Turkey

Wood Packaging/Timber Import Restrictions - Turkey

The Turkish Government has announced the following measures in order to comply with the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM), from January 1st 2005:

All wood packaging materials entering Turkey must be:

• Stripped of bark;
• Heat-treated or fumigated with methyl bromide; and
• Marked in accordance with ISPM 15 standards.

If the wooden materials do not comply with these requirements then the cargo will be destroyed, fumigated, heat-treated, or returned to the origin port of loading.

ISPM 15 Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade are recommendations to achieve international harmonisation of phytosanitary measures and covers both packaging/securing materials and dunnage. This standard describes phytosanitary measures to reduce the risk of introduction and/or spread of quarantine pests associated with wood packaging materials made of coniferous and non-coniferous raw wood in use in international trade.

UK P&I Club recommends that owners ask for declarations from shippers/agents at the time of booking as confirmation that all and any wood packaging being utilised conforms to the ISPM standard. A clause would then be applied to the issued bill of lading for any given shipment, stating such compliance.

Full details on the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and adopted International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) including ISPM 15 can be found at www.ippc.int.