Our Mission Statement
TP provides superior quality assurance programs and services to the forest products industry. This is accomplished by providing timely, cost effective services, thorough and accurate inspections, and exemplary customer service.
TIMBER PRODUCTS June 2016 Newsletter Volume: 06/23/2016
Online Newsletter
Matt McGowan - WPM Program Manager
mmcgowan@tpinspection.com
mmcgowan@tpinspection.com
Office: 770.785.4769
Mobile: 678.480.2451
Mobile: 678.480.2451
For more information on the IPPC program
Please contact:
Matt McGowan
WPM Program Manager
Conyers GA
Office 770.785.4769
Mobile 678.480.2451
mmcgowan@tpinspection.com
The unauthorized and/or fraudulent use of the TP IPPC mark is illegal and a situation we take seriously. Anyone with information regarding the misuse of IPPC marks should contact TP's WPM Manager immediately. Thank you for helping to protect the integrity of the ISPM 15 program which is vital to our business and economy.
Related Information:
RETAIL SALES RISE ANOTHER HALF-PERCENT
This healthy May increase follows the 1.3% gain recorded by the Department of Commerce for April, and offers more evidence that the economy has rebounded from a sluggish first quarter. Core retail sales (minus auto and gasoline purchases) were up 0.4% last month.
INFLATION CONTINUES TO FIRM
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, consumer prices rose 0.2% in May while producer prices advanced 0.4%. While a drop in food prices tempered the gain in the Consumer Price Index, the core CPI (which strips out energy and food costs) was up 2.2% in a year, exceeding the Federal Reserve’s annualized inflation target. The May wholesale inflation jump still left the Producer Price Index up just 0.8% year-over-year; plunging energy costs have held the PPI in check.
CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY MODERATES IN MAY
Building permits and housing starts both increased 4.9% in April, but Census Bureau data reveals no such leaps last month. Groundbreaking declined 0.3% in May, while the issuance of permits increased by 0.7%.
Sources: wsj.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov - 6/17/16
Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.
Edmund Burke
MARKS RELATED TO ISPM 15 CONFORMANCE
There are three marks involved in the process of creating ISPM 15 conforming wood packaging material (WPM). When applied each mark must be fully legible meaning all elements of the mark must be capable of being read or distinguished. This includes the border for the IPPC mark. These three marks are described in greater detail below.
HT Mark
TP HT Mark
The HT mark identifies individual pieces of lumber or lumber components as being heat-treated in conformance with ISPM 15 standards. The mark contains 3 elements; the facility number, the letters "HT" and the agency trademark. The HT mark must be applied legibly a minimum of one time per individual piece and 100% of pieces must be marked (a special provision is made for "small" pieces). The mark serves in establishing a chain of custody between the site that treated the raw materials and the facility that will certify finished WPM as ISPM 15 conforming. This mark is NOT recognized as a replacement for the IPPC mark.
IPPC Mark
The IPPC mark identifies multi-component WPM (i.e. pallets, crates, boxes, etc.) as being heat treated and debarked in compliance with ISPM 15 standards. In addition to the 3 elements of the "HT" mark, the IPPC mark also includes a country code and the IPPC "wheat" symbol. The IPPC mark should be legibly applied a minimum of 2 times with a mark placed on opposite faces of the WPM. These marks should be visible on the WPM so they can be easily seen by Customs if inspected. If the WPM is made up of solid and processed wood materials (i.e. engineered or corrugated board product), ISPM 15 states "where various components are integrated into a unit of wood packaging material, the resultant composite unit should be considered as a single unit for marking purposes. On a composite unit of wood packaging material made of both treated wood and processed wood material (where the processed component does not require treatment), it may be appropriate for the mark to appear on the processed wood material components to ensure that the mark is in a visible location and is of a sufficient size." To be safe, if you're dealing with a box where solid wood is used as an exterior frame place the IPPC mark on the solid wood frame and not the engineered or corrugated material. If solid wood is used as an interior frame, you should place the IPPC marks on the outside of the box on the processed wood material but also place marks on 2 opposite pieces of the interior frame so Customs can see them on the solid wood frame in the box if it is opened at port.
