implemented an enhanced digital signature on Friday, July 9, 2021, for all countries active in the PHIS export module that utilize a digital signature.  With the enhanced digital signature process, IPP no longer manually apply a digital signature or manually upload any signed export documents.
   2. The instructions in this section of the notice cancel and replace previous instructions for applying the digital signature in Section DI of Chapter V and Attachments A and B of FSIS Directive 13,000.5, Public Health Information System Export Certification.
   3. Before approving the export application and applying the enhanced digital signature, IPP are to click the "Review Certificate Package" button on the "Approvals" tab of the export task.  Clicking this button opens a separate window with a digital PDF of the export document(s), which IPP are to review prior to approval.  After reviewing the export document(s), IPP are to close the PDF window without saving or printing the PDF.
      
      NOTE:  The "Approve and Sign" button is greyed out and not accessible until IPP click the "Review Certificate Package" button.  If IPP close out their current PHIS session after clicking the "Review Certificate Package" button and before clicking the "Approve and Sign" button, they will need to click the "Review Certificate Package" button again before they are able to access and click the "Approve and Sign" button.
   4. Once the FSIS certifying official (Consumer Safety Inspector (CSI), when a veterinary signature is not required or PHV when a veterinary signature is required) has reviewed the export document(s) and is ready to approve and digitally sign the export certificate in PHIS, they are to click the "Approve and Sign" button on the "Approvals" tab of the export task. Clicking this button will enable PHIS to automatically apply the enhanced digital signature to all pages and upload a PDF of the digitally signed export document(s) into the export task.
   5. Upon approval by the FSIS certifying official, the uploaded PDF will appear in the "Attachments" grid below the "Review Certificate Package" and "Approve and Sign" buttons. The uploaded PDF of the signed export document(s) will have a file name of the export certificate number (e.g., 1234567.pdf) and will be titled as "Signed Document." After approving the export, IPP are to check the "Inspection Completed" box and save and close the export task.
   6. The official copy of the approved and digitally signed export certificate is digitally stored in PHIS and available for verification by foreign government officials via the Certificate Signature View (CSV) role in PHIS.
6. PRINTING A DIGITALLY SIGNED, APPROVED PLAIN PAPER EXPORT CERTIFICATE COPY FROM THE VIEW EXPORT RECORDS (9060) GRID
   When IPP receive a request to print a plain paper copy of an approved export certificate from industry without a functional printer or PHIS access, IPP are to access the View Export Records (9060) grid using the following steps to print one copy of the approved and digitally signed export certificate on standard white copy paper (8.5" x 11"):
   1. From the PHIS home page, click the "Export" tab in the left vertical menu;
   2. Under Export, click on "9060" and the View Export Records (9060) grid opens;
   3. Locate the approved export certificate you want to print using the various search parameters at the top of the grid or by scrolling through the pages of the grid;
   4. Under the PDF column on the right side of the grid, click on the PDF of the approved export certificate you want to print;
   5. A separate window opens a PDF of the approved export certificate with the FSIS approving official's digital signature and the watermark with the statement, "Approved Certificate - Available for Validation in PHIS";
   6. Print one copy of the export certificate using standard white copy paper (8.5" x 11");
   7. Confirm that the plain paper copy has the necessary watermark with the statement, "Approved Certificate - Available for Validation in PHIS;" and
   8. Close the PDF without saving a copy, since the digitally signed PDF certificate is already recorded in PHIS.
7. SEVEN DIGIT EXPORT STAMP
   For all exports processed through PHIS, the system will automatically generate a seven-digit (numbers only) export certificate number upon creation of the export application by the export applicant. This seven-digit export certificate number will be used as the USDA export stamp number to mark the products for export. IPP certifying exports to any of the countries active in PHIS can order a seven-digit export stamp if they do not already have one. This is an accountable item and is to be securely handled in the same fashion as the six-digit export stamp.
8. ACCOUNTABLE FORMS AND SUPPLIES
   Accountable export supplies, including the 8.5" x 11" FSIS security paper (item number ECP-11) and seven-digit export stamp (item number FSIS-03-7), are available from the Materiel Management Service Center (MMSC).  IPP are to use the following link for ordering instructions: www.bsc.usda.gov.  IPP are to send their orders via e-mail to cfpdc@dm.usda.gov or via fax to (301) 394-0300.
9. QUESTIONS
   Refer questions regarding this notice or any other export questions to your supervisor or as needed to the Office of Policy and Program Development through askFSIS or by telephone at 1-855-444-9904.  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.