Debugging the pallets
Sarah Stone
Purchasing Magazine
November 5, 1998

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has banned the use of untreated wooden pallets in shipments from China, beginning in December (1998).

This could cause further disruption in the already chaotic scene at docks and airports in Asia, as American demand for goods from the Far East seriously outstrips the available cargo space to ship those goods.

The pallets have been banned because some have been infested by the Asian long-horned beetle, which eats hardwood, including live trees. North America has no natural predators that might limit the infestation, which could result in serious deforestation.

Up to now the wood used in the pallets has been untreated. The USDA has suggested treating the wood by various means, including heat, pressure-applied preservatives, and fumigation.

Imports from Hong Kong will be included in the ban. As of Dec. 17 (1998), all shipments using solid wood packing materials or pallets must be certified by the Chinese government as having been treated against infestation.

The long-horned beetles invade fruit and hardwood trees, especially sugar maples. Several U.S. sites have already found the beetle in local trees, where the only remedy is quarantine and destruction of the affected trees. A serious infestation in the U.S. could potentially devastate entire orchards and hardwood plantings and cause millions of dollars in damage.

Shippers whose goods arrive at ports without the necessary paperwork certifying the wood has been appropriately treated can expect to pay surcharges of $56 an hour while the shipment is inspected, or $74 on weekends. Any importer who receives shipments in the U.S. containing contaminated pallets will have a short time to either destroy the pallets or re-export them under the watchful eye of the inspector, in an effort to keep the pests from spreading through American warehouses.