On September 16, 2005, U.S. Customs and Border Protection ("Customs") and the U.S. Agriculture Department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service ("APHIS") will begin enforcing new laws restricting the importation of unmanufactured wood packaging material ("WPM") that is used to support, protect, or prevent damage to other imported commodities.
WPM includes common protective devices used in international trade such as cases, crates, drums, pallets, and skids. The purpose of the new laws is to prevent the introduction of plant pests into the through WPM. The bottom line is that WPM must be marked with an approved logo certifying that the WPM has been heat treated or fumigated for pests. Because Customs or APHIS can order the immediate re-exportation of WPM that is not properly marked or heat treated or fumigated, it is essential that shippers and importers ensure compliance with the new requirements for any shipments containing WPM.
Both Customs and APHIS have posted on their Web Sites details concerning the new WPM requirements. See http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/commercial_enforcement/wpm/ or http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/wpm/import.html. Shippers and importers are advised to access these Web Sites for more information and to verify whether their WPM is in compliance.
The new laws are based on international standards, which are called the "International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures: Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade." These standards are also called "ISPM 15" and they are issued by an organization called the International Plant Protection Convention ("IPPC").
The approved methods for treating WPM are generally the following:
- heat treatment to a minimum wood core temperature of 56ºC for a minimum of 30 minutes or
- fumigation with methyl bromide for at least 16 hours at the dosage set forth in the regulations.
Several types of wood packaging material are exempt from the new requirements, such as certain manufactured wood material (e.g., fiber board, plywood, particle board, oriented
strand board, whisky and wine barrels, or veneer), wood pieces that are less than 6
mm thick in any dimension, and most WPM made entirely from Canadian origin wood.
The enforcement of the new WPM requirements can be severe. For example, if Customs or APHIS finds that a importer's cargo has been packed with WPM that is not properly heat treated or fumigated or marked, the non-compliant WPM will be subject to immediate reexportation at the risk and expense of the importer, including costs incurred as a result of cargo storage and delays. Treatment or destruction of the non-compliant WPM in the will not be permitted. Because of the enforcement risks, shipper and importer compliance with these new requirements is essential.
Vikas Bhatnagar
LASERSEC (INDIA) PVT. LTD.
(Manufacturer of Security Holograms)
5C/9, Ist Floor, New Rohtak Road, Karol Bagh,
New Delhi – 110005.
Phone: +91 – 011 – 28712717, +919810213127
Fax: +91 – 011 – 28713320
Email: asaxena@lasersec.com