Argentina
Lodged a WTO notification announcing implementation of ISPM15 - no proposed date of adoption provided. Note Details of the Argentinean requirements will be provided as soon as they are published.

Australia
Australia (AQIS) formally implemented ISPM15 alongside their existing regulations with effect from 1 September 2004. This action gives exporters a choice of treatment options which is mainly for the benefit of countries that do not have ISPM15 compliant wood marking programmes in place yet In addition to heat treatment or fumigation by Methyl bromide (NB for 16 hours for ISPM15 marked WPM - not 24 hours as originally published in Australia's earlier fumigation notifications), wood packaging material must also be debarked. Details of the new rules are set out in AQIS Notice to Industry No 19 (click here). (Last updated:17 August 2004). To view examples of AQIS supplier/packer declarations, click here (full container loads) click here (less than full container loads). (Last update 23 August 2004). The declarations can be completed by the Exporter as AQIS have confirmed that their reference to "Suppliers" also meant "Exporters".

Suppliers (ie the exporters) do not need to put UKWPMMP/ISPM 15 unique registration numbers on the packing declarations. The only number that is required is a numerical to link between the declaration and the container/shipment. The intention is for the supplier to fill out the declaration as they are the ones that AQIS will be targeting for increased surveillance/profiling if surveillance shows a problem.

We have been advised that AQIS has no quarantine concerns with packing made solely of reconstituted wood products. Reconstituted wood products are those that no longer contain solid wood as a result of the manufacturing process and include particleboard, chipboard, masonite, oriented strand board, medium and high density fibreboard. AQIS have published following Public Quarantine Alerts which wood packaging manufacturers and exporters using packaging materials made from processed wood products should familiarise themselves with -

PQA0389 - Importation of peeler cores as packaging or dunnage
PQA0390 - Amended import conditions for panel products
PQA0404 - Changed import requirements for packing made solely from reconstituted wood products (includes particleboard, chipboard, masonite, oriented strand board (OSB), medium and high density fibreboard).

All of these PQA's can be viewed on AQIS's site at www.aqis.gov.au/icon32/asp/ex_alertscontent.asp

Packing material made of newly manufactured plywood

Note: AQIS commenced a review of import requirements for plywood in late 2004. Until this review is completed, plywood will continue to be a quarantine concern.

Packing material made of plywood is acceptable for facilitated quarantine clearance, that is without inspection or further treatment, provided the plywood is newly manufactured (ie not pre-used), is manufactured in: Australia, Canada, Europe, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, United Kingdom or USA within three months of shipment; or countries other than those above, within 21 days of shipment, and in every case, accompanied by an acceptable certificate that includes the country of manufacture, the date of manufacture and a statement that the plywood has not been pre-used (see Appendix VII for an example of an acceptable newly manufactured plywood certificate).

Alternatively, packing material made of either new or pre-used plywood may qualify for facilitated clearance if treated offshore by an AQIS approved method (refer Appendices I, II and III). Acceptable treatment certificates must accompany such consignments.

Upon arrival, packing material made of plywood that does not meet the newly manufactured requirements above or has not been appropriately treated offshore will be subject to inspection, treatment (refer Appendices II and III), re-export or destruction with all options at the importer's expense. Import conditions for bulk imports of plywood are provided in the AQIS Import Conditions database ICON, available at www.aqis.gov.au/icon.

Full details of the above guidance can be viewed in AQIS's Cargo Containers - Quarantine aspects and procedures manual which is updated on a regular basis at www.affa.gov.au/content/publications.cfm?ObjectID=90AE2E1C-BD98-406F-914BECBE8EF22C37

Brazil
Lodged a WTO notification announcing implementation of ISPM15 - proposed date of adoption - Upon publication in Official Journal. Note Details of the Brazilian requirements will be provided as soon as they are published.

Canada
Canada has published its Directive regulating wood packaging material imports from all countries other than the USA. The Directive came into effect on 2nd January 2004.  Click here for details. However, it will not be fully implemented until 1 April 2005. Click here to view the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Q&A.

For a short summary click here

Phytosanitary Certificate not required

Chile
Lodged a WTO notification announcing implementation of ISPM 15 from 1 June 2005. To view their notification, click here. Note: Further details of the Chilean requirements will be posted later. 

 China
Having sought further clarification from China about Notice 11 (para 8 specifically) and Notice 32 (2005) - China has confirmed that they will accept ISPM15 compliant wood packaging material without a phytosanitary certificate or wood packaging material that complies with China Announcement 2002/58 with a phytosanitary certificate (updated 11 August 2005).

China continues to encourage exporters to use the ‘Declaration of use of non wood packaging material’. 

Phytosanitary Certificate not required from immediate effect, Please read information above.

Colombia
Colombia - see attached WTO Notification of intent to implement ISPM15. Actual date of implementation unknown.

EU
From 1 March 2005 new landing requirements apply for wood, wood products and wooden packaging material arriving in the European Community from all countries, except Switzerland. The landing requirement does not apply to wood, wood products and wooden packaging material which is simply moving from one EU member State to another. Additionally there is no phytosanitary certificate requirement for wooden packaging material arriving in the EC , which is ISPM15 compliant as the certification is provided via the ISPM15 wood mark.

The new rules, which are set out in Council Directive 2004/102/EC, will be incorporated into our national legislation as quickly as possible, once the final implementing details are agreed in Brussels.

For most wood products, the existing requirements will continue to apply. New treatment options, such as heat treatment for all conifer wood, regardless of country of origin, have been agreed AND THESE WILL BE ACCEPTED in Great Britain from 1 March.

More detailed information regarding the new treatment options as provided in the ‘Wood Package’ summary note (issued December 2003) can be viewed by clicking here

Wood packaging material (WPM) will also be affected following EU implementation of ISPM 15 on 1 March. From that date, all WPM, such as boxes, crates, pallets, which are made using any unmanufactured wood products, MUST meet the new requirements and be either heat treated or fumigated with Methyl bromide under an officially approved programme and carry the internationally agreed mark. WPM comprised entirely of manufactured wood products such as plywood, particle board, oriented strand board or similar is EXEMPT, and need not be treated or marked.

Note: the requirement in Directive 2004/102/EC that all WPM must be made from debarked wood has been suspended for one year ie until 1st March 2006 and WILL NOT therefore be enforced. Directive 2005/15/EC dated 28th February 2004 provides details of this amendment.
Emergency measures: In the meantime the emergency measures covering WPM from Canada, China, Japan and the USA will remain in place, pending review. This means coniferous WPM from these countries must be heat treated, chemically pressure impregnated or Methyl bromide fumigated and marked (and from China, only, be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate). In addition, non-coniferous WPM from China must be EITHER bark-free and free of insect bore holes > 3 mm across OR kiln-dried.

For all WPM manufactured after 28 February 2005, the mark must also include the IPPC1 logo –



1 IPPC – International Plant Protection Convention, FAO Rome

For WPM manufactured before that date, and until 31 December 2007, the mark need only contain the country code, the producer code and the treatment code. After 1 January 2008, all WPM will need to have the full ISPM 15 mark, including the IPPC logo

Dunnage 
From 1 March 2005, and until 31 December 2007, all dunnage must either be bark-free, free of pests and signs of live pests OR be heat treated or fumigated with Methyl bromide and carry the ISPM 15 mark incorporating the country code, the producer code and the treatment code. For treated and marked dunnage there is no requirement for the wood to be debarked until 1 March 2006. After 1 January 2008, all dunnage will need to have the full ISPM 15 mark, including the IPPC logo

This information is correct at the time of publication and will be updated as required. (Updated 3rd March 2005).

Guatemala
Lodged a WTO notification announcing implementation of ISPM15 - proposed date of adoption 25th January 2005 (Please note this date has been queried with the Forestry Commission and is being Investigated). Note Details of the Guatemalan requirements will be provided as soon as they are published.

Hong Kong
Hong Kong plant health authorities at http://www.afcd.gov.hk/quarantine/animals_e.htm

Phytosanitary Certificate not required

India
India implemented ISPM15 on 1st November 2004 and has published details of its landing requirements. Material with a plant origin used for packaging must either be heat treated or fumigated. Click here to see details as published by Ministry of Agriculture in India. Click here to see subsequent amendment (Updated 31 May 2004). Click here for Ministry of Agriculture, Plant Quarantine Organisation of India.

India has published details of its implementation of ISPM15 and landing requirements for wood packaging material w.e.f. 1st November 2004 (see attached Web page)

Phytosanitary Certificate not required

Japan has announced that it will implement ISPM15 on 1 April 2007. To view the WTO notification.  To view details in MAFF Notification No. 1352.  Further information can be viewed on Japan's website.

Mexico
Mexico will implement ISPM15 on 16th September 2005 (see North America entry). At the present time wood packaging should be bark free and free from signs of infestation.

Phytosanitary Certificate not required

Nigeria
Nigeria implemented ISPM15 on 30 September 2004.

The Nigerian Plant Quarantine Service have stated that -

‘All wood packaging and dunnage must be marked with IPPC logo and be accompanied with certificate of treatment. In the absence of IPPC logo and certificate of treatment it must then be accompanied with phytosanitary certificate issued by Plant Protection Organisation of exporting country’. 

We have requested details of the information to be included in the treatment certificate i.e will a fumigation certificate or Certificate of Conformity suffice and as soon as we receive a response from the Nigeria Plant Quarantine Service we will publish it on our website.  To our knowledge no ISPM15 compliant material shipped without a treatment certificate has been rejected by the Nigerian Authorities

Please continue therefore to monitor this website for updates.

Phytosanitary Certificate not required

Philippines
Philippines announced in June that they had implemented ISPM15 but a further announcement (20 July 2004) notifies that they will now partially implement ISPM15 on 1 January 2005 (treated but without the need for marking) with full implementation on 1 June 2005. After that date they will require all wood packaging material entering their territory should be treated and marked in accordance with ISPM15. Further details and information may be obtained through (epad.polreser@eudoramail.com).

Peru
Peru has submitted a WTO Notification advising of its intention to implement ISPM15 on 1 March 2005. Peru only provided trading partners with 6 days in which to comment on its proposals and this has been challenged with the WTO 60 day notification period being requested.

Republic of Korea (South Korea)
Republic of Korea implemented ISPM15 on 1st June 2005.  Republic of Korea has notified through the WTO that it will only accept WPM from certain countries if it has been fumigated for 24 hours. This has no direct impact on exports from the UK using packaging manufactured here. Apart from not having Pine Wood Nematode present, fumigations under the UK Wood Packaging Material Marking Programme must be over a 24 hour period. 

Phytosanitary Certificate not required

South Africa
South Africa has confirmed that it will implement ISPM15 on 1 January 2005.  Click here to see details. Enforcement of the ISPM15 will be from March 2005.  There will be a period of grace for non ISPM 15 compliant wood packaging material entering South Africa from 1st January - 1st March 2005. Until 1st March 2005, treatments will not be requested provided that such material is bark free and does not present a plant health risk.

Switzerland
An ‘agreement of equivalence’ has been reached between the EU and the Swiss. Wood packaging emanating from this market can be regarded in the same way as that from any EU member state.

North America
NAPPO (North American Plant Protection Organisation) has published a statement about implementation of ISPM15 in North American Countries (Canada, USA and Mexico). The statement reads -

NAPPO countries will adopt a phased-in approach which will lead to strict enforcement of ISPM No. 15 on wood packaging on September 16, 2005.

Turkey
Turkey has announced via the publication of Official Gazette: 30.12.2004-25686 that is has deferred its implementation of ISPM 15 until 1 January 2006.   Click here to view the amendment on Turkey's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs website by selecting the 'Regulations on Marking Wood Packaging Material for Phytosanitary Measures' option and by scrolling down to the foot of the page. 

USA

The USA announced on 9 September 2004 that it will implement landing requirements for wood packaging material, including dunnage, with effect from 16 September 2005 . All WPM and dunnage will require to be either heat treated or fumigated with methyl bromide and marked in accordance with ISPM15 on at least one vertical surface. To access the US Federal Register announcement, click here.

USA ISPM15 Implementation Update

For update click here

Please find this link for the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association, which will give you up-to-date information on the export treatment programme within the USA.

Whilst the use of ISPM wood packaging is not a mandatory requirement for this market at the current time, Timcon recommend it’s use in order to guarantee total acceptability.

Phytosanitary Certificate not required

New Zealand
New Zealand announces eight new import regulations including one for wood packaging material - published 16 April 2003.

Existing importation standards for wooden packaging still apply although the authorities have added the IPPC-ISPM15 standard to their list of acceptable treatments. For more information please visit: 
www.maf.govt.nz/biosecurity/imports/forests