Peru Imposes Phytosanitary Requirements on Unrooted Cuttings from El Salvador

Peru has proposed mandatory phytosanitary requirements for the importation of unrooted cuttings of poinsettia and begonia from El Salvador, targeting specific plant products under phytosanitary safeguards.

Mandatory Phytosanitary Requirements for Importing Unrooted Cuttings of Poinsettia and Begonia from El Salvador into Peru

Peru has established mandatory phytosanitary requirements for the importation of unrooted cuttings (esquejes sin enraizar) of poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) and begonia (Begonia spp.) from El Salvador. These requirements are governed by the General Law on Agricultural Health (Decreto Legislativo N° 1059) and the Plant Quarantine Regulations (Decreto Supremo N° 032-2003-AG), enforced by the Servicio Nacional de Sanidad Agraria (SENASA)^{1, 2}. Below is a structured summary of the compliance obligations.

1. Legal Framework and Authority

The requirements are based on the following legal provisions:

• General Law on Agricultural Health (Decreto Legislativo N° 1059):
  • Article 1: Mandates prevention, control, and eradication of pests/diseases in plants to protect human, animal, and plant health¹.
  • Article 4: Designates SENASA as the National Authority for Agricultural Health¹.
  • Article 12: Requires all plant imports to comply with SENASA’s phytosanitary regulations¹.
• Plant Quarantine Regulations (Decreto Supremo N° 032-2003-AG):
  • Article 38: Empowers SENASA to approve phytosanitary requirements for plant imports via resolution².
• Organizational Regulations of SENASA (Decreto Supremo N° 008-2005-AG):
  • Article 26(b): Grants the Dirección de Sanidad Vegetal authority to establish import requirements for plants/products^{1, 2}.

2. Phytosanitary Requirements for Unrooted Cuttings

The requirements apply separately to poinsettia and begonia but share a common structure. Below is a consolidated list of obligations, with species-specific distinctions noted where applicable.

A. Pre-Export Requirements (El Salvador)

1. Authorized Nurseries:
   • Cuttings must originate from nurseries registered and authorized by El Salvador’s Organización Nacional de Protección Fitosanitaria (ONPF)^{1, 2}.
   • At the start of each export season, the ONPF must submit a list of authorized nurseries to SENASA^{1, 2}.

1. Production and Packing Conditions:
   • Nurseries must maintain phytosanitary safeguards during production^{1, 2}.
   • Packing areas must ensure phytosanitary protection (e.g., pest-free conditions)^{1, 2}.

1. Pre-Shipment Disinfection Treatment:
   • Cuttings must undergo mandatory pre-shipment treatment 7–14 days before export, using one of the following:
   • Dimethoate 0.73% (a.i.) + Diniconazole 0.013% (a.i.), or
   • An equivalent alternative approved by SENASA¹.
   • Note: This requirement is explicitly stated for poinsettia but is assumed applicable to begonia based on the pest risk analysis (ARP) framework^{1, 2}.

1. Certification:
   • The ONPF must issue an official Phytosanitary Certificate for each shipment, including the following additional declarations:
   • Cuttings originate from El Salvador^{1, 2}.
   • Cuttings come from ONPF-authorized nurseries^{1, 2}.
   • Cuttings were officially inspected by the ONPF^{1, 2}.

B. Import Requirements (Peru)

1. Permit and Registration:
   • The importer must obtain a Phytosanitary Import Permit from SENASA prior to shipment^{1, 2}.
   • The importer must be registered in SENASA’s system for post-entry quarantine (PEQ) materials, including:
   • Registered import locations,
   • Responsible technical personnel^{1, 2}.

1. Packaging and Transport:
   • Packaging:
   • Must be new, single-use, and pest-free (no soil, debris, or foreign material)^{1, 2}.
   • Must be labeled with:
   • Product name (Begonia spp. or Euphorbia pulcherrima),
   • Exporter name,
   • Country of origin (El Salvador)^{1, 2}.
   • Pallets:
   • Wooden pallets must be bark-free and comply with ISPM 15 (international standards for wood packaging)^{1, 2}.
   • Containers (Maritime Shipments):
   • Must be clean, sealed, and officially precinted by the ONPF^{1, 2}.
   • Precinct numbers must be listed on the Phytosanitary Certificate¹.

1. Inspection and Quarantine:
   • At Entry Point:
   • SENASA will conduct a phytosanitary inspection upon arrival^{1, 2}.
   • A sample of cuttings will be sent to SENASA’s Centro de Diagnóstico de Sanidad Vegetal for pest testing (cost borne by the importer)^{1, 2}.
   • Post-Entry Quarantine (PEQ):
   • Cuttings must undergo 35 days of PEQ at an approved location^{1, 2}.
   • SENASA will conduct 3 inspections during PEQ:
   • 2 interim inspections,
   • 1 final inspection to determine release or destruction^{1, 2}.
   • Supervision of Nurseries:
   • SENASA may conduct audits of El Salvador’s nurseries in coordination with the ONPF (costs borne by the importer)^{1, 2}.

3. Risk-Based Justification

The requirements are based on Pest Risk Analyses (ARP) conducted by SENASA’s Subdirección de Análisis de Riesgo y Vigilancia Fitosanitaria:

• Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima): ARP N° 012-2026-MIDAGRI-SENASA-DSV-SARVF (April 20, 2026)¹.
• Begonia (Begonia spp.): ARP N° 015-2026-MIDAGRI-SENASA-DSV-SARVF (May 6, 2026)².

These analyses categorize unrooted cuttings as high-risk materials due to their potential to introduce quarantine pests (e.g., Bemisia tabaci, Thrips palmi, or fungal pathogens)^{1, 2}.

4. Compliance Timeline

5. Penalties for Non-Compliance

While the provided sources do not specify penalties, Decreto Legislativo N° 1059 (Article 12) and Decreto Supremo N° 032-2003-AG authorize SENASA to:

• Reject or destroy non-compliant shipments^{1, 2}.
• Suspend import permits for repeat violations¹.
• Impose fines or legal action for fraudulent documentation¹.

Summary Answer

Peru’s mandatory phytosanitary requirements for importing unrooted cuttings of poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) and begonia (Begonia spp.) from El Salvador are governed by SENASA under Decreto Legislativo N° 1059 and Decreto Supremo N° 032-2003-AG^{1, 2}. Key obligations include:

1. Pre-export: Nursery authorization, pre-shipment disinfection (7–14 days prior), and ONPF-issued Phytosanitary Certificate with additional declarations^{1, 2}.
2. Import: Phytosanitary Import Permit, pest-free packaging, and 35-day post-entry quarantine with SENASA inspections^{1, 2}.
3. Risk mitigation: Requirements are based on Pest Risk Analyses (ARP N° 012-2026 and ARP N° 015-2026) to prevent the introduction of quarantine pests^{1, 2}.

Non-compliance may result in shipment rejection, permit suspension, or fines¹. All requirements are published on SENASA’s portal (¹(https://www.gob.pe/senasa))^{1, 2}.

Sources

1. ↩ WTO SPS notification 26-02560 — Peru https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2026/SPS/PER/26_02560_00_s.pdf
2. ↩ WTO SPS notification 26-02561 — Peru https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2026/SPS/PER/26_02561_00_s.pdf