ABC’s of shipping heat treated pallets

Heat treating is a genuine concern among companies shipping products using wood packaging. The changes in the regulations are just the beginning of changes that will affect every company shipping products using wood packaging around the globe. Metro Plex Wood has become an industry leader by addressing these types of issues early to insure that our customers receive a seamless solution that is right on top of the regulations.

We partner with lumber mills that employ high production heat treating kilns. This heat treating procedure is approved for all existing regulations, and will be approved for future regulations as well. Call or e-mail us today for more information on heat treating pallets.

Certified On-Site Wood Pallet Heat Treating

Metro Plex Wood continues to provide solutions to our customer and industry needs. As of January 2004, all exported wood products to other countries need to be compliant with the IPPC international standard ISPM 15 to regulate wood and wood packaging in international trade. Metro Plex Wood leads the industry in providing a guarantee of this certification of compliance – which is essential to ensure cross border and international flow of goods for our customers. We can provide our customers with a certified (we’re audited on a monthly basis) heat treat certification stamp on each pallet that we send to our customer.

Global Heat Treating Standards

Major trading partners of the U. S. have started to adopt ISPM 15 (Guidelines for regulating wood packaging material in the international trade) in their regulations. Listed below are the pending quarantine requirements for the following countries (as of 21 November 2003).

European Union

The European Commission has announced (subject to final adoption scheduled for June) that all EU nations will implement ISPM 15 starting March 1, 2005. However, while ISPM 15 does not require the debarking of wood packaging, the EU said in early draft language that it must be “stripped of its bark”. They have amended that condition somewhat and now state they will make a distinction between conditions where wood must be bark-free and where it must be debarked and will recognize FAO Glossary of Phytosanitary Terms definitions for those processes. It is un known when specifics of those requirements will be determined.

India

India’s Ministry of Agriculture has notified WTO that it will implement new regulations for packaging materials effective June 1, 2004. All wood packaging will be required to be ISPM 15 compliant at that time.

South Africa

Based on their WTO notification, the RSA Department of Agriculture will start implementing ISPM on January 1, 2005

Current info for other countries that have begun process:

Australia

April 2, 2004, the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) released a quarantine alert in which they proposed inserting ISPM into their current import requirements for solid wood packaging (similar to the way New Zealand handled the standard). However, AQIS seems to intend to introduce the following additional conditions that are not part of ISPM 15:
• Must be bark-free.
• More rigorous MB fumigation schedule.
• Mandatory packaging declaration.

Proposed implementation date of these new requirements is July 1, 2004.

Brazil

In March 2004, Brazil’s Secretary for Plant and Animal Health Protection announced emergency requirements that began ISPM 15 implementation retroactive to January 2004.

Canada

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) started implementing their new regulation starting January 2004. Wood packaging imported from the US is exempt from treatment and marking.

China

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIS) has not decided when it will implement their new regulation for imported solid wood packaging. In discussions with APSIS, they indicated there would be an advanced notice for implementation and a phase-in period. For now heat treatment with certification through APHIS is the only recognized method for softwood; hardwood is exempt but still requires certification (we recommend use of the NC-US voluntary mark).

Japan

Japan is no longer considering ISPM 15 in the foreseeable future.

Korea

The Korean National Plant Quarantine service has published its rule adopting ISPM 15. They intend for their regulation to go into effect June 1, 2005. At this time, they will only accept heat treatment for coniferous wood; hardwood can be fumigated or heat treated.

Mexico

According to Secretaria de Medico Ambiente y Recursos Naturale’s (SEMARNAT) staff, Mexico is going to release its final rule before the end of the year. However, they say Mexico’s import requirements for solid wood packaging will not be implemented until middle of 2005.

New Zealand

New Zealand has fully implemented and is enforcing ISPM 15.

Switzerland

Switzerland is the first non-EU member that has passed legislation adopting ISPM 15. They say implementation will start July 1, 2004.

United States

As of January 2004, APHIS began encouraging all importers to use ISPM 15 compliant wood packaging in anticipation of future implementation of the regulation. The final rule is expected to be released by the third quarter of 2004 with a one-year grace period before enforcement penalties are levied.