Project

A. General Information

1. Title

Kazakhstan ePhyto Exchange (IPPC ePhyto Hub Connection)

2. Status of the project
Pilot
3. Implementation period of the project/service:
From
Sep-2023
To
--
4. Website
https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/agroindust
5. Geographical coverage
Bilateral
Participating countries: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan
6. Participating agencies/entities of the project/service:
a. Development stage
Lead agencies/entities
• State Inspection Committee in the Agroindustrial Complex of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan NPPO)
• Ministry of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan
• QazTrade Trade Policy Development Center
Other participating agencies/entities
• International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat
• United Nations International Computing Centre (UNICC)
• Asian Development Bank (ADB)
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
• United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
• International Trade Centre (ITC) - Ready4Trade Central Asia
• USAID
b. Operational stage
Lead agencies/entities (op)
• State Inspection Committee in the Agroindustrial Complex of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Other participating agencies/entities (op)
• IPPC Secretariat (Hub operations)
• UNICC (Technical infrastructure)
• Agency of Plant Protection and Quarantine of Uzbekistan (bilateral partner)
7. Main stakeholders/beneficiaries of the project
Traders (big enterprises)
Traders (SMEs)
Transport
Customs brokers
Customs
Other Government Agencies (OGAs)
Agricultural exporters/importers, phytosanitary inspectors, plant quarantine laboratories
8. Business process category of the project
Commercial Transactions
Transport
Regulatory/official control

B. Lessons Learned

9. Summary description of the project/service
Brief Summary

Kazakhstan's ePhyto project connects the national phytosanitary information system to the IPPC Global ePhyto Hub, enabling electronic exchange of phytosanitary certificates with trading partners, starting with Uzbekistan under the CAREC trade digitalization initiative.

a. Objective(s)

To digitalize phytosanitary certification processes, enable secure electronic exchange of SPS certificates between Kazakhstan and trading partners, reduce paper-based documentation, prevent fraud, accelerate customs clearance for agricultural products, and enhance cross-border trade facilitation in the CAREC region.

b. Business need for the project (background)

Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan agricultural trade relied on paper-based phytosanitary certificates, causing time costs for handling physical documentation, risks of loss or forgery, and challenges in verifying document authenticity. Cross-border paperless exchange implementation increased from 11% in 2015 to 61.1% in 2025 in Kazakhstan.

c. Business process covered*

Phytosanitary certification for export and import of plants and plant products; quarantine inspection; laboratory examination; issuance and verification of phytosanitary certificates; cross-border data exchange between National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs).

d. Overall architecture and functionalities*

Kazakhstan's Argus-PHYTO national system connects to the IPPC ePhyto Hub, a centralized server that facilitates transfer of electronic phytosanitary certificates in XML format between NPPOs. The Hub uses UN/CEFACT SPS Certificate schema conforming to ISPM 12. Countries can use their own national system or the Generic ePhyto National System (GeNS) web-based platform.

e. Relevant document/figure
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10. Documents and data exchanged via the project

Electronic phytosanitary certificates (ePhytos) in XML format containing: exporter/importer information, description of consignment, botanical names of plants, country of origin, declared point of entry, treatment information, additional declarations, and certifying statements from NPPOs.

11. Data models/databases, proprietary solutions, hybrid approaches

UN/CEFACT SPS Certificate XML schema (version 17A) mapped to ISPM 12 requirements. Standardized code lists for country codes (ISO), location codes (UN/LOCODE), botanical names (EPPO list), treatment types (IPPC codes).

12. Main challenges faced during the project

Shortage of phytosanitary specialists at border posts; need for laboratory equipment and internet connectivity at checkpoints; integration requirements between national systems and the ePhyto Hub; coordination across multiple agencies; capacity building needs in Central Asian countries.

13. Lessons learned from the project

Connecting to a multilateral hub eliminates need for costly bilateral agreements; regional coordination through CAREC accelerates adoption; availability of GeNS in Russian language facilitates Central Asian country participation; partnership between international organizations (ADB, GIZ, USAID, ESCAP, ITC) provides crucial technical and capacity building support.

14. Main benefit(s) of the project
Enhanced regulatory compliance*
Transaction Cost savings*
Transaction Time savings
Simplified process
Increased trade flow
14A. Elaborations/detailed description on benefits gained
--
15. Technical/financial/capacity building/other assistance

Asian Development Bank (ADB) - CAREC program coordination and funding; GIZ Trade Facilitation in Central Asia project; Ready4Trade Central Asia (EU-funded, ITC-implemented); USAID; ESCAP feasibility studies; Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) funding for ePhyto Solution development; World Bank support for developing country implementation.

16. Future plan for expansion of the project

Kazakhstan plans to expand ePhyto exchange beyond Uzbekistan to other CAREC countries including Kyrgyzstan (planned by end of 2024 per May 2024 agreement). Plans also include further integration with KEDEN national customs platform and development of electronic certificates of origin (e-CO) exchange with Tajikistan.

17. Other information or relevant references on the project

Kazakhstan's overall trade-facilitation score rose to 76.34% in 2025 (from 70.97% in 2021). Paperless trade implementation increased from 29.6% in 2015 to 66.7% in 2025. The project aligns with CAREC Integrated Trade Agenda 2030 and Framework Agreement on Cross-border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific.

• IPPC ePhyto Solution documentation: https://www.ephytoexchange.org/landing/
• Kazakhstan Trade Portal: https://tradeinfo.kz/

18. Relevant document regarding the project
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C. Relevant Standards

19. Name(s) of any international, national legal instrument underpinning the project
• International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)
• ISPM 12: Phytosanitary Certificates (including Appendix 1 on Electronic Phytosanitary Certificates)
• WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement)
• WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement
• Framework Agreement on Cross-border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific
• CAREC Integrated Trade Agenda 2030
20. Electronic message standard
20A. Electronic message standard supporting the project
XML:
- UN/CEFACT BRS/RSM
- Other XML format: UN/CEFACT SPS Certificate schema (version 17A, SPSCertificate package)
20B. Type of standard for electronic message applied for the project
International standard
21. Technical communication standard
21A. Technical communication standard supporting the project
HTTP, Web Services API (RESTful), HTTPS
21B. Type of technical communication standard applied for the project
International standard
22. Security-related standards*
22A. Security-related standard supporting the project
TLS (Transport Layer Security) / SSL (Secure Socket Layer)
Payload (message) encryption (text security)
Digital signatures
Electronic seals (eSeals)
22B. Type of security-related standard applied for the project
International standard
Technical recommendations from international body(ies)
23. Other Technical Information
23A. Interface developed for data exchange with an internal system
Kazakhstan's Argus-PHYTO national phytosanitary information system interfaces with the IPPC ePhyto Hub via Hub Web Services API. The system integrates with e-Licensing portal (elicense.kz) for phytosanitary certificate issuance
23B. Other technical implementation information
The IPPC ePhyto Hub uses RedHat JBoss with ActiveMQ for asynchronous message-driven architecture. Validation Tool integrated since July 2018 for quality assurance of exchanged messages. Countries can use GeNS (Generic ePhyto National System) if they lack national IT infrastructure. System processes approximately 107,000 messages monthly globally with 92% confirmation rate.