APHIS updated plant inspection filing rules for tissue culture and lab status codes
CBP title: APHIS Announces Updates to Plant Inspection Station Message Set Filings and Deployment Dates
What did CBP announce?
CBP announced that USDA's APHIS revised the Core Message Implementation Guide for imports going to Plant Inspection Stations. The changes renamed Category Code 406 to Tissue Culture and added new required data fields, and added a new laboratory testing status code "I" for automated routing to inspection stations. APHIS said the changes went live in the ACE certification environment on July 27, 2026 and in production on August 27, 2026.
What is Allied's position?
This notice affected filers who submit APHIS Core Message Set data for plants for planting and tissue culture shipments routed to Plant Inspection Stations. Since the production deployment date of August 27, 2026 has passed, we apply these data requirements to the entries we file that involve tissue culture or Plant Inspection Station routing. Clients importing these commodities should confirm with us that their shipment data meets the updated field requirements. Clients who do not ship regulated plant commodities do not need to act.
General information, not legal advice.
What does the CBP message say?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) updated the APHIS Core Message Implementation Guide and Supplemental Trade Guide for filings of imports destined for Plant Inspection Stations (PIS). They can be found in the Draft Chapters: Future Capabilities https://www.cbp.gov/trade/automated/catair.
These updates are intended to improve data accuracy, streamline routing, and support timely clearance of regulated plant commodities.
1. Updates to Plants for Planting – Category Code 406 (Tissue Culture)
APHIS has revised the Plants for Planting section of the Implementation Guide as follows:
- Category Code 406 is now titled Tissue Culture.
- A new definition has been added.
• Filers must now report the Growing Media (A43) qualifier when using Category 406. o Acceptable values: AGAR or EXAR
• Filers should utilize (A41) physical state where applicable. o Acceptable values: WIRT or WORT
For full definitions, filers should consult the updated Appendix PGA, and for technical/business rules, the APHIS Core Message Set Implementation Guide and Supplemental Trade Guide.
2. Update to PG30 Record – Laboratory/Testing Status “I”
APHIS is updating the PG30 record to allow the use of “I” as a valid inspection laboratory/testing status.
- This indicator is required only for products proceeding to a PIS.
- Using “I” helps expedite automated routing of message set data to the correct PIS location for review and clearance.
Please see link of PIS Locations and acceptable port codes for routing in the APHIS Core Trade Supplemental Guide.
NOTE: Filers must continue to report the Port of Arrival (“A”), even if it differs from the anticipated inspection location.
The deployment dates for these updates are:
- ACE CERTIFICATION environment (CERT) – July 27, 2026
- ACE PRODUCTION environment (PROD) – August 27, 2026
Contact Information For questions or technical filing assistance, please contact the APHIS ACE ITDS Help Desk at ace.itds@usda.gov (mailto:ace.itds@usda.gov).