Quarantine Issues Associated with Containers or the Goods they Carry

Quarantine import requirements and procedures for containers arriving in Australia from overseas ports are designed to exclude exotic pests and diseases while facilitating clearance of containers and the goods they carry.

• 1.1 Timber used in the construction of containers
• 1.2 Internal or external contamination
• 1.3 Packaging materials
• • 1.3.1 Timber and timber treatments
  • 1.3.2  ISPM 15 Requirements
  • 1.3.3  AQIS bark quarantine requirements for wood packaging during inspection or surveillance
  • 1.3.4 Packaging material made of newly manufactured plywood/veneer
  • 1.3.5 Other packaging materials
• 1.4 Goods subject to Australian Quarantine Requirements

1.1 Timber used in the construction of containers

AQIS is concerned about exposed timber components of containers. If FCL release is required, exposed timber components must be treated to AQIS requirements. Containers constructed without any exposed timber are not subject to any specific quarantine requirements other than freedom from soil, plant material and contamination from animal products. AQIS has no quarantine concerns with reconstituted wood products such as particleboard, chipboard, masonite, oriented strand board, medium and high density fibreboard, or with plywood or veneer used as packaging and dunnage.

Australia has regulated the import of timber associated with cargo containers and timber packaging and dunnage since the 1970s. Interception records demonstrate that many insects, some exotic to Australia, attack seasoned timber and solid timber after non-permanent treatment. Containers with exposed timber components imported into Australia must be free of active infestation.

Exposed timber used in the construction of containers is not considered to be packaging and dunnage and should be permanently treated to minimise quarantine impediments in Australia. However, timber permanently and totally encapsulated in a manner which excludes insect infestation does not necessarily require chemical treatment.

Details of AQIS approved timber permanent preservative treatments (or immunisation treatments see the Approved Treatments for Timber web page). These treatments are used to prevent infestation of the timber components during the service life of the flooring and many will also provide protection against timber decay. They can also be used to treat commodity timber and timber packaging and dunnage.

Appendix II details AQIS approved non-permanent treatments (fumigation and heat treatments). These treatments have no residual effect and since reinfestation can occur, these containers must be treated for every subsequent trip to Australia.

1.2 Internal or external contamination

The interior and exterior of containers must be free of any quarantine risk material. The AQIS Quarantine Risk Material Matrix provides definitions of quarantine risk materials, including examples and the risks that they pose. It also outlines the AQIS approved treatment options available to treat all types of quarantine risk material.

Some of the most significant quarantine risks associated with containers include:

1. giant African snail (GAS) or Achatina fulica
   -to address the risk of introducing GAS to Australia, AQIS inspects for GAS on the external surfaces of all sea freight containers originating from countries on the GAS Country Action List. In addition, AQIS requires the interior of containers originating from GAS target areas to be free of GAS
2. soil
3. plant material
   -grain and other plant material pose a risk of introducing Khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium)
4. animal products.

For more information on these and other pests and diseases, please see Pests and Diseases.

Thorough cleaning of the interior of the container before loading and the exterior before shipment will assist in removing contamination and can alleviate the need for expensive and time-consuming quarantine treatment on arrival in Australia. All contaminated containers and cargoes detected entering Australia require treatment at the importer’s expense before release.

Note: Thorough internal and external cleaning of empty containers is a valid alternative to methyl bromide fumigation.

1.3 Packaging materials

1.3.1 Timber and timber treatments

Many damaging timber pests and diseases not present in Australia may enter Australia in timber used in the construction of containers or in timber used to pack and/or support cargo. Please see the ICON case for Timber packaging and dunnage for import conditions and treatment requirements.
For information on packaging material made solely of reconstituted wood products please see the ICON case for Reconstituted wood products.

1.3.2  ISPM 15 Requirements

In addition to the AQIS approved treatments under the AQIS web pages, Approved Treatments for Timber, timber packaging and dunnage that are marked with ISPM 15, NIMP15 or NIMF 15 compliant stamps also meet AQIS’ treatment requirements.

‘ISPM 15’ is the acronym used for ‘International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures Publication No. 15: Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade'. The French NIMP 15 version and Spanish NIMF version of the acronym are also approved for use in international trade. For AQIS’ implementation of this standard please see the International Implementation of ISPM 15 web page. Additional information may also be found in a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). The full text of ISPM 15 is available from the International Phytosanitary Portal.

For details of documentation required by AQIS for ISPM 15 treated timber packaging and dunnage, please see the Non-Commodity Information Requirements Policy.

1.3.3  AQIS bark quarantine requirements for wood packaging during inspection or surveillance

Bark has the potential to harbour numerous pests and pathogens of quarantine concern that are not addressed by AQIS approved fumigation treatments. For information on AQIS’ bark quarantine requirements, please see the Timber packaging and dunnage case on ICON.

Please see the Non-Commodity Information Requirements Policy for information on the documentation and statement required to declare presence or absence of bark.

1.3.4 Packaging material made of newly manufactured plywood/ veneer

Import conditions for plywood/veneer packaging and dunnage can be found under the ‘Timber packaging and dunnage’ case on ICON.

Import conditions for commodity plywood/veneer sheet are provided in the relevant ‘Plywood and veneer sheet’ case on ICON.

Manufacturer’s Declarations and treatment certificates for commodity plywood/veneer must comply with the requirements of the Minimum Documentary Requirements Policy.

1.3.5 Other packaging materials

For information about prohibited and permitted packaging materials please see the 'Packaging materials for general use' case on ICON.

This case includes an extensive list of prohibited packaging materials which must be declared to AQIS. Please see the Non-Commodity Information Requirements Policy for information on the documentation and statement required to declare presence or absence of prohibited packaging materials.

1.4 Goods subject to Australian Quarantine Requirements

Containerised goods subject to quarantine control must be cleared by AQIS before the container is released.