New restrictions target import packaging from China

By Staff -- Logistics Management, 12/1/1998

The Asian longhorned beetle has landed--and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) wants to prevent more arrivals. That could mean more paperwork for importers.

Earlier this year, the federal agency traced an Illinois infestation of the destructive, black-and-white insects to packing crates containing goods imported from China. The beetles bore into hard wood, depositing eggs that hatch into larvae that eventually kill the host trees. The beetle, which has no known predators in North America, has been found in 14 states.

To prevent the pest from spreading, USDA has issued emergency rules that require all solid-wood packing materials, such as pallets, crates, and dunnage, to be heat treated, fumigated, or treated with preservatives prior to leaving China. A certificate declaring that the wood has been so treated, signed by an appropriate Chinese government authority, must accompany the goods.

The new rules are effective with any vessel sailing from China on or after Dec. 17. Public hearings were held in Washington, Seattle, and Los Angeles in October and November.

A wealth of information about the proposed restrictions is available online. The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Web site (www.aphis.usda.gov) explains the agency's proposal in detail. The National Wooden Pallet and Container Association's site (www.nwpca.com) provides details on which types of wood products would require treatment, a list of treatment methods that have been approved for use on solid-wood packing from China, and updates on international discussions over the proposed changes.