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ISPM
15 Solid Wood Packaging Update
As of May, 2004
Countries with implementation changes: European UnionThe
European Commission has announced (subject to final adoption scheduled for June)
that all EU nations will implement ISPM 15 starting March 1, 2005.
However, while the ISPM 15 does not require the debarking of wood
packaging, the EU said in early draft language that it must be “stripped of
its bark.” They have amended that
condition somewhat and now state they will make a distinction between conditions
where wood must be bark-free and where it must be debarked and will recognize
FAQ Glossary of Phytosanitary Terms definitions for those processes (See
Conner’s web page for the FAQ Glossary).
It is unknown when specifics of those requirements will be determined.
The European Union has added 10 new members.
See ‘Participating Countries’ in the ‘Export Issues’ section of
Conner’s web page (www.connerindustries.com) for an updated
list of countries that have signed the IPPC Agreement.
IndiaIndia’s
Ministry of Agriculture has notified WTO of their intention to adopt ISPM 15.
They have just announced wood packaging will be required to be ISPM
15-compliant effective June 1, 2004. South AfricaBase
on their WTO notification, the RSA Department of Agriculture will start
implementing ISPM 15 on January 1, 2005. Other News The
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) has contracted with NWPCA through a sublicense
agreement to authorize the use of the IPPC treatment mark for fumigation.
The agreement allows those facilities registered in NWPCA’s Fumigation
Program to use the IPPC logo on all wood packaging materials fumigated with
methyl bromide (MB) or any fumigants to be determined to be effective in the
future. Anyone not enrolled in the
NWPCA program caught using the mark can be prosecuted by APHIS for fraud.
Conditions for using the fumigation mark are consistent with those of the
ALSC Heat Treatment program. Current
info for other countries that have begun implementation process: Australia
April
2, 2004, the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) released a
quarantine alert in which they proposed inserting ISPM 15 into their current
import requirements for solid wood packaging (similar to the way New Zealand
handled the standard). However,
AQIS seems to intend to introduce the following additional conditions that are
not part of ISPM 15: Ř
Must be
bark-free Ř
More
rigorous MB fumigation schedule Ř Mandatory packing declaration Proposed
implementation date of these new requirements is July 1, 2004. BrazilIn March 2004, Brazil’s Secretary for Plant and Animal Health Protection announced emergency requirements that begin ISPM 15 implementation retroactively to January 2004. CanadaThe
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) started implementing their new regulation
starting January 2004. Wood
packaging imported from the U.S. is exempt from treatment and marking. ChinaThe
General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIS)
has not decided when it will implement their new regulation for imported solid
wood packaging. In discussions with
APHIS, they indicated there would be an advance notice for implementation and a
phase-in period. For now heat
treatment with certification through APHIS (USDA Form PPQ 553) is the only
recognized method for softwood; hardwood is exempt but still requires
certification (we recommend use of the ‘NC-US’ voluntary mark).
Conner Industries can provide the certification necessary with
heat-treated wood orders. Ask
Conner Salesman for more information. Japan
Japan
is no longer considering ISPM 15 in the foreseeable future. Korea
The
Korean National Plant Quarantine Service has published its rule adopting ISPM
15. They intend for their
regulation to go into effect June 1, 2005.
At this time, they will only accept heat treatment for coniferous wood;
hardwood can be fumigated or heat-treated. Mexico
According
to Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturale’s (SEMARNAT) staff, Mexico
is going to release its final rule before the end of the year.
However, they say Mexico’s import requirements for solid wood packaging
will not be implemented until the middle of 2005. SwitzerlandSwitzerland
is the first non-EU member that has passed legislation adopting ISPM 15.
They say implementation will start July 1, 2004. United StatesAs
of January 2004, APHIS began encouraging all importers to use ISPM 15-compliant
wood packaging in anticipation of future implementation of the regulation.
The final rule is expected to be released by the third quarter of 2004
with a one-year grace period before enforcement penalties are levied. New ZealandNew
Zealand has fully implemented and is enforcing ISPM 15. FOR HELP OR QUESTIONS ·
Call a
Conner Sales Representative at (800) 543-4893 or email info@connerindustries.com
if you have any questions or concerns regarding the IPPC standards or what it
may mean to you and your company. See
our website at www.connerindustries.com, “EXPORT ISSUES”
for more details. ·
All
Conner locations stock Heat Treated (HT) lumber as well as exempt engineered
wood products for domestic and export wood needs.
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