International Pest Management Issue

The spread of insects internationally through wood packaging materials has been a brewing issue for a number of years. The European Union (EU) has put in place requirements for some solid wood packaging materials exported to Europe. These requirements took effect Oct. 1, 2001 and impact primarily coniferous, non-engineered wood packaging (pallets, crates, dunange, etc.) shipped from the U.S., Canada, China and Japan.

Beyond the emergency measures, international governments worked under the auspices of the United Nations to develop a global standard for non-manufactured wood packaging. Leaders met in Rome in March of 2002 and finalized a voluntary standard requiring treatment for both hardwood and coniferous solid wood packaging. Acceptable treatment methods include heat treatment and fumigation with methyl bromide. Adoption of the standard has been left up to each country. Some countries may act quickly. Other countries may never adopt the standard.

NAFTA Countries To Adopt IPPC Standard in Early 2004

The United States originally planned to fully adopt and begin implementing the IPPC standard by January 2004. The U.S. government has adjusted its implementation date to April or May of 2004. Even though the United States will not begin enforcing the new standard until later in the year, it will start issuing notices to the governing agencies of foreign countries about noncompliant shipments starting in January 2004. The U.S. government will follow its current policy until the new standard goes into effect.

The planned U.S. program calls for a special relationship with Canada while Mexico will be treated like any other country. The similarity between the United States and Canada in their forest ecosystems, pest structures and quarantine procedures has led to this exception. Non-manufactured wood packaging originating in either country will not have to be marked or treated in accordance with the IPPC standard to flow freely across the border. Shipments destined for other countries should be marked or treated.

The European Union (EU) has announced its intention to adopt the IPPC standard no later than June 2004 with a likely implementation date of July 1, 2004 . The current draft language requires that wood packaging material be bark free. While this is a requirement that is more stringent than the current IPPC standard, it is not clear at this time if the EU will remove this provision in its final published standard. The U.S. government is hopeful that it can convince the EU to drop the bark free requirement according to one official government source.

For a while, China has indicated that it will likely follow the IPPC standard. Earlier this month, China made it official by declaring its intention to adopt the IPPC standard in March 2004. China has yet to set an official enforcement date. One unusual twist in its proposed regulation is the requirement that coniferous (softwood) wood packaging material coming from countries or regions where pinewood nematode occurs must be heat treated. China will accept other IPPC approved treatment methods from areas where the pinewood nematode has not been a problem. If this provision is part of China 's final rule, solid wood packaging material coming from the United States and Canada would have to be heat treated not fumigated. The Republic of Korea has a similar requirement in its draft standard.

Your compliance timetable depends on your customers and where they send their packaging. It all depends on when the momentum builds for compliance. As the EU, North America and other industrialized markets move to implement the standard, many packaging users will apply increased pressure on suppliers to only provide them with certified packaging. The IPPC standard is voluntary. It does not establish implementation deadlines or even require compliance. Plus, not every country belongs to the IPPC. For example, China is not a member at this time. At the time of publication, China's government officials have committed to adopting the IPPC standard in the near future.

The National Wooden Pallet & Container Association (NWPCA) and APHIS have developed a certification program for fumigation of wood pallets. The NWPCA has opened the program up to the industry, not just its members. For the most part, the fumigation program is very similar to the heat treatment program. There are a few notable differences. For example, the fumigation mark can only be applied to assembled packaging not component parts. Despite plans to phase out the use of methyl bromide due to environmental concerns, it will continue to be available for quarantine applications such as the treatment of wood packaging. The fumigation certification program was launched in September of 2003. For more information on fumigation certification, contact Package Research Laboratory, Timber Products Inspection, Inc., or Lee Inspection and Consulting Services.

For more information on the phytosanitary issue, visit the Pallet Enterprise Web site at www.palletenterprise.com/pests .

Above is the stamp we put on every pallet that has been heat treated to the standard set and regulated by the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association.

For Non-Manufactured Wood Packing (MWP) Manufacturers with Drying Capabilities HTML PDF For Non-Manufactured Wood Packing (MWP) Manufacturers without Drying Capabilities HTML PDF For Heat Treated Program as Secondary (Remanufacturers) Locations HTML PDF Timber Products Conformance Audit Agreement HTML PDF

To access the above information click on one of the links to the right of each description.  Each document is stored in three different formats for your convenience. HTML - This format provides quick access and good readability; however, printed output may be inconsistent depending on the browser and printer you are using. PDF - The Portable Document Format allows the document to be viewed and printed using the freely available Acrobat Reader software from Adobe Systems, Inc. Additional information including the above information can be found at Timber Products Inspection's website www.tpinspection.com INFORMATION/NEWS Recent News Industry Comments on Various Treatment Technologies Adobe Acrobat Reader Required Review of Treatment Technologies Adobe Acrobat Reader Required This review originally appeared in the October 2003 edition of the Pallet Enterprise. Questions & Answers Fact Sheet on the EU Emergency Measures Heat Treatment Equipment Check List Adobe Acrobat Reader Required Methyl Bromide Fumigation 101 Questions & Answers Fact Sheet on the IPPC standard List of Inspection Agencies Locate a Fumigator LINKS USDA Animal Plant & Health Inspection Service - Government forms, information on the latest developments and FAQs. International Plant Protection Convention - Homepage for the organization responsible for the new international standard. Includes a copy of the IPPC standard and a list of IPPC member countries. Softwoodpackaging.com  - List of international plant protection rules for wood packaging materials organized by country. Southern Pine Council  -  Provides an online directory of southern pine producers. Need heat treated softwood lumber? Look here for quality suppliers! American Lumber Standard Committee  -  The organization responsible for overseeing the U.S. inspection program for heat treatment of wood packaging material. NWPCA  -  The National Wooden Pallet & Container Association has developed fact sheets and information for industry members. The NWPCA also oversees the certification program for fumigation of solid wood packaging within the United States. Please keep in mind that printed material may be outdated. Contact the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, your inspection agency or the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association to be sure that you have the latest information.