NOP Import Certificate Required
A NOP Import Certificate is a transaction certificate that contains detailed information about the quantity and origin of organic product being imported into the United States. Previously, this document was only required for shipments from countries where the USDA has established an equivalence arrangement. After March 19, 2024, this document is required for all organic imports, including those certified to the NOP organic standard.
To request an NOP Import certificate, complete the CCOF NOP Import Certificate Request and send to export@ccof.org. CCOF strives to process NOP Import Certificate Requests within 5 business days. NOP Import Certificates are billed per the CCOF Certification Services Manual.
- The exporter in the foreign country will request the NOP Import Certificate from their certifier.
- The certifier will review the request and issue the NOP Import Certificate in the USDA Organic Integrity Database.
- The certifier will provide the NOP Import Certificate to the exporter, who will then provide the certificate information to the U.S. importer.
- Each NOP Import Certificate will have a unique identification number. As a part of its standard filing process, the U.S. importer or customs broker enters the NOP Import Certificate number into the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) system by declaring the shipment as organic, choosing the OR2 option when prompted, and entering the 21-character electronic import certificate number for each product into the field provided. This will associate the shipment details in ACE with the import certificate information. The NOP Import Certificate does not have to physically accompany the shipment, as long as the data is associated with the shipment in ACE. This process is governed by timelines determined by CBP. The NOP Import Certificate should be available for review at the importer’s organic inspection.