Global Soil Partnership

SIMPLE - Soil Import Legislation

Inter-laboratory comparison is a key tool to asses and enhance standards of the analysis, and assist in the standardisation of soil analytical methods across laboratories leading to more reliable and interoperable soil data. But organizing international inter-laboratory comparisons might result quite difficult because of the need to comply with national regulations on the import/export of soil samples that might result in the destruction of the soil samples at the customs.

In order to promote and facilitate the organization of international inter-laboratory comparisons and to assist all those countries with analytical capacities (still) insufficient to cover their national demand to ship the soil samples to be analyzed abroad, GLOSOLAN decided to share its knowledge and experience in national customs control procedures by organizing them in an online global customs control procedures database herewith called Soil IMPort LEgislation (SIMPLE).

The database was prepared building on GLOSOLAN’s previous experience in soil sample exchange, based on the information provided by laboratories in individual countries, and based on the information available on the website of national customs agencies. Before being published, all information were sent to the GSP national focal points and to GLOSOLAN’s member laboratories for validation.

Please enter the name of the country you wish to send a soil sample to learn about their customs control procedures:

GLOSOLAN is doing its best to keep the database updated. However, we recommend you to:

  1. Cross check the information in the database with the customs agency of recipient countries and with all recipient laboratories as we do not want that last minutes changes in national regulations affect the shipment of your samples.
  2. Coordinate the shipment of the samples with all recipient laboratories. Very often, recipient laboratories have to take action with their national customs agency in order for the samples to pass the customs and enter their country.
  3. Ask recipient laboratories about additional documents you might have to prepare. Laboratories usually have safety and administrative procedures to respect when it comes to accepting and analysis foreign soil samples. Make sure to have all needed documents at hand.

GLOSOLAN is a participative initiative. You are more than welcome to contribute to the improvement and development of the SIMPLE database by sending an email to [email protected] and to [email protected]

 

 

Legal Disclaimer

1.     The information contained in this database is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by the Global Soil Laboratory Network, an initiative of the Global Soil Partnership of the Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). While FAO will endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the database or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained therein for any purpose. Under no circumstances shall FAO, or its subcontractors, bear responsibility to any user or third parties for any misrepresentation, inaccuracy, error, omission, deletion, defect, alteration of any content posted in the Database, or for its timeliness or completeness. Any reliance users place on such information is strictly at their own risk.

2.     FAO reserves the right at any time, and from time to time, to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the database, including any means of accessing or utilizing it, at its sole discretion with or without prior notice to users.

3.     The mention of an institution or of its services on the database, does not imply that these have been endorsed, accredited or recommended by FAO.

4.     FAO shall not be liable for any loss or damage arising from, or directly or indirectly connected to, the use of, reference to, or reliance on any content provided in the database, including, but not limited to, any liability arising from any intentional or negligent misuse, errors, disclosure, undue transfer, loss or destruction of data and/or soil samples that may occur.

5.     Through the database users can access other websites which are not under the control of the Organization. The Organization has no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any link does not imply a recommendation or endorsement of any views expressed therein.