Resolution No. 0009 of 2023: Mandatory Phytosanitary Measures for International Transit and Prevention of Fusarium Tropical Race 4 in Ecuador

Resolution No. 0009, signed on January 31, 2023, by Ecuador's Agency for Phytosanitary and Zoosanitary Regulation and Control (Agrocalidad), establishes mandatory phytosanitary measures for international transit shipments crossing Ecuadorian territory to prevent the introduction and spread of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 (Foc TR4), a quarantine pest threatening banana, plantain and other Musa crops. The resolution requires phytosanitary certificates issued by the competent authorities of the country of origin, certificates of disinfection treatment for vehicles and containers, cleanliness and freedom from soil and plant material, security seals, international transit phytosanitary authorizations and inspections at entry and exit checkpoints. It also establishes controls for cargo transfers and prohibits the issuance of international transit phytosanitary authorizations for banana fruit originating from or proceeding through countries where Foc TR4 is present. The resolution provides for notification to the World Trade Organization and the Andean Community. Its purpose is to reduce the risks of pest introduction and dissemination through phytosanitary controls on goods, containers and transport vehicles in international transit. The resolution entered into force upon signature, with a transitional provision delaying for thirty days the requirement for a disinfection certificate to obtain the relevant customs transit document. Its relevance to agrifood systems is direct because it protects Musa crop production and regulates phytosanitary risks associated with international transit.