Proposed Removal of the Exemption of ISPM No. 15 for Wood Packaging Material Moving Between Canada and the United States

OTTAWA, July 24, 2008 - The Government of Canada is working hard to limit the spread of invasive species and protect Canada’s valuable forests. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) are considering enforcing a standard for wood packaging to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species between the two countries.

Canada and the U.S. are moving forward with consultations on the proposed removal of the exemption of the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) No. 15 on wood packaging material moving between Canada and the U.S.

Wood packaging imported to Canada is regulated under an international standard, ISPM No. 15, to prevent invasive species from being introduced into our country. This standard requires wood packaging to be heat-treated or fumigated and then marked to indicate that it has been treated. Wood packaging may also be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate that specifies the treatment used. Up until now, moving wood packaging between Canada and the continental United States has been exempted from this international standard.

With a growing number of invasive species being introduced into the two countries, CFIA and APHIS have jointly agreed to terminate the exemption and begin enforcing ISPM No. 15 for wood packaging material between the U.S. and Canada. This move will help to protect forests against invasive species and means Canadian wood packaging will have a place in the international marketplace where the standard is already enforced.

To allow sufficient time to adjust, the CFIA and APHIS are developing a strategy that involves a gradual multi-year phase-in period. Complete implementation of the ISPM No. 15 is expected by 2011.

Before the import requirement is enforced, the CFIA will address concerns raised during consultations with affected stakeholders. Industry, exporters, importers, brokers, wood packaging manufacturers and interest groups are encouraged to provide comments on the proposed phase-in approach to CFIA within the next 90 days at the following address:
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/for/cwpc/consulte.shtml.

For more information on the ISPM No. 15, please visit: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/

-30-

For further information, please contact: 

Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Media Relations
Tel: 613-228-6682