Wood Packing Legislation

The Forestry Commission have given notice that importers or their agents will be held liable for any cost incurred where the wood packaging of goods received into the UK does not comply with the International Standard for Packaging Material (ISPM). They state “While some goods are carried on high quality pallets, much of this packaging and the loose wood used to wedge cargoes (or dunnage), is made up of low quality wood which can often present a high plant health risk”. Members are therefore recommended to advise their overseas agents of the potential cost of non-compliance.

Likewise, with effect from 2 January 2004, wood packaging for goods destined for the USA, Canada and Mexico will have to comply with ISPM15 landing requirement for wood packaging material. The requirements stipulate that all timber packaging will need to be heat-treated to 56°C for 30 minutes, or chemically treated with methyl bromide, to prevent the spread of disease through insects such as the Asian longhorn beetle and the pine wood nematode.

Some companies in the UK using timber packaging in exports to North America may be facing a serious threat to their business as it has been revealed that a shortage of UK kilning facilities might fail to meet demand from new treatment legislation. Infact only 20 kilns have been accredited so far by the Forestry Commission to carry out the heat treatment process. This could fast become a huge issue, particularly with the electronics, chemical, whisky and drinks industries.

Treated goods will be marked with an approved international certification mark. Failure to comply with the requirement will result in the importer or his agent being charged for the fumigation or destruction of the packaging. The cost of this will obviously have to be passed back to the agent at origin.

New heat treatment regulations are already being operated by China, and in the coming months a further 118 countries around the world are expected to sign up to the ISPM15 which specifies the same stringent measures.

Further information can be obtained from the forestry commission website www.forestry.gov.uk/planthealth

Article reproduced with the permission of BIFA