| Are you compliant with strict wood packaging regulations? |
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(Toronto, January 10, 2007)… Under new wood packaging regulations (ISPM No. 15), which became fully enforced on July 5, 2006, all shipments entering North America that contain non-compliant wood packaging materials will be refused entry and the entire shipment ordered returned to origin. If ocean LCL shipments are involved, the entire container will be refused entry, not just the non-compliant portion.
Treated wood packaging imported into Canada must be marked with the appropriate ISPM stamp or accompanied by a Phytosanitary Certificate attesting to the treatment (note, a fumigation certificate alone is not valid). However, the Phytosanitary Certificate is valid for Canada only. Any shipments moving through the USA for destination to Canada must be fully compliant with the U.S. regulation, i.e. all treated wood packaging materials must contain the ISPM stamp. Any non-compliant wood packaging found by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) will be refused entry and ordered re-exported back to the country of origin even though the goods are not destined for the USA.
Universal's recommendation: Have all wood packaging materials (pallets, crates, dunnage, etc, etc.) treated and stamped in accordance with ISPM No. 15. This is the best way to avoid any documentation issues related to improper Phytosanitary or fumigation certificates, while making sure your shipment is compliant with world-wide regulations.
Examples of ISPM stamps:
The ISPM stamp includes the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) logo and the appropriate code, e.g. XX-000-YY. The XX represents the International Standards Organization two letter country code for the country in which the wood packaging is produced; the 000 represents the official certification number issued by the National Plant Protection Organization to the facility producing the compliant wood packaging; the YY represents the treatment carried out (e.g. HT for heat treated wood or MB for methyl bromide treated wood).
In addition to having the wood stamped, the Bill of Lading should also contain the stamp information. For example, "Wood packing marked in accordance with ISPM No. 15 per IPPC stamp CN-001-HT".
Following are links to ISPM No. 15 Wood Packaging Regulations for Canada and the USA:
Canada:
www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/protect/dir/d-98-08e.shtml#4.0
USA:
www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/wpm/import.html
For more information, please contact Brian Rowe, General Manager Customs Consulting Services or David Lychek, Manager Ocean Services (905) 882-4880.
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