Final Rule on Wood Packing Material

Sep. 20, 2004

On September 16, 2004, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a final rule on importation of wood packaging material.   The rule will go into effect on September 16, 2005.  Pursuant to the new rule, the APHIS adopted the international standard for wood packaging material approved by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) in March 2002.  The standard was developed to control and reduce the introduction of a variety of harmful pests which spread by use of unprocessed raw wood as packaging material.  The IPPC lists the major categories of the pests and sets out guidelines on applying heat or fumigation treatment with methyl bromide determined to be effective against such wood born pests.  The APHIS will apply the standard to wood packaging material from all countries, including China which currently has special provisions mitigating plant risk presented by imports of unmanufactured wood.  Canada and Mexico, however, will continue to be exempt from these regulations. 

In accordance with the guidelines, all importing goods using wood packaging material will have to abide by the IPPC standards and include an international mark certifying treatment.   The international standards call for wood packaging material to be either heat treated or fumigated with methyl bromide and marked with an approved international mark certifying treatment. The treatment certification mark harmonizes the regulations and replaces country-by-country certifications.  The new rule changes the term “solid wood packing material (SWPM)” to “wood packaging material.”  Pieces of wood less than 0.24 inches are exempt from the regulations because they are too thin to present a significant pest risk.  

The APHIS adopted the IPPC guidelines because they represent the current international standard determined to be necessary and effective for controlling pests in wood packaging materials.  The use of IPPC guidelines will also simplify and standardize trade requirements.  A uniform international standard will reduce compliance requirements, procedural burdens, and costs to importers.  China, Canada, the European Union, and many other countries are already preparing to implement the guidelines.

The Final Rule will amend the regulations as set forth in 7 C.F.R. Part 319.  See Importation of Wood Packaging Material, Final Rule, 69 Fed. Reg. 55719(September 16, 2004).   See also International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures: Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade, Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome: 2002.