Canada: New Wood Packaging Import Restrictions to Begin September 16, 2005

Issue 484, Issue 484, September 1, 2005

September 16th is the date that Canada, USA and Mexico have posted as their drop-dead date for all wood packaging arriving in North American from offshore. From this date forward all wood packaging must meet IPPC-ISPM 15 regulations.

It was agreed that Mexico would be regulated by both USA and Canada due to their access to exotic timbers which may carry exotic pests. Therefore, Mexico has been requested to meet the IPPC-ISPM 15 regulation when shipping to USA and Canada. In return USA and Canada will provide IPPC-ISPM 15 regulated wood packaging when shipping wood packaging to Mexico.

United States and Canada have mutually agreed not to regulate wood packaging moving between these two countries, but rather to recognize that the existing pest specific regulatory controls already in place as sufficient protection.

Additional details on the new requirements may be found on the following websites:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/swp/import.html
http://www.palletcentral.com/_INTLRegulations/ISPM15CountryUpdate.htm
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/for/cwpc/wdpkgqae.shtml