Health and Sanitary Quarantine is a mandatory inspection, disinfection, isolation, or pest elimination measure implemented by entry-exit inspection and quarantine authorities on inbound personnel, means of transport, goods, containers, luggage, postal parcels, etc., in international trade to prevent the cross-border spread of infectious diseases, pests, and harmful organisms. Use scenarios include: when importing high-risk goods such as animals, plants, and their products, food, cosmetics, and waste materials, an "Inbound Goods Inspection and Quarantine Certificate" or "Health and Sanitary Certificate" must be obtained before customs declaration; the exporting country may also carry out quarantine and issue certificates at the request of the importing country. Precautions: quarantine standards vary greatly among different countries; for example, the European Union requires the IPPC mark on wood packaging, and the United States has strict access requirements for meat; enterprises need to confirm quarantine requirements in advance to avoid return or destruction due to missing certificates. Unlike "commodity inspection," health and sanitary quarantine focuses on public health and biosafety, while commodity inspection focuses on commercial attributes such as quality, specifications, and quantity; compared with "animal and plant quarantine," health and sanitary quarantine has a broader scope and covers vectors of human infectious diseases. Foreign trade practitioners should incorporate it into contract terms and clearly specify the responsible party and cost bearer.
📝 Examples
1. We are importing a batch of frozen Australian beef. When declaring at customs, we must provide an official sanitary and quarantine certificate issued by the exporting country to prove that the product meets our country's veterinary hygiene requirements; otherwise, the goods will be detained at the port. (Note: Imported food must be accompanied by a sanitary and quarantine certificate as a necessary document for customs clearance.)
2. Wooden pallets exported to the EU must undergo heat treatment and bear the IPPC mark to pass the EU's plant health quarantine and avoid return or destruction due to lack of quarantine. (Note: Wooden packaging must comply with the importing country's sanitary and quarantine standards; otherwise, customs clearance will be affected.)
💡 Foreign Trade Tips
Foreign trade terms are the foundation of international business communication
Trade practices may vary slightly by country; pay attention when using them
When using terms in contracts, specify the applicable version (e.g., Incoterms 2020)
For unfamiliar terms, use GlobalSync's multilingual email helper to confirm with your partner