SANTO DOMINGO.-  Three U.S. experts described the sanitary, vaccination and certification requirements Dominican exporters must meet to introduce products to the United States market to minimize risks of return or rejection.

Lin Ramos, Departament of Homeland Security (DHS) agricultural inspector, private customs agent Roberto de la Peña and Luis Suguiyama, of the Environmental Protection Agency Pesticides Office, spoke on a video-conference.

Ramos said her agency prevents vermin and diseases of any type in farm products, meat, lumber and others from entering her country in containers.

The process includes verifying if the data sent exactly matches the product, aside from establishing which treatments were applied to conserve it and if boxes, hardwood floors and wooden pallets or other material reviewed meet approved standards. "Any error in meeting those requirements can determine measures from the product’s fumigation or treatment to voiding them for risks of introduction of plagues or diseases, such as its return to the country of origin or destruction in the cases of products which cannot be fumigated, such as the case of mangos."

De la Peña said producers and exporters need to contact some company or individual to agree on the details of the procedures for products to gain entrance, so that they can reduce the possibility of errors in their operations.