The EU has postponed the introduction of new debarking rules for wood packaging imports following pressure from the US.
The requirement that wood pallets and timber packaging be debarked before entry into the EU was due to be implemented on March 1 as part of international phytosanitary standard ISPM 15.
But the clause is being shelved for a year to allow time for technical trials to assess whether bark-covered wood packaging presents an insect risk to forests in importing countries.
The US complained that the measure would have affected about 50% of American exports to Europe, worth about US$80bn. It said the US wood packaging industry has not had enough time to respond to the measure.
Other countries which have objected to the debarking measure include China, Mexico, New Zeland and the Philippines.
The EU’s decision does not affect the introduction of the rest of ISPM 15, which requires pallets imported from outside the EU to be either heat-treated or fumigated to prevent the spread of forest pests.
