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Exporting Plant Material
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All plants shipped from Maine must:
- Be healthy and apparently free from insects and diseases,
- Must meet the import requirements of the destination state or country,
- Be accompanied by an inspection (Nursery Stock) certificate,
- In some cases plants may need to be accompanied by a phytosanitary (plant health) certificate
Shipping Requirements
Shipping requirements for plant material are based on the type of plant material being shipped, the location where the plants were grown and the destination of the shipment. These resources can help determine the requirements for shipping plants:
For domestic shipments
- Shipping Plants to Other States for Maine origin plant material
- National Plant Board state summary's for all state destinations and origins
- Destination state's department of agriculture
- Application for Certification to Export Plants or Plant Products From Maine to Other States
For International shipments
- Phytosanitary Export Database (PExD)
- USDA APHIS Plant and Plant Product Export
- Foreign country's ministry of agriculture
- Contact the Horticulture Program
For any shipments requiring any type of certification please contact the Horticulture Program at least two weeks prior to shipment to request certification and schedule an inspection time.
Shipping plants may require obtaining different types of certification. Below are some of the potential fees associated with export certification.
Type of Certification |
Fee |
Compliance Agreements for:
|
|
| State Phytosanitary Certificate |
|
| Federal Phytosanitary Certificate |
|
| Inspection services including growing season, field inspection or certifications that require multiple inspections. | $50/inspector/hour plus $0.50/mile. |
Inspection (Nursery Stock) certificates
An inspection (Nursery Stock) certificate is a document issued by the Division of Animal and Plant Health stating that the nursery or premises that the plants are from has been inspected and found to be free from pests.
- All shipments of plants destined to other states should be accompanied by a Nursery Stock Certificate.
- Businesses regularly shipping plant material will be asked to sign a compliance agreement allowing them to reprint a Nursery Stock Certificate. Compliance agreements are specific to the business and will outline any specific requirements that must be followed to ship the species of plants grown by that business.
- One-time plant shippers or those only shipping plants occasionally may obtain Nursery Stock Certificates by contacting the Horticulture Program
Phytosanitary Certificates
A phytosanitary certificate is a document issued by the Department of Agriculture that verifies that plants in a shipment have been inspected on a specific date prior to export, are free of pests, and found to meet any conditions required by the destination state or country.
Phytosanitary certificates require an inspection of the plant products in the shipment. Inspections must be requested at least two weeks prior to the shipping date.
Phytosanitary Certificate Fees:
- $106 for commercial shipments (shipments with a value greater than $1250)
- $60 for non-commercial shipments (shipments with a value less than $1250)
- $15 for replacing any certificate
- An additional $6 federal fee will be added to all federal phytosanitary certificates for international shipments
Contact the Horticulture Program for more information on obtaining a phytosanitary certificate