In January, APHIS will begin phasing in a new regulation governing imported solid wood packing material (SWPM). The rules will require that SWPM entering the US be heat treated or fumigated. During phase-in, APHIS will issue notices to foreign national plant protection organizations for inappropriately treated and marked SWPM imported into the US. No additional action will be taken until the implementation date, expected in April or May 2004.

Non-compliant SWPM (untreated and unmarked) will be subject to inspection for pests and if pest findings warrant, treatment will occur at the point of entry. As the phase-in period progresses, more robust action will be taken for non-compliant material until full implementation is achieved.

The rules cover coniferous and non-coniferous wood packing material including pallets, dunnage, crating, packing blocks, drums, cases, load boards, pallet collars and skids. Exempted are wood packaging made wholly of wood-based products such as plywood, particle board, oriented strand board or veneer that have been created using glue, heat and pressure or a combination thereof as well as veneer peeler cores, sawdust, wood wool and shavings, and raw wood cut into thin pieces are not being regulated

Heat-treatment is defined as heating the SWPM to a minimum wood core temperature of 56 degrees Celsius for a minimum of 30 minutes. Kiln-drying, chemical pressure impregnation (CPI), or other treatment may be considered to the extent that these processes meet the heat-treatment specifications.

Fumigation is defined as fumigating with methyl bromide in an enclosed area for at least 16 hours using the prescribed dosage table in the International Plant Protection Convention guidelines. Fumigated products must be aerated after fumigation to reduce the concentration of fumigant below hazardous levels, in accordance with label instructions approved by the U.S. EPA.

The SWPM must be marked in a visible location on each article, preferably on at least two opposite sides of the article, with a legible and permanent mark indicating that the article has been treated as required. The mark must include a unique graphic symbol, the ISO two-letter country code that produced the SWPM, a unique number assigned by the national plant protection agency of that country to the producer of the SWPM, and an abbreviation disclosing the type of treatment (HT for heat-treatment or MB for Methyl Bromide fumigation).