Transcript Wood Packaging Update - Western Pallet Association

INTERPAL ‘6’
REPORT
Western Pallet
Association
January 21-23
AGENDA
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
The European Union Debarking issue for imported
Wood Packaging
Phase In Requirement for Wood Packaging Imports
for NAFTA
Movement of recycled/repaired wood packaging ˆ
third world producers
Petition for changes to ISPM 15 – April 2007
EURO Pallet Requirement - Non Standard Penalized
Monetarily
Movement of Products from Pacific Rim - how is it
going to impact the US/CAN pallet industry?
Satisfying your need for good Workers
EU – Debarking Issue
1. Lobby Issue by the Plastics Industry
- IPPC Program to move product worldwide
opened the door
2. Lobbying EU Council by FEFPEB was a
success and Debarking Issue born
IPPC-ISPM 15 Standard
Debarking statement in the IPPC-ISPM
15 Document
Subject to technical justification,
countries may require that imported
wood packaging material subjected to an
approved measure be made from
debarked wood and display a mark as
shown in Annex II.
Debarking Issue
 EU demanding DB-HT - CONCERN
 Proof of pest introduction to HT debarked material
needed
 IFQRG – International Forestry Quarantine Research
Group – advises UN on scientific issues related to
forestry quarantine and the spread of wood pests.
 Rome – experiments to prove or disprove that pieces of
bark as small as 1” square on ISPM 15 SWP could reinfest, harvest and hide quarantined pests.
 Re-infest – could never happen – pests not interested. –
this is what we have been told by scientists – yes or no!
IFQRG Findings
- Statement:
“information collected by
Australia indicated that 0.5% of
ISPM 15 marked material
inspected at the point of entry
was infested by organisms of
phytosanitary concern.”
IFQRG Finding at meeting
No clear answers
More questions than answers
1. Size of bark required to interest pests
2. Moisture content
3. HT vs. KD with moisture 20% or less
4. Real world conditions
5. Is this about pest issues or Quality demands
New Zealand – Australia Issue
Recent trip discussed the debarking issue
with NZ and Australian government
official – wood packaging companies.
1. Already practices no-bark
2. Extreme measures to meet EU
requirements, their largest consumer.
The cost
 Lumber used for export wood packaging
will increase at least two grades,
subjecting our customers to increased
costs.
 low grade [#3 common, #3] will be
utilized for domestic use
[USA/CANADA] or disappear
 KD [20% of less moisture] will be a
requirement; therefore all timber will be
KD/HT, even hardwood. I have been told
that if we KD hardwood, the timber will
check and crack, twist and split and will
become unworkable and unwanted by
wood packaging companies.
The Cost
1. Owners of HT
chambers, which
maintain the
moisture and kill
quarantined pests,
will be forced to reinvest and add the
KD option.
Testing Must be
controlled
World Pallet Council
 Wood Pallet/Packaging
Associations must be part of
the testing
 Attend and become a
component of all committees
controlling the results.
 Need to control scientists
from issuing statements and
results that are from sources
that has little or no controls.
Result timeline
 IFQRG – chair Dr. Eric
Allen of Canada has asked
the CWPCA to assist in
the study.
- request a non-controlled study
of SWP. – no lab testing
until SWP put through a
designated life cycle.
If we lose this battle
 Mills must stop severe optimization of the
small log.
 It will be the mill who must supply the
packaging industry with certified debarked
material.
 Wood Packaging companies, unless you utilize
saws and use cants, cannot control debarked
material. Costly
 We cannot be expected to breakout lumber
lifts and extract those pieces that meet the new
ISPM 15 debarking policy.
 If we lose, the price of lumber will increase 3040%.
Timeline
Saving Grace
 Dr. Allen, if all
studies and testing is
completed on time the
results will be posted
in a document in
April 2009.
Jan 16-17 – EU voted
to no ruling until Dec.
31, 2008.
 we have time to react
and fight back but
what if HT will reinfest?