Our Mission Statement
As a responsible partner TP delivers to clients, employees and the industries we serve the confidence to drive value through the effective use of our diverse professional team.
TIMBER PRODUCTS November 2019 HT Newsletter Volume: 11/04/2019
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
Peachtree City GA
Office 770.785.4769
Mobile 678.480.2451
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.
Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.
Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.
Pride slays thanksgiving, but a humble mind is the soil out of which thanks naturally grow. A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves.
Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.
Happy Thanksgiving to all from Timber Products Inspection. Our offices will be closed on November 28th and 29th to spend time with our families. We will re-open on Monday December 2nd. We are grateful for the opportunity to be of service to all our clients.
Countries with Unique WPM Situations
All countries that participate in the IPPC program, must follow the ISPM 15 regulations to meet conformance. Countries are permitted to impose stricter ISPM 15 requirements within their own borders but cannot impose higher standards than what IPPC dictates on other countries. Keeping this in mind, it is important to be aware that there are some countries that have unique challenges related to inbound IPPC marked WPM.
BARK
Australia and New Zealand see bark as evidence of infestation and because of this require all WPM coming into the country to be bark free. Many companies mark their WPM as "Bark Free" and while this is allowed, the wording must be at least 6 inches from the IPPC mark so it is not considered part of the IPPC marking itself.
PROTOCOL CHANGES
Prior to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil received many shipments with untreated WPM which were identified and fumigated at their ports without issue. Once Brazil finished their construction for the Olympics, they adopted a "no fumigation policy" for untreated WPM coming in and started re-exporting all containers with untreated WPM back to the country of origin. There were substantial backlogs of shipments at the discharge ports in Brazil as Customs held containers until they could open and review every load arriving from foreign ports. This practice continues today but companies are able to expedite their product through Customs using a form that identifies all WPM in the container as IPPC conforming. TP worked to develop this form that is still routinely implemented.
INTERPRETATION INCONSISTENCIES
China and Mexico can be a difficult to ship into depending on the port of discharge for the containers. There tends to be a level of inconsistency in how the ISPM 15 requirements are applied and as a result, containers that have no issues at one port may have problems at another port because Customs understands or interprets the program standards differently.
EXEMPT MATERIALS
Processed materials shipping with solid wood can also be a challenge in Australia, Brazil and China. ISPM 15 Annex 2 addresses the combining of processed materials with solid WPM:
"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. This approach to the application of the mark applies only to composite single units, not to temporary assemblies of wood packaging material."
ALSC has also clarified that facilities should practice care when integrating different material into WPM. "In some cases the WPM consists of an inner support skeleton of wood that is covered by cardboard, plywood or some similar material that is not solid wood. In these scenarios, no solid wood can be seen on the outside of the WPM... In such cases, the ISPM 15 mark can be applied to the outside of the WPM product. In addition, the ISPM 15 mark should be applied to the skeleton wood component(s) for evidence of compliance to ISPM 15 should the WPM ever be disassembled and inspected by the import country." (Ratified by ALSC October 27, 2006)
The USDA has advised that countries could also put special requirements on importers and if this occurs, the above situation may actually fall under a trade issue and not ISPM 15. It is important to be aware of this if material is routinely being held up on a specific importer.
MISTAKES
There have also been issues where Customs in a foreign country has mistakenly required the "WPM as a Commodity requirements" on pallets that were not shipping as a commodity.
It is very important that facilities in the IPPC program follow all the program requirements to help ensure they or their customers do not have any issues with Customs at the discharge ports of the countries the shipments are going to. If there are issues, TP can assist in addressing these through the USDA but there should be good evidence that the WPM in question meets conformance.