Copied directly from USDA bulletin
The principles of plant quarantine elaborated here are a concise restatement of the principles originally adopted by the NPB in the 1930's. The original principles are included in Appendix F.
1. Inasmuch as the purpose of plant quarantines and the means required to achieve them cannot be undertaken by private individuals or groups, quarantines properly are the responsibility of government.
2. Quarantines shall not be imposed as trade barriers.
3. Quarantines will be established on the basis of the following:
a. As determined by a pest risk assessment, the plant pest targeted must pose an actual or anticipated threat to a substantial agricultural or environmental interest and/or the general public. However, the absence of complete biological knowledge of a pest will not necessarily prohibit the adoption of a quarantine.
b. No substitute or alternative mitigating action will accomplish the same pest prevention purpose.
c. Accomplishment of the stated purpose is a reasonable expectation.
d. Economic and/or environmental benefits outweigh the cost of administration and the costs to those who must comply with the restrictions imposed.
Pest risk mitigation tactics or strategies can be enforced at the point of origin or at the point of arrival of the shipment. Enforcement at the point of origin can be more efficient and effective. It has the additional advantage of much more orderly marketing. Interstate origin inspection programs can be developed to achieve compliance with both quarantine and product quality standards. Interstate Origin Inspection is described in detail in Appendix J.
K. Phytosanitary Certification
Phytosanitary certification specifically relates to certification of compliance with the quarantine requirements of a foreign country or another state. The validity and reliability of phytosanitary certification is so critical that the National Plant Board has developed a standard for phytosanitary certification and included it as Appendix K in these Guidelines. The standard clarifies what phytosanitary certification is, why it is important, and what contributes to validity and reliability. Program administrators will want to make compliance with it a matter of agency policy.
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