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Trade and Industry Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
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Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : CR EIC 111/2/12/1

 22 September 2004

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 233/2004

US : Importation of Regulated Wood Packaging Material (WPM)

As foreshadowed in Commercial Information Circular No. 156/2003 of 27 May 2003, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of US Department of Agriculture was amending the regulations for importation of unmanufactured wood articles into the US, with a view to adopting an international standard entitled "Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade" (ISPM guidelines). APHIS has now finalised the amendments and published the final rule in the Federal Register (FR) notice of 16 September 2004. A copy of the FR notice is at Annex A (pdf format) to this circular for reference.

The Final Rule

  1. As suggested in the proposed rule, the final rule adopted the ISPM guidelines which call for WPM to be either heat treated or fumigated with methyl bromide, and marked with an approved international mark certifying treatment. The final rule will become effective on 16 September 2005. Details of the requirements, with the currently approved format of the mark, are set out in pages 55732 - 55733 of the FR notice. The US may demand immediate re-export of regulated WPM without the required mark.
     
  2. Apart from the above amendments which are already covered in the proposed rule, APHIS, having reviewed public comments received, also:
  1. replaces the term "solid wood packing materials" with "regulated wood packaging material" throughout the regulations; and
  2. exempts wood pieces that are less than 6 mm (0.24 inches) thick in any dimension from the rule.

 

Hong Kong's Complementary Measures

 

  1. Commercial Information Circular No. 272/2003 of 12 November 2003 reported that in response to the proposals of the US and Canada to amend their respective entry requirements for WPM to tie in with the ISPM guidelines, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) had put in place a marking system to regulate WPM in shipments to, among other countries, the US. A copy of the updated fact sheet setting out the details of the ISPM guidelines and the marking system is at Annex B (pdf format). The AFCD will update the fact sheet from time to time and traders are encouraged to obtain the latest version at
     http://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/publications/publications_qua/files/ispm15_20050729_e.pdf

 

ENQUIRIES

 

  1. The Department will keep the trade informed of any further development of the subject matter. For further information of the ISPM guidelines and the marking system, please contact the AFCD at 2150 7008. For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at 2398 5682.




Yours faithfully,



(Miss Amanda Kwong)

for Director-General of Trade and Industry




Note : While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the above information, the Department cannot guarantee this to be so and will not be held liable for any reliance placed on the same.