International trade - Exports of live animals: exporters' responsibilities
Although Defra does its best to provide an efficient service and ensure the timely issue of the documentation necessary to enable exports to take place, it is important to remember that exporters themselves have a number of responsibilities.
Exporters must, for example, offer animals for export which meet the appropriate health certification requirements. Exporters must also allow adequate time for the processing of applications. In most straightforward cases, an application for an Export Health Certificate must be with us at least 10 days before the proposed date of export.
Where there has been no recent trade with a particular country, exporters will be asked by Defra to establish that country's import health requirements. This should be done through the exporter's trade contacts. Exporters need to take account of the time this may take when applying to Defra for export health certification. Defra is not liable if an Export Health Certificate and any accompanying documentation cannot be issued because of insufficient notice.
Page last modified:
22 May, 2006