A. General Information
1. Title
Ephyto exchange between Morocco and the USA
2. Status of the project/service
3. Implementation period of the project/service:
5. Geographical coverage
Bilateral: Morocco and the USA
6. Participating agencies/entities of the project/service:
a. Development stage
Lead agencies/entities
Morocco’s Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des produitsAlimentaires (ONSSA) , the United States’ Department of Agriculture (USDA) , IPPC
Other participating agencies/entities
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b. Operational stage
Lead agencies/entities (op)
Morocco’s Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des produitsAlimentaires (ONSSA) , the United States’ Department of Agriculture (USDA) , IPPC
Other participating agencies/entities (op)
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7. Main stakeholders/beneficiaries of the project/services
Traders (big enterprises)
Traders (SMEs)
Customs brokers
Customs
8. Business process category of the project/service
Regulatory/official control
B. Lessons Learned
9. Summary description of the project/service
a. Objective(s)
Morocco became the first African country introducing electronic phytosanitary certificates and integrating ePhyto within their national trade system. The international electronic exchange of e-phytos was launched on 26 March,2020. Under the new electronic system, certificates ca be transferred via the e-phyto hub under the initiative led by the Commission of Phytosanitary Measures (CPM).The HUB is a centralized system to facilitate exchange of ePhytos between NPPOs with a set of prescribed rules of connection and defined structure/codes/terms for the XML message. For a country to participate in the Hub it is mandatory to have the capacity to produce electronic phytosanitary certificates.
b. Business need for the project/service (background)
To become faster and more cost effective for importers and exporters considering also the fact that digitization operations are becoming more and more important.
c. Business process covered*
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d. Overall architecture and functionalities*
Use of the Hub is voluntary
The Hub is a single, multilateral system
The Hub will be available 24/7 (secure and monitored)
No information (messages, transactions) should be lost
There is a single exchange protocol
The IPPC determines the version of UN/CEFACT schema
Participating countries will require a National System to exchange ePhyto through the Hub
e. Relevant document/figure
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10. Documents and data exchanged via the project/service
Electronic phytosanitary certificates
11. Data models/databases, proprietary solutions, hybrid approaches
Please follow the link: https://www.ephytoexchange.org/landing/hub/index.html
12. Main challenges faced during the project/service
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13. Lessons learned from the project/service
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14. Main benefit(s) of the project/service
Enhanced regulatory compliance*
Transaction Cost savings*
Transaction Time savings
Simplified process
14A. Elaborations/detailed description on benefits gained:
Reduction of the risks to loss or damage, fraud
Facilitation to cut delays for traders
Cutting costs for traders
Reduction of administrative burden on border agencies
15. Technical/financial/capacity building/other assistance
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16. Future plan for expansion of the project and service
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17. Other information or relevant references on the project and service
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18. Relevant document regarding the project/service
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C. Relevant Standards
19. Name(s) of any international, national legal instrument underpinning the project/service
International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures
20. Electronic message standard
20A. Electronic message standard supporting the project/service:
20B. Type of standard for electronic message applied for the project/service
21. Technical communication standard
21A. Technical communication standard supporting the project/service
Exchange protocol is Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) over HTTPS
21B. Type of technical communication standard applied for the project/service
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22. Security-related standards*
22A. Security-related standard supporting the project/service
Digital signatures
https://www.ephytoexchange.org/landing/assets/docs/IPPC%20ePhyto%20Digital%20Signature%20-%20WP.pdf
22B. Type of security-related standard applied for the project/service
23. Other Technical Information
23A. Interface developed for data exchange with an internal system
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23B. Other technical implementation information
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