CBP to Begin Enforcement Of APHIS' Treatment/Marking Requirements Of Wood Packaging Material Effective September 16, 2005
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a press release stating that on September 16, 2005 it will begin enforcement of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) import regulation for wood packaging material (WPM).
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According to CBP, APHIS' rule requires WPM, such as pallets, crates, boxes, and dunnage used to support or brace cargo, to be treated and marked.
CBP states that in cases of noncompliance, the WPM will be subject to immediate export along with the accompanying cargo1.
According to CBP, the approved treatments for WPM are: 1) heat treatment to a minimum wood core temperature of 56C for a minimum of 30 minutes; or 2) fumigation with methyl bromide. To certify treatment, the WPM must be marked with the following International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) logo (see logo below):
CBP adds that paper certificates of treatment will no longer be required or accepted.
1APHIS guidelines state that unmarked regulated WPM may be separated from the commodity being imported, if the inspector determines separation can be done without pest escape. A user fee will be assessed for supervising the separation of the regulated WPM from the cargo. APHIS also states that treatment will be allowed if hitchhiking (non-wood) pests are intercepted with IPPC marked regulated WPM.
Additional information to be available on CBP's Web site. CBP states that additional information on the enforcement of the WPM regulations will be available soon on its Web site (www.cbp.gov).
(See ITT's Online Archives or 07/08/05 news, 05070810, for BP summary on APHIS' treatment/marking requirements for regulated wood packaging materials.)
CBP press release (dated 07/29/05) available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/press_releases/07292005.xml.