Peru Imposes Vegetable Seed Phytosanitary Requirements

Peru has introduced mandatory phytosanitary standards for the importation of tomato and yellow chili pepper seeds, targeting plant health and pest prevention through regulatory frameworks.

Mandatory Phytosanitary Standards for Importing Tomato and Yellow Chili Pepper Seeds into Peru

Peru has established mandatory phytosanitary requirements for the importation of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and yellow chili pepper (Capsicum baccatum) seeds to prevent the introduction of quarantine pests and ensure plant health. These requirements are enforced by the Servicio Nacional de Sanidad Agraria (SENASA), Peru’s National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO), under the authority of Decreto Legislativo N° 1059 (General Law on Agricultural Health) and its implementing regulations.

Below is a structured breakdown of the current, binding phytosanitary requirements for each product, based exclusively on the provided regulatory sources.

1. Phytosanitary Requirements for Tomato Seeds (Solanum lycopersicum) – All Countries of Origin

These requirements are established under Resolución Directoral N° D000011-2025-MIDAGRI-SENASA-DSV (extending Resolución Directoral N° D000009-2024-MIDAGRI-SENASA-DSV) and Resolución Directoral¹, which supersede prior resolutions (e.g., Resolución Directoral N° 0011-2020-MINAGRI-SENASA-DSV and Resolución Directoral N° 051-2010-AG-SENASA-DSV)^{1, 2}.

Key Requirements (Effective from 1 October 2028)

The following apply to all countries of origin¹:

1. Pre-Import Permit
   • The importer must obtain a Phytosanitary Import Permit from SENASA prior to certification and shipment in the country of origin¹.

1. Phytosanitary Certification
   • The shipment must be accompanied by an original official phytosanitary certificate (or re-export certificate) issued by the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of the country of origin/provenance. The certificate must include:
   • Additional Declarations specific to the country of origin (e.g., freedom from Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis, Xanthomonas spp., and Didymella lycopersici via laboratory analysis)¹.
   • Pre-shipment treatment (e.g., fungicides such as carboxin 0.8 g (a.i.)/kg + thiram 1 g (a.i.)/kg or equivalent)².

1. Post-Entry Quarantine (PEQ)
   • The importer must be registered with SENASA for PEQ of regulated materials¹.
   • A sample of plants grown from the imported seeds must be submitted to SENASA’s Centro de Diagnóstico de Sanidad Vegetal for laboratory analysis (costs borne by the importer)¹.
   • The shipment is subject to:
   • One mandatory inspection during PEQ.
   • One final inspection for quarantine release.
   • SENASA may extend PEQ for phytosanitary reasons¹.

1. Validity
   • These requirements are effective until 30 September 2028 under Resolución Directoral N° D000009-2024-MIDAGRI-SENASA-DSV, extended by 180 days via Resolución Directoral N° D000011-2025-MIDAGRI-SENASA-DSV¹.
   • From 1 October 2028, the requirements in Article 6 of the 2026 resolution will apply¹.

Countries Previously Covered (Now Superseded)

Resolución Directoral N° D000009-2024-MIDAGRI-SENASA-DSV initially applied to seeds from 30 countries, including Australia, China, the U.S., Brazil, Spain, and others. These requirements are inapplicable as of the 2026 resolution¹.

2. Phytosanitary Requirements for Yellow Chili Pepper Seeds (Capsicum baccatum) – Brazil Only

These requirements are established under Resolución Directoral N° D000013-2026-MIDAGRI-SENASA-DSV².

Key Requirements

1. Pre-Import Permit
   • The importer must obtain a Phytosanitary Import Permit from SENASA prior to certification and shipment².

1. Origin and Registration
   • Seeds must originate from production sites or nurseries registered and authorized by Brazil’s NPPO².

1. Phytosanitary Certification
   • The shipment must be accompanied by an official phytosanitary certificate issued by Brazil’s NPPO, including one of the following options:
   • Option A:
   • Additional Declaration: The crop was inspected during active growth, sampled pre-flowering/post-harvest, and tested negative for:
   • Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis
   • Xanthomonas vesicatoria, X. euvesicatoria, X. perforans, X. gardneri
   • Didymella lycopersici (via laboratory analysis)².
   • Pre-shipment treatment: Fungicides (e.g., carboxin + thiram) or equivalent².
   • Option B: Alternative declarations/treatments approved by SENASA².

1. Post-Entry Quarantine (PEQ)
   • Identical to tomato seeds (see Section 1.3)².

1. Validity
   • Requirements are effective as of 27 March 2026².

3. Legal and Regulatory Framework

Applicable Laws and Standards

Risk Categorization

Seeds are classified under Resolución Jefatural N° 0162-2017-MINAGRI-SENASA based on:

• Degree of processing (e.g., raw vs. treated).
• Intended use (e.g., propagation vs. consumption).
• Pest transmission risk (e.g., ability to carry quarantine pests)^{1, 2}.

4. Compliance Process

1. Pre-Shipment
   • Importer applies for Phytosanitary Import Permit from SENASA^{1, 2}.
   • Exporter ensures seeds meet origin, treatment, and certification requirements^{1, 2}.

1. Shipment
   • Seeds must be accompanied by an official phytosanitary certificate with required declarations/treatments^{1, 2}.

1. Post-Entry
   • Importer submits PEQ registration and plant samples to SENASA^{1, 2}.
   • SENASA conducts inspections and laboratory tests (costs borne by importer)^{1, 2}.
   • Quarantine is lifted upon negative test results^{1, 2}.

Summary Answer

Peru enforces mandatory phytosanitary standards for importing tomato and yellow chili pepper seeds to mitigate pest risks, as outlined in Resolución Directoral N° D000013-2026-MIDAGRI-SENASA-DSV (yellow chili, Brazil) and Resolución Directoral (tomato, all countries). Key requirements include:

• Pre-import permits and official phytosanitary certificates with pest freedom declarations^{1, 2}.
• Pre-shipment treatments (e.g., fungicides) and post-entry quarantine with laboratory testing^{1, 2}.
• Compliance with Decreto Legislativo N° 1059 and NIMF N° 1 standards^{1, 2}.
• Supersession of prior resolutions (e.g., Resolución Directoral N° 0011-2020-MINAGRI-SENASA-DSV)¹.

These measures align with Peru’s adequate level of protection under Article 12 of the General Law on Agricultural Health and international phytosanitary principles^{1, 2}.

Sources

1. ↩ WTO SPS notification 26-02736 — Peru https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2026/SPS/PER/26_02736_00_s.pdf
2. ↩ WTO SPS notification 26-01930 — Peru https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2026/SPS/PER/26_01930_00_s.pdf