Export Issues – NINF 15 – September 16th (28/06/05)
The US has adopted new regulations regarding the packaging material that is used for products entering the United States. Effective September 16, 2005 all wood packaging material must be either heat treated or fumigated with methyl bromide and marked with an approved international mark certifying treatment. Wood packaging material is defined as pallets, crates, boxes, and dunnage. However, in talking with the USDA they have clarified their position as it relates to banding sticks attached to units of lumber.

They have stated that:
"APHIS-PPQ regulates lumber under permit cargo. The permit has more regulatory control than the ISPM (wood packaging) rule. As long as the entire bundle of lumber meets the requirements under the issued permit then it will be regulated per the permit. Any excess wood that is not attached to the bundle and/or wood that is not within the requirements of the permit; then that excess wood shall be regulated as wood packing material."

Translation: As long as the banding sticks/spacers are banded to the unit and are of the same species and meets the requirements (KD) as the imported product then HT, fumigation, or additional stamp will not be required on the banding stick. Therefore, if you are shipping a kiln dried product that is being imported under a KD permit and the attached banding sticks/spacers are also kiln dried material of the same species you will not have to HT or fumigate. The attached banding sticks/spacers will be judged under the requirements of the import permit and not be regulated by the packaging rules.

KD lumber being imported + KD attached banding sticks/spacers = NO HT or fumigation required.

Adding a statement on the BOL or phytosanitary certificate that all material, including the attached banding sticks/spacers are of the same species and treatment (KD) is not required, but if you add this information then it might help to prevent a problem.

Export Issue: NINF-15 September 16th,2005. (25/07/2005)

According to the USDA, the waiving of the requirement for heat treatment and fumigation will apply only to attached banding stick/spacers that are banded to the unit and are of the same species and meets the requirements (KD) as the imported product. If there is a pallet, crate, or box of any kind, this will have to be either heat treated or fumigated and stamped as such.

Specifically for us this would apply to pallets for balusters, grade stakes, or small industrial parts. Even though the pallet is made of the same material as the product which is transported on the pallet, it will still need to be HT or fumigated and stamped with an approved international mark certifying treatment.

The rules for USDA will be very simple:

1. As long as the banding sticks/spacers are banded to the unit and are of the same species and meets the requirements (KD) as the imported product then HT, fumigation, or additional stamp will not be required on the banding stick. Therefore, if you are shipping a kiln dried product that is being imported under a KD permit and the attached banding sticks/spacers are also kiln dried material of the same species you will not have to HT or fumigate. The attached banding sticks/spacers will be judged under the requirements of the import permit and not be regulated by the packaging rules.

2. If there is any type of pallet, box, crate or additional packaging beyond attached banding sticks/spacers these must be either heat treated or fumigated with methyl bromide and marked with an approved international mark certifying treatment (IPPC).

CARICOM – Caribbean Community and Market

In 1972, Commonwealth Caribbean leaders at the Seventh Heads of Government Conference decided to transform the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) into a Common Market and establish the Caribbean Community, of which the Common Market would be an integral part.

The signing of the Treaty establishing the Caribbean Community, Chaguaramas, 4th July 1973, was a defining moment in the history of the Commonwealth Caribbean. Although a free-trade area had been established, CARIFTA did not provide for the free movement of labour and capital, or the coordination of agricultural, industrial and foreign policies.

The objectives of the Community, identified in Article 6 of the Revised Treaty, are: to improve standards of living and work; the full employment of labour and other factors of production; accelerated, coordinated and sustained economic development and convergence; expansion of trade and economic relations with third States; enhanced levels of international competitiveness; organization for increased production and productivity; achievement of a greater measure of economic leverage and effectiveness of Member States in dealing with third States, groups of States and entities of any description and the enhanced co-ordination of Member States’ foreign and foreign economic policies and enhanced functional co-operation. In the Grande Anse Declaration and Work Programme for the Advancement of the Integration Movement, Heads of Government expressed their determination to work toward establishing a single market and economy.

The CARICOM Single Market and Economy is intended to benefit the people of the Region by providing more and better opportunities to produce and sell our goods and services and to attract investment. It will create one large market among the participating member states.

The main objectives of the CSME are: full use of labour (full employment) and full exploitation of the other factors of production (natural resources and capital); competitive production leading to greater variety and quantity of products and services to trade with other countries. It is expected that these objectives will in turn provide improved standards of living and work and sustained economic development. Key elements of the Single Market and Economy include:

Free movement of goods and services - through measures such as eliminating all barriers to intra-regional movement and harmonising standards to ensure acceptability of goods and services traded;
Right of Establishment - to permit the establishment of CARICOM owned businesses in any Member State without restrictions; A Common External Tariff - a rate of duty applied by all Members of the Market to a product imported from a country which is not a member of the market;

Free circulation - free movement of goods imported from extra regional sources which would require collection of taxes at first point of entry into the Region and the provision for sharing of collected customs revenue;

Free movement of Capital - through measures such as eliminating foreign exchange controls, convertibility of currencies (or a common currency) and integrated capital market, such as a regional stock exchange;

A Common trade policy - agreement among the members on matters related to internal and international trade and a coordinated external trade policy negotiated on a joint basis;

Free movement of labour - through measures such as removing all obstacles to intra-regional movement of skills, labour and travel, harmonising social services (education, health, etc.), providing for the transfer of social security benefits and establishing common standards and measures for accreditation and equivalency.