Apiratdit Tantraporn, director-general of the department, said yesterday Japanese authorities had amended their regulations relating to wood-packaging materials, to curb the migration of pests in accordance with the "International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures Publication No 15: Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade", or ISPM 15.

ISPM 15, which has been signed by 159 countries, was created to control the global movement of timber pests carried through timber packaging in international trade.

Pests such as longhorn beetles, which are native to China, Japan and Korea, could destroy forests and plantations in other countries.

The new regulation adds Japan to the list of countries, which includes the United States, Australia, Canada and European Union countries, which require Thai exporters to use only wood-packaging materials approved by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) that was developed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation.

In Thailand, the Agriculture Department is responsible for awarding the IPPC label - much like an ISO certification - to wood-packaging manufacturers. While the label covers most wood-packaging-material productss, ISPM 15 does not apply to manufactured timber products, such as plywood or pieces of timber, which are less than 0.24 inch in dimension.

According to the May 15 edition of Shipping Digest, the impact of ISPM 15 has already been felt in the US since the standard was introduced on February 1.

Although there is no shortage of IPPC-marked pallets, each costs US$1 (Bt36.50) more to make, resulting in a 10-per-cent increase in overall shipping costs. Many shippers in the US have now turned to plastic alternatives, says the trade journal.

Most Thai producers of wood-packaging materials have absorbed the extra cost, which stems from the timber needing extra methyl bromine or heat treatment.

Ki Nan Tsui

The Nation