. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/NZL/433 
15 September 2009 
 (09-4352) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  NEW ZEALAND
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Biosecurity New Zealand 
(MAFBNZ) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Wood Packaging Material 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners 
[ ] Specific regions or countries:    
5. Title of the notified document:  Draft Import Health Standard: Wood Packaging Material 
from all Countries (September 2009)  Language:  English  Number of pages:  9 
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2009/sps/NZL/09_3175_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  Proposed changes to the Import Health Standard (IHS) include:  
(1) Inspection of all non-compliant wood packaging :  The most significant change 
to the IHS is the inclusion of the option to inspect all non-ISPM 15 compliant or untreated Wood Packaging Material (WPM).  
(2) Tolerance level for debarked wood :  The proposed amendment to the IHS aligns 
with the ISPM No.15 (2009) which states that  any number of small and clearly distinct 
pieces of bark may remain on imported wood packaging material if they are less than 3 cm in width, or if wider than 3 cm, the total surface area of each bark piece is less than 50 cm
2. 
(3) Changes to Other Treatments Approved by New Zealand :  The approved 
phosphine fumigation rate has been increased to 3.0 g/m3 for at least 120 hours (5 days) at a 
temperature of 15OC or above. The increases in the fumigation rate and time of application 
are based upon results from the latest res earch on phosphine fumigation efficacy of 
quarantine timber pests conducted in New Zealand.  
For more information on the changes, see:  http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/biosec/cons ult/draft-ihs-wood-packaging-material
 
7. Objective and rationale:  [ ] food safety, [ ] animal health, [X] plant protection, [ 
] protect humans from animal/plant pest or  disease, [ ] protect territory from other 
damage from pests.    G/SPS/N/NZL/433 
Page 2  
 
  8. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex standard 
or related text)   
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[X] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)   ISPM No.15 
Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade  
[ ] None 
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
 [X] Yes   [ ] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:    
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:      
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  1 November 2009   
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  1 November 2009   
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  1 November 2009   
[ ] Trade facilitating measure 
12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  16 October 2009 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [X] National Notification 
Authority, [  ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if 
available) of other body:    
13. Texts available from:  [X] National Notification Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:   The draft import 
health standard and summary of proposed ch anges are available on the MAFBNZ website:  
http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/biosec/cons ult/draft-ihs-wood-packaging-material