Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Statement on Zika Virus - China and South Korea Shipments


The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China (AQSIQ) has stated shipments from the United States shall be subject to anti-mosquito treatment.

The ZIKA virus is a human health issue and is related to mosquitos, not wood-boring insects. Therefore, the recognized heat treatment or fumigation of export wood pallets for ISPM 15 compliance is not applicable for ZIKA compliance of the shipment. The entire consignment and container must be anti-mosquito treated and certified pre-shipment. There is no action a wood pallet company can do to assure ZIKA compliance for their customer’s shipment. It is the shipper’s responsibility to ensure the entire shipment is ZIKA compliant.

Inbound shipments without proof of anti-mosquito treatment will be fumigated at the port of discharge in China by the authorities without prior notice. It is the Consignee’s responsibility to inform Shipper (at origin) to provide a certificate proof of treatment before loading the shipment.

While specific details on compliance for the entire shipment have not yet been determined, it is clear this is not a phytosanitary issue. The National Wooden Pallet & Container Association (NWPCA) is actively working with the US Department of Agriculture office of Plant Protection and Quarantine (USDA-PPQ) and monitoring the ZIKA issue with partners like the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), and will provide further updates as they are received.


Source: National Wooden Pallet & Container Association


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