Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline: 23 922 922

Ref : EIC 631/2

15 November 1999

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 179/99

The Mainland of China : Measures on Imports of Wood Packing
Materials from the US and Japan

The State Administration for Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine, the Customs General Administration and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation jointly issued the attached announcement on 1 November 1999 concerning the urgent quarantine measures on imports of wood packing materials from the US and Japan to prevent an infestation by a tree-killing pest, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner & Buhrer) Nickle. The measures include, among other things :

1. wood packing from the US and Japan should avoid the use of conifer materials. The shipments containing conifer wood packing materials should be effectively treated before their entry into China;
2. the importers should submit to Chinese inspection and quarantine authorities documents from the relevant quarantine departments of the US and Japan governments to prove that the shipments have been effectively treated; and
3. for shipments not containing conifer wood packing materials, declaration of ":non-conifer-wood packing" or"non-wood-packing" should be submitted instead.

2.The effective date of the measures is 1 January 2000

ENQUIRIES

3.If you have any questions on the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at 2398 5680.

Yours faithfully,

(Steven M L MA)

for Director-General of Trade

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.