A month ago, we reported on DoA’s new treatment requirements for the 2019-20 Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) risk season. They have since published a series of factsheets to provide further guidance on conducting effective and compliant BMSB treatments. These are summarised under the following topics:
Consignment Suitability
As temperatures drop and day length shortens, stink bugs seek refuge in dark, warm locations in homes and buildings to ‘overwinter’. In order to conduct an effective BMSB treatment, goods must be presented in a suitable manner that allows the heat or fumigant to reach all external and internal surfaces of the goods accessible to BMSB. Factors that affect the suitability of goods for treatment include free airspace/load capacity and plastic wrapping.
Heat Treatment
In heat treatment enclosures of 100m³ or less, a minimum of three temperature sensors must be placed within the goods and two temperature sensors in the free airspace.Treatment providers must have enough space in the enclosure around and above the goods to be able to get in and place the temperature sensors in the required locations and for the air to circulate throughout the enclosure so that all of the goods are able to be heated to the required temperature.
Fumigation (Sulfuryl Fluoride and Methyl Bromide)
A minimum of three fumigation monitoring tubes must be placed within fumigation enclosures of 30m³ or more. Treatment providers must have enough space in the enclosure around and above the goods to be able to access and place the monitoring tubes in the required locations and to place a fan in the front of the enclosure in the free airspace to circulate the air.
Plastic wrapping
Goods must not be wrapped or covered in a way that stops the heat or fumigant from accessing all surfaces of the goods that are accessible to BMSB. All shipping packing/wrapping must be opened, removed or slashed in a way that allows the heat or fumigant to access all surfaces of the goods that are accessible to BMSB. This does not apply to commercial packing/wrapping – the following definitions are provided to assist exporters and treatment providers to determine the plastic wrapping requirements for consignments they intend to treat.
Commercial packing is considered any packing/wrapping that is applied as part of the manufacturing process. This includes presentation packing, commercial distribution boxing and hermetic sealing done at the immediate completion of the manufacturing process.
Shipping packing is considered any packing/wrapping that is applied to provide protection and ensure stability of goods during shipping. This includes pallet wrapping and protective plastics applied after the completion of the manufacturing process and prior to loading.
As licensed Customs Brokers and International freight forwarders, Colless Young can give you professional guidance on all your import requirements.
