Forest Products Export Standards - Phytosanitary Requirements of Australia

Disclaimer

The information in this standard is provided on the following basis. The phytosanitary requirements found in this standard may be used as the basis of export certification. However, requirements may be changed by importing countries at any time at short notice or with no notice to New Zealand. This information is provided strictly on the basis that the Crown, the Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry, its statutory officers, employees, agents and all other persons responsible for or associated with the compilation, writing, editing, approval or publication of the information:

1. disclaim any and all responsibility for any inaccuracy, error, omission, lateness, or any other kind of inadequacy, deficiency or flaw in, or in relation to, the information; and

2. without limiting (1) above, fully exclude any and all liability of any kind on the part of all of them, to any person or entity that chooses to rely on this information

Compliance with this standard is not to be taken as a guarantee that any particular goods will be granted access to any overseas market.

Last Updated: 18 November 2009

1. Arhopalus ferus Flight Season

During the New Zealand summer months the Arhopalus flight season occurs. The beginning and end of the flight season is determined through a monitoring programme which is currently run by AsureQuality. During the flight season additional pre export measures are required for forest produce being exported from affected areas (within New Zealand) to Australia.

1.1 Arhopalus ferus Flight Season Status

The 2009/2010 Arhopalus ferus flight season HAS COMMENCED for ALL New Zealand ports as of 7:00pm 18 November 2009.

1.2 Arhopalus ferus Flight Season Requirements

During the Arhopalus ferus flight season, all regular commodity regulations specified by AQIS (Australian Quarantine Inspection Service) will remain in place, please refer to http://www.aqis.gov.au/icon32/asp/ex_querycontent.asp (offsite link to www.aqis.gov.au) for your commodity requirements.

In addition to the regular commodity specific regulations the following requirements must also be met during the Arhopalus flight season:

1.2.1 Treatment

Timber products not including panel products or timber mouldings must be treated in accordance with section 1.2.1 i) below.

Panel products and timber mouldings (without plastic wrapping) must be treated in accordance with either section 1.2.1 i) or ii) below.

1.2.1 i) Methyl Bromide Fumigation Rates

Gas Concentration Duration Minimum Temperature
48 grams/m3 12 hours 15°C
56 grams/m3 12 hours 10°C

1.2.1 ii) Insecticide Treatment Rate

Panel products and timber mouldings (without plastic wrapping) may be treated with Insecticidal Pestigas, Permigas or Pybuthrin 33 as an alternative to fumigation with methyl bromide (section 1.2.1 i above).

Dosage Rate
50g/100m3

IMPORTANT NOTE

On the day the season is triggered:

Consignments already on vessels
On the day the season is triggered any consignments already loaded onto a vessel are exempt from fumigation. However, Plant Quarantine and Export Operations, BSG is to be advised of any vessel that had consignments of timber loaded on the day prior to or already loaded on the day the season is triggered. Plant Quarantine and Export Operations, BSG can then subject these vessels to increased surveillance.

Consignments within the port gates
Any consignments within the port gates on the day the flight season is triggered are exempt from fumigation only if the consignments are at a monitored port and it is not the port that triggered the start of the season. These consignments must be containerised on the day the flight season commences to be exempt from fumigation.

At the port that triggers the start of the season, any containerised consignments within the port gates on the day the flight season is triggered are exempt from fumigation. As agreed during the 2008/2009 flight season, start of season exemptions will be considered on a case by case basis, by negotiation between Plant Quarantine and Export Operations, BSG, Grains, Forestry Risk Analysis and Market Access Technical Support, BSG and MAF BNZ.

(The monitored ports are: Tauranga, Whangarei, Napier, Nelson and Auckland.)

Consignments loaded and sealed into a container
Any consignments loaded and sealed into a container prior to the day the flight season is triggered are exempt from fumigation. Any consignments loaded and sealed into a container on the same day the flight season is triggered are exempt from fumigation only if the consignments are at a monitored port and it is not the port that triggered the start of the season.

1.2.2 Post Treatment Product Security

Post treatment, all treated break bulk sawn and/or manufactured timber product must remain sealed under the fumigation covers until the day of loading to prevent re-infestation with Arhopalus ferus.

In addition the ground around the treated timber and all edges/folds of the fumigation covers must be sprayed with a residual insecticide, such as cypermethrin, prior to removing the fumigation covers.

Post treatment and venting, all containerised sawn and/or manufactured timber product must remain sealed within the six hard sided container until arrival in Australia (to prevent re-infestation with Arhopalus ferus). The venting of container fumigations must occur during daylight hours.

1.2.3 Night Loading Restrictionss

At ports, other than the Ports of Auckland, all break bulk sawn and/or manufactured timber product must only be loaded onto vessels during the hours of daylight.

Daylight hours are defined as:

  • 30 minutes after sunrise until 30 minutes before sunset.
  • Sunrise and sunset times are published in local news papers.

During the hours of darkness all ship holds containing break bulk timber and/or panel products, that has been treated, must be closed and sealed to prevent re-infestation.

Containerised timber and/or panel product, that has been treated, may be loaded onto vessels during the hours of darkness.

1.2.4 Phytosanitary Certification

During the Arhopalus ferus flight season, AQIS specify that all consignments are accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate.

The phytosanitary certificate must contain the following additional declaration:

  • "The consignment(s) have been treated in accordance with the AQIS/MAF agreement to eliminate infestation of Arhopalus ferus.", or
  • One of the following statements attesting to the treatment that was undertaken:
    • "All timber articles treated for Arhopalus ferus with Methyl bromide @ 48 grams/m3 for 12 hours at 15°C";
    • "All timber articles treated for Arhopalus ferus with Methyl bromide @ 56 grams/m3 for 12 hours at 10°C"; or
    • "All panel products or timber mouldings treated for Arhopalus ferus with Pestigas, Permigas or Pybuthrin 33 @ 50g/100m3"

2. Sawn Timber

For the Australian sawn timber import requirements, please refer to the following link.

Australian Sawn Timber Import Requirements: Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (offsite link to www.aqis.gov.au)

2.1 Phytophthora kernoviae Area Freedom Declaration

Under condition C9654, of the AQIS import requirements, Biosecurity New Zealand can now offer an additional Phytophthora kernoviae and Phytophthora ramorum Pest Area Freedom Declaration to affected phytosanitary certificates.

This declaration will replace the heat treatment and kiln drying requirements, set under condition C9654 of the AQIS import requirements, for exporters who meet the Biosecurity New Zealand requirements for the provision of this Pest Area Freedom Declaration. Details on the Biosecurity New Zealand requirements are specified below.

All timber must continue to meet all other requirements specified by AQIS at: Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (offsite link to www.aqis.gov.au)

Biosecurity New Zealand Requirements: Biosecurity New Zealand Requirements

2.2 Arhopalus ferus Requirements

During the Arhopalus ferus flight season additional import requirements are required for sawn timber being exported to Australia.

In addition to the requirements specified within section 2 and 2.1 above, please visit Arhopalus ferus Requirements for the additional Arhopalus ferus requirements.

3. Low Risk Wooden Articles

For the Australian import requirements for wooden articles - Manufactured, please refer to the following link.

Australian Import Requirements Wooden articles - Manufactured: Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (offsite link to www2.aqis.gov.au)

4. Plywood and Veneer Sheet

For the Australian import requirements for Plywood and Veneer Sheets, please refer to the following link.

Australian Import Requirements Plywood and Veneer Sheets: Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (offsite link to www2.aqis.gov.au)

4.1 Arhopalus ferus Requirements

During the Arhopalus ferus flight season additional import requirements are required for sawn timber being exported to Australia.

In addition to the requirements specified within section 4 above, please visit Arhopalus ferus Requirements for the additional Arhopalus ferus requirements.

5. Logs

For the Australian log import requirements, please refer to the following link:

Australian Log Import Requirements Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (offsite link to www.aqis.gov.au)

6. Wood Chips

For the Australian Wood Chip import requirements, please refer to the following link:

Australian Wood Chip Import Requirements Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (offsite link to www.aqis.gov.au)

7. Wood Packaging

For the Australian wooden packaging import requirements, please refer to the following link.

Australian Wood Packaging Import Requirements: Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (offsite link to www.aqis.gov.au)

8. General Conditions

Condition C8926

Clearance of New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (NZ MAF) Phytosanitary Certificates Covering Timber

AQIS has liaised with the NZ MAF to examine ways of streamlining the present clearance system to facilitate clearance of NZ MAF Phytosanitary certificates by both Customs Brokers and AQIS Officers in Australia.

1. Under the current arrangements a NZ MAF stamp in the middle of the treatment section in the Phytosanitary certificate has been causing difficulties with clearance procedures. The agreed procedure therefore is that NZ MAF will cease stamping in the treatment section and to in future place their stamp in the 'Export Item Code Number ' section.

2. For shipments that do not meet Australia's importing requirements, the treatment box MUST NOT be filled in with any details (If for any reason it is, only the NZ MAF certifying officer can cross this information out). NZ MAF will not place a stamp in the 'Export Item Code Number ' box, but will endorse the Phytosanitary certificate with a stamp in the right hand position that would be stamped under normal certificate issue not covered by these arrangements.

3. For those consignments that have more than one sterilisation, only one stamp is required in the 'Export Item Code Number ' section, as well as in the normal bottom right hand position.

4. For those consignments that have one sterilisation the empty lines in the treatment section must be crossed out; a stamp must be in the 'Export Item Code Number' box; and a stamp must be in the bottom right hand position.

5. Units of sawn timber on a single Phytosanitary certificate cannot be a mix of sterilised and unsterilised material. Sterilised and unsterilised shipments require individual phytosanitary certificates.

6. If the timber has been either fumigated or heat sterilised the maximum thickness (when treated) of the sawn timber must be included on the Phytosanitary certificate.

9. Pine Bark

Pine bark is prohibited from all sources unless the importer has obtained an import permit.

The import permit will mandate that chipped or shredded bark had been:

  • heat treated at 85°C for at least 8 hours, (T9569);
  • gamma irradiated at 25 kGray, (T9651); or
  • fumigated with ethylene oxide under vacuum at 1500g/m3 for 24 hours at 21°C, (T9020).

10. Reconstituted wood products (Panel Products)

Reconstituted wood products are those that as a result of the manufacturing process no longer contain solid wood and include particleboard, chipboard, hardboard (masonite), oriented strand board, medium and high density fibreboard. This case does not apply to plywood and veneer products.

For the Australian reconstituted wood products import requirements, please refer to the following link.

Australian reconstituted wood products Import Requirements: Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (offsite link to www2.aqis.gov.au)

Page last updated: 18 November 2009