Chile switches to electronic phytosanitary documents for China trade

Chile will become the first country in the world to implement fully digital phytosanitary certification for exports to China starting 20 April 2026, according to the Chilean Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG).

The new system will allow agricultural and forestry shipments to China to move under a completely paperless certification process across all Chinese ports. Authorities said the change marks a structural shift in how bilateral trade is managed and aims to make export procedures faster and more secure.

The digital certification replaces traditional paper documents, reducing the risk of fraud, improving traceability, and speeding up border clearance procedures. Officials noted that the system also increases transparency and operational efficiency for exporters and regulators.

The initiative follows a pilot phase launched in August 2025, which ran for more than eight months without transmission failures or shipment delays, confirming the reliability of the electronic system.

China is one of Chile’s key trading partners for fresh fruit. During the 2025-2026 export season to date, Chile has certified shipments of 663,618 tonnes of fresh produce, led by cherries (493,812 tonnes), plums (86,381 tonnes) and nectarines (47,261 tonnes), according to the source.

source and photo: frutasdechile.cl