May 15, 2007

ISPM 15 Modifications Causing End Users to Explore Alternatives

The ISPM 15 was developed by the international community to achieve two main goals:

-- Stop the introduction of non-indigenous wood-related invasive species
-- Harmonize the import requirements for wood packaging to facilitate the efficient movement of goods around the world

To change the standard international technical panels need scientific evidence, but signatory countries have an option to make any modification they want on imports into their territory. For example, the United States has a bilateral agreement with Canada that allows for no treatment requirements, but demands certification that pallets coming into the United States are manufactured with native lumber. If they are not made from U.S. or Canadian lumber they must be treated and marked consistent with ISPM 15.

Thus, the International Plant Protection Convention under which the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations developed the ISPM 15 requirements left the various participating nations an avenue in which to customize and augment the standard – and they are using it without adhering to the IPPC condition of providing technical justification. In effect there is no country harmonization.

Here are some of the country variations imposed by IPPC-participating nations:

Bark Free Requirements
Australia and New Zealand

Debarked Requirements
Bolivia, Chile, European Union (effective January 1, 2009 pending review September 2007), and Turkey

Paper Documentation

Australia: Shippers must provide packing declarations for ISPM 15-compliant WPM in less than container load (LCL), full container load (FCL) and combined LCL/FCL. Other treatments are also accepted and should come with proper certification.

China: Although not a requirement, it is highly recommended to make a declaration preferably in Chinese language on the shipping invoice that "WPM are ISPM 15-compliant," "WPM are exempt from ISPM 15" or "There is no WPM in this shipment."

India: A phytosanitary certificate is required for treated WPM that is not ISPM 15-compliant.

The ISPM 15 harmonized standard, which is paperless and does not require debarked or bark-free wood packaging material, has demonstrated through port monitoring that it is effective. Since implementation interception of pests has been less than one-tenth of one percent. The international standard works – without packing declarations, without debarking and without bark-free demands! If there are variations to the standard, the harmonization is removed and the work of the IPPC is obliterated.

What this means to you: End users, particularly those who ship to a number of countries, want the certainty of knowing their goods will move quickly through the ports unimpeded by embargoes imposed by wood packaging materials. They do not want to sort their warehouses by destination countries. End users want what they thought they were getting with the ISPM 15 – a harmonized standard for transport platforms. As a result of the confusion caused by the alterations in the standard and frustration caused by increasing embargoes end users are exploring the use of alternative materials exempt from ISPM 15 rules.


To the best of NWPCA's knowledge International Wood Packaging Requirements Updates contain current information from government sources on International Wood Packaging Requirements as of the date of publication. NWPCA does not warrant or assume any legal liability for the accuracy or completeness of such information.

May 3, 2007

IMA logo

Illinois Manufactures' Association (IMA) held its Business Day 2007 event at the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel in Springfield, IL May 2. The purpose of this organized occasion is for businesses to meet with elected officials to talk about the impact some of these issues have on their business, manufacturing, jobs and prosperity.

GL Packaging Products Inc. has been a member of the IMA for 10 years. This year they were invited to attend alongside Phoenix Closures, Inc. GL Packaging supported this event as a Silver Sponsor.

Business Day 2007 touched upon issues proposed such as the Illinois Gross Receipts Tax, Healthcare and Energy. Representatives from GL Packaging Products, Inc were Todd Tomala, General Manager and Len Kats, Sales Manager. Todd Tomala said, "We are very concerned about the Gross Receipts Tax, and its effect on our business and other businesses in Illinois."

The Illinois Gross Receipts Tax (GRT) proposed by Governor Rod Blagojevich would be the largest tax increase in Illinois history. The tax would be mandatory for all business to pay on the total sale of good and services, not on the profits made by the business. This tax would be at a rate of 0.85% for manufacturing, construction, mining and agriculture and a tax of 1.95% would be applied to services such as legal, accounting, consulting, etc. The revenues from this tax would be applied to healthcare, education and some property tax relief.

There are some unfavourable aspects of the GRT taxes that businesses are concerned with. This will have a great impact on start up companies that may be working with smaller margins. The GRT tax will still be in place even if the company did not make any profit.

Businesses recognise that this tax will not just affect them, but it will eventually trickle down and drive up prices on consumer good such as food, clothes, medicine and gas. Businesses may be forced to cut jobs and wages in order to compete with other states that don't have taxed goods.

For more information, please visit www.ima-net.org

USDA EXPANDS EMERALD ASH BORER QUARANTINE IN ILLINOIS, INDIANA AND OHIO
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2006--The U. S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service today announced the expansion of its emerald ash borer (EAB) quarantine to include the entire states of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, more than doubling the previously quarantined area which includes the entire lower peninsula of Michigan. The new quarantine becomes effective on Dec. 1 following the issuance of a federal order. 
APHIS is expanding the quarantine in response to the destructive nature of this invasive plant pest and the significant threat it poses to the ash resource in our nation's forests and residential landscapes.  The quarantine regulations will help to mitigate the spread of the pest while the science community continues to work to develop solutions to combat EAB, including improved detection and control strategies.  The ultimate goal is to eradicate this pest from North America.  

To date, USDA has spent more than $100 million on research, eradication and reforestation efforts.  USDA estimates that if EAB is not contained or eradicated, it has the potential to cost state and local governments approximately $7 billion over the next 25 years to remove and replace dead and dying ash trees that can pose a safety hazard in urban and suburban areas.

Today's federal order restricts the interstate movement of regulated articles that originate within the quarantine area.  Regulated articles include ash nursery stock and green lumber; any other ash material including logs, stumps, roots, branches, as well as composted and uncomposted wood chips.  Due to the difficulty in distinguishing between species of hardwood firewood, all hardwood firewood, including ash, oak, maple and hickory are regulated articles.

Three years of EAB survey data support the need to implement strict regulations for the movement of host material.  Survey methods are not 100 percent effective for early detection of the pest, and given this uncertainty, the possibility of spreading EAB in unprocessed host material presents a serious risk that requires immediate action.
 
APHIS is working closely with the states affected with EAB and those border states to address this invasive species. The federal interstate movement restrictions associated with the quarantine augments state quarantines in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio that regulate the movement of firewood and ash wood products within those states. 

APHIS also works cooperatively with state agriculture and forestry agencies, universities, landscape, nursery, and other affected industries and the international scientific community to develop strategies for the detection, control and eradication of EAB.

EAB is an invasive species wood boring beetle, native to China and eastern Asia, which targets ash trees.  EAB probably arrived in North America hidden in wood packing materials commonly used to ship consumer and other goods.  It was first detected in July 2002 in southeastern Michigan and has since been found in Ohio, Indiana, Maryland, Virginia and Illinois.

Everyday human activity facilitates the long distance spread of EAB, expanding the extent and range of the infestation in North America.  The movement of ash tree products has been found to advance the spread of EAB.  Currently, EAB is responsible for the death and decline of more 25 million ash trees in the United States. 

For more information on EAB and APHIS' expanded quarantine, please visit www.aphis.usda.gov
Contact GL Packaging Products to learn what pallets are exempt from this quarantine.

GL Packaging Products, Inc recently donated several Dunnage Air Bags to a local artist, Don Lambert, for an upcoming art show. The bags will be decorated and inflated for display October 20th - November 21st in Chicago, IL. We are anxious to see our product being used in a non-traditional aesthetic manner. 

Opening reception: Friday, October 20th 8 pm- midnight
Civil Twilight: 6 degrees below horizon
Don Lambert & Matthew Jinks
Deadtech
3321 W. Fullerton Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647

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