Colombia has established phytosanitary requirements for the importation of in vitro and ex-agar Musa acuminata plants from the United Kingdom for commercial, testing, and planting purposes, covering products classified under HS code 060220.<\/p>\n
Colombia’s farm and plant-health agency, the Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario (ICA), on Sept. 23, 2026 set the plant-health rules for importing young banana plants grown in laboratories in the United Kingdom, with the rules taking effect once they appear in Colombia’s official gazette1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The measure is ICA Resolution 00018773 of Sept. 23, 20261<\/a><\/sup>. It covers banana plants of the species Musa acuminata that are grown "in vitro" or "ex agar" and are shipped for commercial use, trials or planting2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n In short, Colombia now has a written list of conditions for these UK banana plantlets. Each shipment must carry a UK plant-health certificate that confirms lab tests for a banana virus and confirms the UK is free of a serious banana fungus, and ICA will inspect, sample and follow up the plants after they arrive1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The resolution applies to banana plants of the species Musa acuminata1<\/a><\/sup>. It covers two forms of young plant: "in vitro" plants and "ex agar" plants1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n "In vitro" means grown in a laboratory container. "Ex agar" means a lab-grown plantlet that has been taken out of its growth gel. Both are young plants made in a lab, not fruit.<\/p>\n The plants must be of UK origin and shipped from the UK<\/strong>1<\/a><\/sup>. The Spanish text says "de origen y procedencia Reino Unido", which means both where the plants come from and where they are sent from1<\/a><\/sup>. The rules cover commercial use, trials and planting<\/strong>1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The resolution applies to every person or company that imports these plants into Colombia, whether an individual or a business1<\/a><\/sup>. It does not name any company or give a quantity limit.<\/p>\n The resolution says ICA’s job is to protect the health of farming in Colombia1<\/a><\/sup>. Its stated aim is to stop pests and diseases that could harm the country’s animals and plants from entering and spreading1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n ICA says it must carry out risk studies and other technical work to decide the right level of protection1<\/a><\/sup>. Those studies then set the plant-health conditions for each farm product that enters Colombia1<\/a><\/sup>. A 2023 ICA resolution, Resolution 8389, sets out how a party asks ICA for such a pest and disease risk study1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The resolution also explains the role of the plant-health certificate. It says the national plant-protection agency of the exporting country must issue this certificate1<\/a><\/sup>. The certificate confirms that the plants were inspected or tested under official procedures and are considered free of the named quarantine pests1<\/a><\/sup>. Quarantine pests are pests that a country keeps out because they could cause serious harm there.<\/p>\n The core of the resolution is in Article 3. The UK plant-health certificate must carry an additional declaration<\/strong>, which is an extra statement the exporting country’s officials write on the certificate1<\/a><\/sup>. The declaration has two parts:<\/p>\n The second condition is about the country, not the single shipment. The certificate must state that the UK as a whole is free of this fungus1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n For an exporter, this means the lab work must be done before the plants leave. A shipment that arrives without the test results attached does not meet Article 31<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The resolution adds rules on the packing itself. Shipments must use new packaging or containers<\/strong>1<\/a><\/sup>. Used boxes or trays are not allowed under this rule.<\/p>\n The packaging must also be marked with the plant’s botanical name, giving genus and species<\/strong>1<\/a><\/sup>. For these plants, that is Musa acuminata. The label lets inspectors at the border check quickly that the goods match the certificate.<\/p>\n The importer must tell ICA whether the plants are a living modified organism<\/strong>, often called a genetically modified plant1<\/a><\/sup>. If the plants are modified, they must also meet Colombia’s current rules for such organisms1<\/a><\/sup>. The resolution does not list those other rules.<\/p>\n When the plants arrive, three more steps follow1<\/a><\/sup>:<\/p>\n The last step means ICA’s checks do not stop at the border. ICA staff will check the planting sites after the plants are in the ground1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n Article 4 gives ICA staff the status of sanitary police inspectors<\/strong> when they inspect, watch over and control these imports1<\/a><\/sup>. Civil and military authorities must support and protect them in this work, under Article 65 of Law 101 of 19931<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n Every official control visit must be recorded in a written report, on paper or in digital form1<\/a><\/sup>. The parties present must sign it, and a copy stays at the site1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n Breaking any rule in the resolution can lead to penalties under Articles 156 and 157 of Law 1955 of 20191<\/a><\/sup>. These penalties apply without prejudice to any civil or criminal action1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n ICA’s imports committee met on May 27, 2026 and agreed the requirements for these UK banana plantlets1<\/a><\/sup>. The committee, created by ICA Resolution 13633 of 2023, advises and decides on import requirements1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\nWhich banana plants does the ICA resolution cover?<\/h2>\n
Why did Colombia’s ICA act?<\/h2>\n
What must the UK plant-health certificate say?<\/h2>\n
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Papers each banana plantlet shipment needs<\/h4>\n
What rules apply to packing and labels?<\/h2>\n
What does the importer in Colombia have to do?<\/h2>\n
From the UK lab to the Colombian field<\/h4>\n
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What powers do ICA inspectors have?<\/h2>\n
How did the rules move from draft to final?<\/h2>\n
Draft and final resolution<\/h4>\n