Import Health Standard Woodware from All Countries

Pursuant to Section 22 of the Biosecurity Act (1993)
ISSUED: 16 April 2003

Table of Contents

1 Official Contact Point
2 General Import Requirements
3 Specific Import Requirements for Woodware
4 Requirements on Arrival in New Zealand

Appendix 1(a): List of Regulated Pests Potentially Associated with Woodware
Appendix 1(b): List of Non-Regulated Pests Potentially Associated with Woodware

1 Official Contact Point

1.1 The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is the official contact point in New Zealand for overseas National Plant Protection Organisations (NPPO) and importers. Any enquiries about this import health standard and requests for copies of this standard should be addressed to:

Director, Forest Biosecurity
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington, NEW ZEALAND

Fax: 64 4 470 2741
E-mail: plantimports@maf.govt.nz
http://www.maf.govt.nz

1.2 Import health standards for forest produce and other related documents are available at the following web site address: http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/imports/forests/

2 General Import Requirements

2.1 Scope

2.1.1 This import health standard describes the phytosanitary requirements that must be met for woodware to be given biosecurity clearance into New Zealand.

2.2 References

2.2.1 This import health standard has been developed under the requirements of the Biosecurity Act (1993) and in regard to New Zealand’s obligations under the International Plant Protection Convention (1997).

Compliance with the provisions of this import health standard does not absolve the importer of the need to comply with other laws relating to or prohibiting the importation of goods (e.g. Trade in Endangered Species Act 1989, Customs and Excise Act 1996).

2.2.2 This import health standard refers to the following documents:

• International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures, Glossary of Phytosanitary Terms, Pub. No. 5, 2001. http://www.ippc.int/IPP/En/default.htm
• International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures, Guidelines for phytosanitary certificates, Pub. No. 12, 2001. http://www.ippc.int/IPP/En/default.htm

2.3 Definitions and Abbreviations

2.3.1 Any terms defined in the Biosecurity Act (1993) or by the International Plant Protection Convention (1997) and used in but not otherwise defined in this import health standard have the same meaning as in the Act, or as in ISPM Pub. No. 5, 2001.

Bark
The outer protective covering of a tree formed by the cork cambium and phloem tissues.

Bark-free Wood
Wood from which all bark excluding vascular cambium, ingrown bark around knots, and bark pockets between rings of annual growth has been removed [ISPM Pub. No. 15, 2002].

Biosecurity Clearance
A clearance under section 22 of the Biosecurity Act (1993) for the entry of goods into New Zealand.

Certificate
An official document which attests to the phytosanitary status of any consignment affected by phytosanitary regulations [FAO, 1990].

Commodity
A type of plant, plant product or other regulated article being moved for trade or other purpose [ICPM, 2001]

Consignment
A quantity of plants, plant products and/or other articles being moved from one country to another and covered, when required, by a single phytosanitary certificate (a consignment may be composed of one or more commodities or lots). [ICPM, 2001]

Contamination
Presence in a commodity, storage place, conveyance or container, of pests or other regulated articles, not constituting an infestation [CEPM, 1999].

Forest Produce
for the purposes of this standard means timber, timber produce, wood packaging material, and the produce of trees including bark, and seeds or tree parts for propagation, but does not include any produce for human or animal consumption.

Import Health Standard
Document issued under section 22 of the Biosecurity Act 1993 that "….. specifies the requirements to be met for the effective management of risks associated with the importation of risk goods before those goods can be imported, moved from a biosecurity control area, or a transitional facility, or given biosecurity clearance".

Import Permit
Official document authorising importation of a commodity in accordance with specified phytosanitary requirements [FAO, 1995].

Importer
May be an individual or company, including importer’s agent.

Inspection
Official visual examination of plants, plant products or other regulated articles to determine if pests are present and/or to determine compliance with phytosanitary regulations [FAO, 1995].

International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures
An international standard adopted by the Conference of FAO, the Interim Commission on Phytosanitary (ISPM) Measures or the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures, established under the IPPC [CEPM, 1999]. 

IPPC
International Plant Protection Convention, as deposited in 1951 with FAO in Rome and subsequently amended [ICPM, 2001].

Lot
A number of units of a single commodity, identifiable by its homogeneity of composition, origin etc., forming part of a consignment [FAO, 1990].

MAF
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, New Zealand.

National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO)
Official service established by a government to discharge the functions specified by the IPPC [FAO, 1990].

Organism 
Biotic entity capable of reproduction or replication, vertebrate or invertebrate animals, plants and micro-organisms [ISPM Pub. No. 3, 1996]

Within New Zealand, an organism, defined by the New Zealand Biosecurity Act (1993);

1. Does not include a human being or a genetic structure derived from a human being;
2. Includes a micro-organism;
3. Subject to paragraph (a) of this definition, includes a genetic structure that is capable of replicating itself (whether that structure comprises all or only part of an entity, and whether it comprises all or only part of the total genetic structure of an entity):
4. Includes an entity (other than a human being) declared by the Governor-General by Order in Council to be an organism for the purposes of this Act:
5. Includes a reproductive cell or developmental stage of an organism:
6. Includes any particle that is a prion.

Pest
Any species, strain or biotype of plant, animal or pathogenic agent, injurious to plants or animals (or their products) or human health or the environment.

Phytosanitary Measure
Any legislation, regulation or official procedure having the purpose to prevent the introduction and/or spread of quarantine pests, or to limit the economic impact of regulated non-quarantine pests [IPPC, 1997].

Quarantine Pest
A pest of potential economic importance to the area endangered thereby and not yet present there, or present but not widely distributed and being officially controlled [IPPC, 1997].

Regulated Pest
A quarantine pest or a regulated non-quarantine pest [IPPC, 1997].

Treatment
Officially authorised procedure for the killing or removal of pests or rendering pests infertile [ICPM Pub. No. 15, 2002]

Wood
A commodity class for round wood, sawn wood, wood chips or dunnage, with or without bark [ICPM, 2001].

Woodware
Artworks, furniture, redwood burls, furnishings, household goods, and utensils manufactured from wood.

2.4 General Information

2.4.1 All forest produce is PROHIBITED entry into New Zealand, unless it complies with the requirements of an import health standard that has been issued in accordance with Section 22 of the Biosecurity Act (1993).

2.4.2 As specified in the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act (1996), proposals for the deliberate introduction of new organisms (including genetically modified organisms) as defined by the Act should be referred to the Environment Risk Management Authority, PO Box 131, Wellington.

2.4.3 MAF categorises pests associated with forest produce into regulated and non-regulated pests. Lists of regulated and non-regulated pests for the commodities covered by this standard are attached as appendices to this import health standard.

2.4.4 When an unlisted pest is found on any imported forest produce it will be categorised and added to the appropriate pest list.

3 Specific Import Requirements for Woodware

3.1 General Requirements

3.1.1 Woodware containing or made up of bark must be imported into New Zealand under the import health standard for bark unless the bark has been lacquered or otherwise coated in a permanent covering.

3.1.2 Woodware that is principally comprised of raw or unmanufactured wood must be imported into New Zealand under the requirements of the import health standard for sawn wood.

3.1.3 Imported redwood burls must be heat treated as per the treatment specifications stated in section 3.3

3.1.4 A consignment of Woodware must be:

1. free of regulated pests (see Appendix 1 (a)).
2. packed and shipped in a manner that prevents infestation and/or contamination by regulated pests. MAF considers the following as examples of appropriate packaging: plastic wrapping, 6 sided boxing, closed shipping containers.
3. relatively free of extraneous material (e.g. leaves, soil). MAF considers a contamination rate of 0.01% w/w extraneous material is considered acceptable.

3.2 Treatment Requirements

3.2.1 Any treatment completed prior to import must comply with the requirements of this import health standard, or an equivalent treatment(s) approved by MAF.

3.2.2 If woodware are fumigated or heat treated prior to export the woodware must be treated no more than twenty-one (21) days before export to New Zealand.

3.3 Treatment Options

MAF accepts one or more of the following treatment options for Woodware.

3.3.1  Fumigation with methyl bromide or sulphuryl fluoride of filleted or otherwise separated layers, at 80 g/m³ for more than 24 continuous hours, and in a minimum temperature of 10°C.

3.3.2 Vacuum fumigated with methyl bromide or sulphuryl fluoride at 64 g/m³ for more than 4 hours in a minimum temperature of 10°C.

3.3.3 Heat treatment at a minimum continuous core temperature of 70°C for more than four hours.

3.4 Certification Requirements

3.4.1 An import permit is not required to import woodware into New Zealand.

3.4.2 For the purpose of providing certification of the treatment status of consignments to be imported into New Zealand, the importer may use a:

1. phytosanitary certificate issued by the NPPO and based on the model certificate included in ISPM 12;
2. phytosanitary certificate issued by the NPPO other than the certificate specified in (a) to which the following is to be included;
   "The woodware in this consignment have been inspected according to appropriate official procedures and are considered to be free from the regulated pests specified by MAF, and to conform with New Zealand’s current phytosanitary requirements".
3. treatment certificate issued by the manufacturer or operator/manager of the treatment company.

3.4.3 All certification must be original, free of alterations and erasures, and printed in English.

3.5 Certificate Information

3.5.1 If used, a certificate must contain the following information:

• A full description of the consignment and wood component
• All relevant identification marks and brands
• The number and/or volume of items treated
• The container number (where applicable)
• The following additional declarations (where applicable)

3.5.2 Certificates for consignments that have been fumigated may contain the following declaration:

"The woodware has been fumigated with ___ _{(methyl bromide or sulphuryl fluoride)} ___ at __ _{(Fumigant concentration (g/m}³₎₎ __ for __ _{(Duration of treatment)} __ at a minimum temperature of __ _{(Minimum temperature during treatment)} __ on the __ _{(Date of treatment (dd/mm/yy)} __."

3.5.3 Certificates for consignments that have been vacuum-fumigated may contain the following declaration:

"The woodware has been vacuum-fumigated with ___ _{(methyl bromide or sulphuryl fluoride)} ___ at __ _{(Fumigant concentration (g/m}³₎₎ __ for __ _{(Duration of treatment)} __ at a minimum temperature of __ _{(Minimum temperature during treatment)} __ on the __ _{(Date of treatment (dd/mm/yy)} __."

3.5.4 Certificates for heat-treated consignments that have been heat-treated may contain the following declaration:

"The woodware has been heated for __ _{(Duration of treatment)} __ at a minimum core temperature of __ _{(Minimum core temperature during treatment)} __ on the __ _{(Date of treatment (dd/mm/yy)} __."

3.6 TRANSIT REQUIREMENTS

3.6.1 Where a consignment is split or has its packaging changed while in another country (or countries) en route to New Zealand, a "Re-export Certificate" issued by a NPPO is required where the treatment of the woodware has been certified.

3.6.2 Where a consignment is held under bond as a result of the need to change conveyances and is kept in the original shipping container, a "Re-export Certificate" is not required.

4 Requirements on Arrival in New Zealand

The importer shall meet all costs specified in the Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations (2003) associated with the inspection, treatment (if required) and clearance of goods imported under this standard.

4.1 Inspection on Arrival in New Zealand

4.1.1 New Zealand MAF will check any accompanying documentation on arrival to confirm that it reconciles with the actual consignment.

4.1.2 If original and appropriate certification is NOT provided the Woodware will be considered untreated.

4.1.3 If the Woodware are NOT packaged in a manner considered by MAF to adequately protect the Woodware from re-infestation after treatment, or were NOT shipped within the required time period after treatment, the Woodware will be considered untreated.

4.1.4 Each consignment of:

• untreated redwood burls will be heat treated (as per the treatment specifications stated in section 3.3), reshipped, or destroyed.
• untreated woodware imported as accompanied or unaccompanied personal effects will be will be inspected for evidence of pests, bark, or extraneous organic material (e.g. leaves, twigs, soil) if deemed by MAF to be a risk of being contaminated.
• untreated woodware imported commercially will be given a 10% inspection for evidence of pests, bark, or extraneous organic material (e.g. leaves, twigs, soil) ), reshipped, or destroyed.
• treated woodware imported commercially will be inspected to verify that the treatment was effective), reshipped, or destroyed.

4.1.5 All inspections of commercial consignments of woodware completed on arrival in New Zealand shall be carried out in a transitional facility approved by MAF for that purpose.

4.2 Actions Undertaken on the Interception/Detection of Organisms/Contaminants

4.2.1 All organisms detected on the woodware shall be identified to determine the regulatory status of the organism regardless of the treatment(s) or action(s) undertaken.

4.2.2 If regulated pests are intercepted/detected on the commodity, or associated packaging, the following actions will be undertaken as appropriate (depending on the pest identified, see Appendix 1(a)):

• Reshipment of the consignment or lot;
• Destruction of the consignment or lot;
• Treatment (where possible) of the consignment or lot at the discretion of the Director, Forest Biosecurity;
• The suspension of trade, until the cause of the non-compliance is investigated, identified and rectified to the satisfaction of New Zealand MAF.

4.2.3 Lots contaminated with bark or greater than 0.01% w/w soil or other extraneous organic material (e.g. leaves, twigs) shall have the contaminating material removed (if possible), or be treated, re-shipped or destroyed.

4.2.4 All treatments completed on arrival in New Zealand shall be carried out in a transitional facility approved by MAF for that purpose. Goods treated under MAF supervision do not require further inspection under this standard.

4.3 Biosecurity Clearance

4.3.1 If the requirements of this import health standard have been met, and regulated pests are not detected or are successfully treated following interception/detection, biosecurity clearance will be given.

Appendix 1 (a) List of Regulated Pests Potentially Associated with Woodware

Appendix 1 (b) List of Non-Regulated Pests Potentially Associated with Woodware