Phytosanitary Certification Requirements for the Export of Untreated Canadian Conifer Logs to China

AQSIQ and CFIA have reached an alternative phytosanitary arrangement which permits Canadian coniferous logs harvested in British Columbia to enter China without mandatory pre-treatment. The logs must meet specific criteria to be exported under the arrangement:

  • The coniferous logs must be consigned to the Port of Putian, Fujian Province, or to the Port of Taicang, Jiangsu province, China.
  • Logs harvested from the coast of British Columbia of the following species: Abies, Picea, Populus, Pseudotsuga, Tsuga and Thuja may be exported year round. Logs of all other species exported from Canada must leave on or after October 1st and arrive in China by April 30th each year.
  • The logs must be inspected and found to be reasonably free of: visible pests (on the outside of the logs), signs or symptoms of fungi, soil, branches and leaves.
  • Logs must not contain Heterobasidion annosum (annosum root rot).  
  • Logs must not be of the species Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (found in south west Oregon) or Taxus brevifolia (Pacific yew occurs in coastal British Columbia.
  • The logs must be exported with a phytosanitary certificate with the additional declaration "The logs in this shipment will be fumigated upon arrival in XXXXXXX port of China". Where XXXXXXX refers to either Putian or Taicang
  • The logs are subject to inspection upon arrival. The logs will be required to be fumigated in a timely manner and other phytosanitary requirements may be required.
  • The agreement expires July 2, 2012 but will be extended for an additional year (July 2, 2013) provided neither the CFIA or AQSIQ objects to its automatic extension.

Logs which can not meet the requirements of the arrangement may be exported under existing import requirements including: debarking (to a tolerance of 5% remaining bark on any single log and no more than 2% of the estimated surface area of the total shipment) or treated with methyl bromide (requires CFIA pre-approval). All logs exported must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate.