Important news for anyone exporting engines

Some friends exporting engines to the USA have suddenly discovered that the crates they have made will not be accepted into the USA because the wood is not treated & marked with the correct logo's. I have posted a copy of part of the regulations Below. (See also the web page at the bottom)

-- Dave Croft Warrington England

The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) approved the International Standards for

Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM): Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material (WPM) in International Trade (ISPM Publication No.

15) for WPM in March 2002. The U.S. Department of Agriculture?s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) amended import regulation 7 CFR 319.40 to reflect the requirements in the IPPC standard. The new requirements are effective September 16, 2005. This will give national plant protection organizations (NPPO) and affected businesses time to comply with the new requirements.

This standard requires WPM used in international trade to be treated. The approved treatments are:

1) heat treatment to a minimum wood core temperature of 56ºC for a minimum

of 30 minutes; or

2) fumigation with methyl bromide (MB).

The WPM also must be marked with the following information:

? The designated IPPC logo;

? The two?letter International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

code for the country that treated the WPM;

? A unique number assigned by (NPPO) to the company responsible

for ensuring the WPM was properly treated; and

? The abbreviation HT (heat treatment) or MB (methyl bromide).

WPM imported prior to September 16, 2005, must be in compliance with current import requirements or with ISPM No. 15. WPM imported without the IPPC mark will not be rejected prior to September 16, 2005. However, treatment, destruction, or re-export will be required if pests are found. Notifications will be provided to importers and the national plant protection organization in the export country when WPM is imported that is not treated and marked. WPM imported after September 15, 2005, without the IPPC mark must be re-exported. WPM made entirely of wood pieces less than 6 mm thick in any dimension, or made entirely of manufactured wood such as

plywood, particle board, or oriented strand board is exempt from the treatment and marking requirements.

Additional Information

For more information on the wood packaging material regulation, please visit this Web

site:

or contact CBP Chief Inspector

Susan Spinella at 206-553-2406.

Kathleen M. Sarten Area Port Director Seattle, WA

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