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September 9, 2014 at 10:47 am #989313Up::0
Hi
Does anyone understand the details of fumigation for wood items from Indonesia?
I have purchased a container of items, that include teak wood. My supplier assured me that they had exported to Aus before and had procured AQIS certificates.
As this is my first importation I wanted to make sure everything was correct and I did some googling on the topic and found a mention that fumigation has to take place before coatings are applied. I checked my order and there was mention of a coating to be applied to the wood. I asked my supplier to make sure that the fumigation was done prior to the coating being applied.
They insisted that because the coating is water based and porous it is okay to fumigate after. Their fumigator is of the same view. I checked the details of the fumigator and he is on the list of approved AQIS fumigators…. so he should know what he is talking about ….
I double-checked DAFF and AQIS websites and they are ambiguous on this topic.
In one place they seem quite definitive saying fumigation must take place before any coating. In another place its says it must take place before any impervious coatings are applied.
So it looks like the key issues is whether the coating my supplier is using is considered impervious.
I have emailed DAFF/Aqis but get a generic reply saying a response could take 10 days!
Any advice appreciated. I need to get this right.
Regards
BevSeptember 17, 2014 at 7:41 am #1171515Up::0I thought I’d answer my own question in case anyone ever faces this problem.
I contacted AQIS and there was much fence sitting. Their website says fumigation must take place before any coatings are put on wood, but in a different place its says before any ‘impervious’ coatings are put on .
When I asked them to define impervious no answer was forthcoming and the buck was smoothly passed onto the fumigator with the response being that if the fumigator (must be AQIS approved, which mine is) was happy, they were happy.
Interesting. I thought AQIS gave direction to the fumigator!
Let’s see what happens when the container arrives.
November 9, 2014 at 4:18 pm #1171516Up::0Thanks for the update.
I’l looking to import both solid wood furniture, and hammocks with small wooden bars,
Fumigation is the confusing part…
I see on daff.gov.au on the Manufactured Wooden Articles page: http://apps.daff.gov.au/icon32/asp/ex_casecontent.asp?intNodeId=9064904&intCommodityId=7527&Types=none&WhichQuery=Go+to+full+text&intSearch=1&LogSessionID=0
They say
4. Consignments treated offshore and accompanied by an acceptable treatment certificate or Phytosanitary certificate may be released on the presentation of documents. Acceptable treatments are:
a) methyl bromide (T9047 or T9075),
b) sulphuryl fluoride (T9090),
c) heat treatment (T9912 or T9968),
d) ethylene oxide (T9020),
e) permanent timber preservative treatment (T9987).Where methyl bromide or sulphuryl fluoride fumigations are used, treatment must be performed before any surface coating has been applied to the article.
According to that, it sounds like ethylene oxide can be done after coating. Though my customs clearance agent says otherwise:
I have been advised Australian Quarantine (“Department of Agriculture”/ “DOA”) have not accredited any service provider in China to provide ethylene oxide or gamma irradiation treatment for Australia.
The only treatment acceptable is methyl bromide fumigation;
Well, I’m still confused.
November 16, 2014 at 8:25 am #1171517Up::0Bev, I guess you’ll find out soon enough. The worst thing that can happen is you’ll need to re-fumigate in Australia. AQIS very rarely will give you a definite answer, in case they’re wrong. The rules and regulations changes so often that even the smartest guy in the room wouldn’t have a chance to know it all.
Please let us know how you go on arrival.
Cheers, JJ
January 11, 2015 at 3:26 pm #1171518Up::0Well, my wood import went smoothly. Though it was only the hammocks with small wooden bars, and uncoated too.
I just did methyl bromide fumigation in China, and had it shipped to Australia within the 21 days time limit. Then I got the Chinese to scan the fumigation certificate with the special method.
In the future I want to import coated wood and solid wood products, which I expect to add a level more difficulty. Especially since the new legal logging due diligence requirements came into effect in November.
January 11, 2015 at 10:30 pm #1171519Up::0Great all went smoothly, the additional shipments you intend to make and the new due diligence should not lose any more of an issue than you have already encountered.
They are quite simple, don’t overcomplicate it. Just get the invoicing business in China (as it can be different than manufacturer) to say something like ‘the wood in this shipment is not sourced from illegal sites and had been acquired through local legal channels’ or similar as per your freight forwarders advice and you will be SWEET.
Anyways, was just dropping in to say congrats on first shipment
Jason
Jason Ramage | Lucas Arthur Pty Ltd | E: hello@lucasarthur.net.au P: 61 3 8324 0344 M: 61 412 244 888January 12, 2015 at 2:13 pm #1171520Up::0There are 2 things that still have me worried:
1. RE: coating. The government want the certificate to say ‘fumigated before coating’ while my Chinese supplier says they have no control over the certificate, that the fumigator doesn’t make changes to the certificate.
2. RE: solid wood. My agent said to get the basic decleration statement…but the government say you should have a proper company plan to avoid illegal logging including getting a whole lot of metrics that even the supplier won’t know without approaching their own wood supplier. Under threat of severe penalty. But I guess the penalties only occur if an illegal logger is caught and they gets connected to you…still…
January 12, 2015 at 7:28 pm #1171521Up::0danbradster, post: 206167 wrote:There are 2 things that still have me worried:1. RE: coating. The government want the certificate to say ‘fumigated before coating’ while my Chinese supplier says they have no control over the certificate, that the fumigator doesn’t make changes to the certificate.
…
Just one question here. Who is the customer, if your supplier don’t do what you want. Find new supplier.
January 12, 2015 at 8:48 pm #1171522Up::0bb1, post: 206169 wrote:Just one question here. Who is the customer, if your supplier don’t do what you want. Find new supplier.Hi Bert
As you know i always enjoy your input on posts and as your comment would sit quite right with local suppliers, it may not be the same for Chinese suppliers.. Only say this as its not the same as dealing with Aussie to Aussie, and honestly i am not sure if you have or have not got experience importing, and can be quite ‘awkward’ sometimes to get what is required.
Do agree that you need to probe more, inspect more and do your own due diligence as per the requirements but once again it is hard to follow up completely with some of these international suppliers….
OP, re the fumigation i have never come across them requesting that the cert shows done prior to wrapping or covering? got me on that… if the fumigation was related to the entire container a reference to the container number should suffice to combine relevance (if was full container)?
PS.. didnt you say you had the stock as well? if so this means its already cleared so not sure why you are being asked to change the FC?
Cheers
JasonJason Ramage | Lucas Arthur Pty Ltd | E: hello@lucasarthur.net.au P: 61 3 8324 0344 M: 61 412 244 888January 16, 2015 at 5:41 am #1171523Up::0SimplyReplica, post: 206170 wrote:Hi BertAs you know i always enjoy your input on posts and as your comment would sit quite right with local suppliers, it may not be the same for Chinese suppliers.. Only say this as its not the same as dealing with Aussie to Aussie, and honestly i am not sure if you have or have not got experience importing, and can be quite ‘awkward’ sometimes to get what is required.
Do agree that you need to probe more, inspect more and do your own due diligence as per the requirements but once again it is hard to follow up completely with some of these international suppliers….
OP, re the fumigation i have never come across them requesting that the cert shows done prior to wrapping or covering? got me on that… if the fumigation was related to the entire container a reference to the container number should suffice to combine relevance (if was full container)?
PS.. didnt you say you had the stock as well? if so this means its already cleared so not sure why you are being asked to change the FC?
Cheers
JasonHi Jason,
unfortunately i have to agree with you 200%, if here in oz it would definitely be time for a new supplier. I realise that things do work differently over there, but maybe if all importers started saying well I am the customer it would be better. And yes having said that I fully realise that there will be 10 new customers for every person who says that. Just my little dig for the day i guess.,
January 16, 2015 at 12:12 pm #1171524Up::0Sorry its taken me so long to reply to this. I only just saw that the thread had continued.
My container arrived safe and sound. There was an initial ‘hold’ (couple of days) put on it but apparently that’s normal.
My fumigation certificate was accepted because the fumigator was on the DAFF approved list I guess.I know, there was a water based coating applied to items prior to fumigation, and I told DAFF that pus the fact the fumigator was saying ‘that is the way he has always done it’. They told me to ‘trust the fumigator’. All worked out for me……. but did leave me thinking the whole system seems a bit broken – the fumigator takes his lead from DAFF and DAFF looks to the fumigator !
September 20, 2019 at 5:13 am #1171525Up::0Now I’ve done lots of imports.
I had one issue when the supplier kept failing to scan the fumigation certificate correctly. But nowdays it goes smoothly enough.
I don’t import solid or coated wood because I don’t want the extra complexity. At least it’s not confusing any more.
September 20, 2019 at 11:41 am #1171526Up::0Well done!
Just remember that if its a container now BSMB has come into effect… ( Brown stink bug ) so if your importing from countries that are listed for BSMB the container itself requires fumo then the goods…. nt to say if woooden packaging was included than that also!Well done but in the trial and error method
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