CAIRO, EGYPT — Egypt has reestablished its mandatory pre-shipment inspections of grain at port-of-loading, according to a Feb. 11 Global Agricultural Information Network report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The renewed stipulation states that imports are subject to plant quarantine phytosanitary requirements, as specified in the import permit. The USDA said all plant and plant products must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate. The phytosanitary certificate must reference the import permit related to the shipment.

The General Organization for Supply of Commodities (GASC), an agency of the ministry of supply and internal trade, is referencing as of January 2020 in its tender documents the requirement of pre-shipment inspections at port-of-loading.

The reintroduction of pre-shipment inspections allows the Central Administration of Plant Quarantine (CAPQ) to inspect at the port-of-loading GASC purchases, which according to the USDA is the world’s single largest purchaser of wheat.