Plant Protection Release Order (PPRO) for Import of Samples of Edible Items Eliminated

Before: To participate in tea auctions abroad, importers received (non-commercial quantity) tea samples. Department of Plant Protection (DPP) regulations require Release Order for Customs Clearance causing considerable delays. Sometimes, samples were cleared after auction had already been completed, rendering the entire exercise futile.

After: Inspection regime for import of samples of edible items has been shifted to Risk Management System. Now less than 1% of shipments are stopped for inspection. Risk based filters like source/origin, importer’s and exporter’s profile and product have been developed and deployed. Only two interceptions have been reported in the last 6 months, and the number of inspections will be increased or decreased depending upon the frequency of violations.