| Removal of Canada-U.S. Cross-Border Wood Packaging Exemption |
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(Toronto, July 25, 2008)… With a growing number of invasive insect species being introduced in Canada and the U.S., the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the United States Department of Agriculture s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have jointly agreed to terminate the current cross-border exemption and begin enforcing ISPM No. 15 for wood packaging material.
Removal of the exemption will require that all non-manufactured wood packaging materials (e.g. pallets, crates, etc.) must be heat treated and appropriately marked or goods will be refused entry.
To allow sufficient time to adjust, the CFIA and APHIS are developing a strategy that involves a gradual multi-year phase-in period. Complete implementation of the ISPM No. 15 is expected by 2011.
Before the import requirement is enforced, the CFIA will address concerns raised during consultations with affected stakeholders. Industry, exporters, importers, brokers, wood packaging manufacturers and interest groups are encouraged to provide comments on the proposed phase-in approach to CFIA within the next 90 days at the following address:
www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/for/cwpc/consulte.shtml.
This notice is available on the CFIA website at: www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/newcom/2008/20080724e.shtml.
For more information, please contact Brian Rowe, General Manager Customs Consulting Services (905) 882-4880.
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