Beginning January 16, 2017, all organic products entering the United States from Mexico will require a USDA National Organic Program import certificate. Mexico will implement a similar requirement for organic products entering Mexico from the United States in early 2017. These certificate requirements will increase transparency and strengthen monitoring and enforcement controls for organic products traded between the United States and Mexico. In turn, this will improve consumer confidence in imported organic products from Mexico, and protect the integrity of the organic trade.
NOP import certificates are used to verify that products shipped to the United States comply with USDA organic regulations, and must be issued by an accredited certifying agent. They are already required for organic imports coming from European Union member states, Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland.