FSIS to Onboard Mexico in PHIS Export Component

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) recently announced that starting November 4, 2024, all FSIS export certificates for meat and poultry products destined for Mexico will be managed exclusively through the FSIS Public Health Information System (PHIS). This new process does not apply to certificates for casings and egg products. To facilitate this transition, FSIS will open the Mexico PHIS Industry Test Environment (ITE) for testing on August 2, 2024.

Export certificates (FSIS Form 9060-5 series) generated through PHIS will now be digitally signed by FSIS and printed on plain paper by authorized industry personnel. These printed forms must feature the PHIS-generated watermark. Attestations for Mexico, as outlined in the FSIS Export Library, will be included in the remarks section of FSIS Form 9060-5 or on FSIS Form 9060-5B (continuation sheet). The digitally signed and watermarked FSIS Form 9060-5 series will fully replace all letterhead certificates for meat and poultry exports to Mexico. After November 4, 2024, FSIS will no longer issue wet-signed 9060-5 series export certificates or letterhead certificates for these products.

Industry participants are encouraged to take advantage of the Industry Test Environment, available on August 2, 2024, to test their export application submissions to Mexico. FSIS has provided detailed testing instructions on the FSIS website, under the PHIS Components page. FSIS emphasized that it’s crucial that industry ensures establishment information in PHIS aligns with Mexico’s approved establishment list to avoid potential shipment holds or rejections when Mexico implements the system.