On June 27 and 28 the IGTC Secretariat Katy Lee and President Gary Martin participated in the International Plant Protection Convention’s (IPPC) ePhyto Industry Advisory Group meeting in Arlington, VA. The IPPC, the main UN body leading a pilot project on the exchange of electronic phytosanitary certificates, led the meeting which involved 15 countries including Argentina, Australia, China, USA, Netherlands and Egypt. The IAG is currently advising the IPPC on the ePhyto program, which will allow National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) to exchange phytosanitary certificates.  The program is currently being tested and the pilot will officially be up and running by September 2017. Following the meeting, IAG participants also conducted an outreach session with D.C. Embassies from around the world.  During the session, Gary gave a presentation that raised the awareness of the potential benefits of trade digitization, including increased efficiency, cost reduction and more secure transactions.