Digitising import and export processes in the agri-food sector

Helping Morocco implement the Trade Facilitation Agreement

Article 7.9
Perishable Goods

1) With a view to preventing avoidable loss or deterioration of perishable goods, and provided that all regulatory requirements have been met, each Member shall provide for the release of perishable goods:

(a) under normal circumstances within the shortest possible time; and

(b) in exceptional circumstances where it would be appropriate to do so, outside the business hours of customs and other relevant authorities.

2) Each Member shall give appropriate priority to perishable goods when scheduling any examinations that may be required.

3) Each Member shall either arrange or allow an importer to arrange for the proper storage of perishable goods pending their release. The Member may require that any storage facilities arranged by the importer have been approved or designated by its relevant authorities. The movement of the goods to those storage facilities, including authorizations for the operator moving the goods, may be subject to the approval, where required, of the relevant authorities. The Member shall, where practicable and consistent with domestic legislation, upon the request of the importer, provide for any procedures necessary for release to take place at those storage facilities.

4) In cases of significant delay in the release of perishable goods, and upon written request, the importing Member shall, to the extent practicable, provide a communication on the reasons for the delay.
Article 10.1
Formalities and Documentation Requirements

1) With a view to minimizing the incidence and complexity of import, export, and transit formalities and to decreasing and simplifying import, export, and transit documentation requirements and taking into account the legitimate policy objectives and other factors such as changed circumstances, relevant new information, business practices, availability of techniques and technology, international best practices, and inputs from interested parties, each Member shall review such formalities and documentation requirements and, based on the results of the review, ensure, as appropriate, that such formalities and documentation requirements are:

(a) adopted and/or applied with a view to a rapid release and clearance of goods, particularly perishable goods;

(b) adopted and/or applied in a manner that aims at reducing the time and cost of compliance for traders and operators;

(c) the least trade restrictive measure chosen where two or more alternative measures are reasonably available for fulfilling the policy objective or objectives in question; and

(d) not maintained, including parts thereof, if no longer required

2) The Committee shall develop procedures for the sharing by Members of relevant information and best practices, as appropriate.

Latest news

By bringing together international expertise and the local know-how of border authorities and businesses, this project facilitated trade of plant products in Morocco by replacing paper processes with electronic systems and making trading more secure, efficient and rapid.

Traders importing or exporting plants or plant products had to acquire a paper phytosanitary certificate to show that the material is considered free from pests and that it complies with plant health regulations. In Morocco, as in most countries, these paper certificates accompanied the shipment or were exchanged by post with trading partners. This made for a lengthy process, where any errors took a long time to rectify, and there was risk of loss, damage or fraud.

What are we doing

Alongside multiple Moroccan border agencies and local and international agri-food companies, our project:

supported Morocco to introduce electronic phytosanitary certificates, or ePhytos, and join the “ePhyto Hub”, an initiative led by the International Plant Protection Convention Secretariat, which will allows them to electronically exchange ePhytos with trading partners quickly, accurately and at low cost.

Benefits

The use of ePhytos:

means certificates are transferred between parties quickly, accurately and at low cost, reducing the time and cost burden on both traders and border agencies
reduces the risk of loss or fraud, helping ensure any threats to plant health through trade are stopped in their tracks
paves the way for Morocco to exchange other types of data with trading partners

Overall, the project can also help drive food security by preventing shipments of food getting stuck and spoiled at the border.

Measurement

We have conducted a baseline study using our Total Transport and Logistics Costs (TTLC) methodology, which measures both direct and indirect transport and logistics costs.

We will measure the time taken for border compliance for agri-food imports and exports using ePhytos to assess our impact on time and cost of trading. We will also look for evidence of wider benefits for society such as increased opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises.

How can the private sector get involved?

We are looking for businesses to get involved in a wide range of activities, including identifying international best practice, providing technical expertise to design the new systems, piloting the new systems, collecting and sharing data, and delivering training.

Project structure

Phase 1

Achieved

Planning

Phase 2

Achieved

Analysis and design of new processes using international best practice

Phase 3

Achieved

Piloting, delivering training and launching new systems

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Revathi Roy

Revathi Roy, Co-founder and CEO, HeyDeedee, Mumbai

Revathi Roy set up India’s first all-female delivery company HeyDeedee in 2016 to offer new training and professional opportunities to low-income women in Mumbai. Three years later, her business operates in 10 Indian cities, employs 10 000 women agents, and has partnerships with giants like Amazon. “A career in logistics is not an intuitive leap for Indian women since this field has been largely dominated by men. Parents see jobs in the call centre industry as a safer option for their daughters,” explains Revathi.

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Jyoti Wadhwa

Jyoti Wadhwa, Founder, Sanskriti Vintage, New Delhi

Jyoti Wadhwa is a successful entrepreneur, who sells Indian handicrafts and promotes the spirit of craftsmanship through international trade. In 2010, she set up her online business, Sanskriti Vintage, to sell vintage handicraft fabrics, various types of embroidery, and other craft items. At the time, she worked from home while taking care of her child and handled all operations single-handedly. Ten years later, she employs 25 people, supporting local artisans and serving antique collectors and aesthetes all over the world.

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Amgad Shehata

Senior Vice President of International Public Affairs and Strategy at UPS

UPS is the world's largest package delivery company and a leading global provider of specialised transportation and logistics services. Every day, it manages the flow of goods, funds, and information in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. “We believe that we can propel sustainable development and business performance at the same time. Helping countries to implement the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) allows us to do exactly that. Facilitating cross-border trade completely aligns with our customers’ needs while holding the promise of driving economic growth and creating a more equal society across the globe."

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Eston Sakala

Eston Sakala, Managing Director, Evolution Logistics and Solutions, Lusaka

Eston Sakala set up his own clearing and forwarding business in 2016 helping traders to move their goods in and out of Zambia – a profession he has been in for 17 years. In three short years he has grown his business from scratch to employ 18 staff with a customer base spanning Zambia’s key import and export sectors. “My goal now is to build capacity in my business, embrace technology and deliver my service to the level of a DHL,” says Eston. “I’d love to see the day when I can sit in front of my screen and watch trucks being processed by Evolution in real time, every minute, every hour. I want to be the go-to business for quick and correct clearances.”

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Get involved

Find out how to get involved in the wider Alliance by clicking the boxes to the right.

Contact us

Discover our project in Madagascar

Supporting implementation of the IPPC ePhyto digital solution

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Morocco
Achieved