Did anyone had problems with wooden boxes shipment


Ok. As I'm on the Customs Canada mailing list they caught my
attention with this excerpt:
"This month's news concerns Solid Wood Packing Materials (SWPM), sometimes referred to as "non-manufactured wood packaging", (NMWP).

It seems the whole world is becoming concerned about the risk of transporting alien and dangerous bugs from country to country in or on wooden pallets and crating. The risk is apparently greater when the wood used in these types of packaging is coniferous (e.g. pine, spruce, fir, or just about any softwood).

Effective October 1, 2001 all shipments from the U.S., China, Japan or Canada to the European Community countries, and to each other, which contain these woods must comply with one of the following treatments:

1. Heat treated or kiln dried to a minimum core temperature of 56 degrees Celsius for at least 30 minutes in a closed chamber or kiln which has been tested, evaluated and approved officially for this purpose, or

2. Pressure treated (CPI - chemical pressure impregnation) with an approved chemical, or

3. Fumigated with an approved chemical.

All coniferous SWPM must display an official mark showing the identification and location of the treatment facility.

Pleas note that in the US, options 2 and 3 are no longer available due to environmental regulations.

Our approach to this has been to convert wholly to hardwood pallets and crating. Further, all of our export documents contain the following disclaimer: All Solid Wood Packing Materials (SWPM) are of non-coniferous wood. This solves the problem no matter where you are shipping your goods. If you go this route, be careful not to patch up your pallets with softwood pieces.

Complete details of these regulations can be found at www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/swp/."
As quite few hi end products are factory shipped in wooden cases (Audio Aero, Gryphon, etc.), usualy spruce plywood, or the kind, I was wondering if anyone knows of any real
case customs problems, with respect to this issue. Thanks.
jstones
Looks like it only affects stuff going to europe. Same wankers that probably mandated the retard-proof binding posts mandated this. Solution: simply don't ship to Europe. ;-) Or at least not in wood boxes/pallets.

-Ed
I recently recived an Audio Research D-250 Tube Power Amplifier shipped to me in a specially made wood crate from British Columbia Canada. The crate and the amplifier total weight was 200 plus. It was shipped by Fed Ex freight. It passed through customs without incident. i did complete a few routine custom forms though, my name address etc. I was not aware of any restrictions!