Rolnictwo i żywność · 20.05.2003
Importation of Solid Wood Packing Material
We are proposing to amend the regulations for the importation of unmanufactured wood articles to adopt an international standard entitled "Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade" that was approved by the Interim Commission on Phytosanitary Measures of the International Plant Protection Convention on March 15, 2002. The standard calls for wood packaging material to be either heat treated or fumigated with methyl bromide, in accordance with the Guidelines, and marked with an approved international mark certifying treatment. We propose to adopt the IPPC Guidelines because they represent the current international standard determined to be necessary and effective for controlling pests in wood packaging material used in global trade, and because current United States requirements for wood packaging material are not fully effective, as shown by analyses of pest interceptions at ports that show an increase in pests associated with wood packaging material. This increase in pests was found in wood packaging material that does not meet the IPPC Guidelines (e.g., wood packaging material from everywhere except China, which must already be treated due to past pe