10 knowledge points about cargo fumigation

Discover 10 essential knowledge points about cargo fumigation, including techniques, safety measures, and regulations to ensure effective pest control.

Jack is a new importer in Australia. He purchased various goods in China and commissioned a friend to pack and crate them into three wooden boxes. Customs clearance and shipping went smoothly.

Just as the goods arrived at the port, Jack, eagerly anticipating receipt instructions, was informed that the goods had been detained and refused entry.

This situation is because the goods are not properly fumigated.

What is fumigation?

Fumigation refers to the use of compounds such as fumigants to kill insects, pathogens, or other harmful organisms in a sealed environment. A fumigant is a chemical agent that produces a lethal concentration of gas at a specified temperature and pressure. In layman’s terms, fumigation involves applying chemicals to cargo to kill insects.

Why fumigation?

Because invasive alien species and organisms have caused numerous ecological disasters and inflicted enormous harm, fumigation is mandatory to prevent harmful pests and diseases from harming forest resources in importing countries, to ensure environmental and biological safety in all countries, and to maintain the safety and sustainability of international trade. This ensures the absence of insects and eggs, achieving the desired elimination goal.

What goods need fumigation?

Insects and their eggs are typically found in wood, so fumigation is only required for export goods containing wooden packaging.

Generally, all packaging made of logs must be fumigated. Wooden packaging generally refers to materials used for packaging, bedding, supporting, and reinforcing goods, such as wooden boxes, wooden crates, wooden pallets, dunnage, wooden barrels, wooden block, sleepers, wooden lining boards, wooden axles, wooden wedges, wooden frames for fixing, and log pallets. All logs must be fumigated and marked with the IPPC label.

For non-log packaging, ensure that the wood is free of visible bark, mold, or borers. If visible, remove it or replace the packaging. Otherwise, fumigation is the only option.

Which countries require fumigation?

Countries with Mandatory Fumigation:

1. 25 EU member states: France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Bulgaria, and Romania
2. United States, Canada
3. Australia, New Zealand

Other countries and markets do not have specific fumigation requirements, but it is recommended that wooden packaging be fumigated and a fumigation certificate be issued.

Which modes of transportation are suitable for fumigation?

Fumigation generally refers to full container loads shipped by sea or rail. Export container fumigation has strict requirements for time, temperature, and humidity.

Fumigation must be performed within a sealed container. The goods and packaging must be kept dry and breathable to ensure that the fumigant gas can penetrate every corner of the container. Fumigation methods vary depending on the container type. For example, 20-foot and 40-foot standard containers typically require 24 hours of fumigation and can be towed to the fumigation site. However, due to their larger size, open-top containers or flatbed containers require more time and manual labor to ensure sealing. Fumigation requirements also vary for different products. For example, for Chinese medicinal materials, crudely processed bamboo, wood, and rattan, and Christmas items containing bark, longer fumigation times and larger dosages are required.

Bulk cargo fumigation is also possible when necessary, but it is more complex than fumigating a full container load.

Air freight shipments containing wooden packaging also require fumigation. Express shipments, due to their smaller size, are less frequently subject to fumigation.

What are the fumigation methods?

Fumigation methods primarily include pharmaceutical fumigation and heat treatment. Pharmaceutical fumigation typically uses sulfuryl fluoride, EO, aluminum phosphide, methyl bromide, or ethylene oxide. Heat treatment involves heating an item to a certain temperature, holding it for a certain period of time, and then rapidly cooling it or allowing it to cool naturally. This process can alter the physical and chemical properties of the material and improve its mechanical performance. What are the methods?

Fumigation process

• Confirm your fumigation needs and apply for inspection with the Commodity Inspection Bureau 7-8 days in advance, completing the “Fumigation and Disinfection Application.”
• After your application is accepted, arrange with the Commodity Inspection Bureau for a fumigation time and location, which may be at the factory or a designated fumigation site.
• On the agreed date (it’s recommended to arrive at your destination two days in advance), the Commodity Inspection Bureau will dispatch personnel to the factory or port warehouse to stamp the wooden packaging or pallets with the IPPC (International Plant Protection Convention) logo. After this fumigation stamp is in place, wait for the container to be loaded (a waiting time of three hours; any delay beyond this will incur a waiting fee) before fumigation begins. (Four photos will be taken during loading: one with the door open, two with each door closed, and one with both doors closed.)

How long does fumigation take?

• Fumigation typically takes 24 hours.
• After 24 hours, the gas needs to be dissipated for another 4 hours before the container can be shipped to the port. Closing the container before the gas is dissipated may damage the cargo.
• Wait about 4 days for the Commodity Inspection Bureau to issue the fumigation certificate.

Fumigation Certificate

The Fumigation Certificate issued by the Commodity Inspection Bureau undergoes rigorous verification, is applicable in most cases, and serves as proof of fumigation at the destination customs. In international trade, fumigation has universal standards and regulations established by the International Portfolio Control Commission (IPPC). The fumigation mark and certificate confirm that the container has been fumigated, providing a basis for expedited customs review. Almost all countries conduct partial inspections and verifications on imported and exported goods. Therefore, fumigation certificates cannot be obtained after shipment, and forgeries are strictly prohibited.

Note that export fumigation certificates are only valid for 21 days. It’s possible that the fumigation certificate’s validity period has expired by the time the goods arrive at the port. However, as long as the goods are in good condition, an expired fumigation certificate generally does not affect customs clearance.

The cost of fumigation

There’s no uniform standard for fumigation certificates issued in Shenzhen. For example, the following applies:

• Fumigation fees for less than 20 cubic meters per ton truck are approximately 500-800 RMB.
• Fumigation fees for more than 20 cubic meters per ton truck are approximately 700-1000 RMB.
• Overnight press fees are approximately 150-200 RMB.
• If stamping is required on-site for wooden packaging, a site fee will be charged. The price is based on the specific address.

What are the consequences of not fumigating?

Some importers worry that fumigation may damage their products. However, unless the product involves heat treatment or ultra-precision equipment, there’s no need to worry about fumigation with other chemicals. After all, the product is already packaged internally, and the chemicals only affect the outer wooden packaging. Compared to the consequences of not fumigating, these are negligible.

Goods that require fumigation but aren’t fumigated face penalties ranging from return of shipment to destruction. In short, as in the case at the beginning of this article, this can lead to numerous complications, not least of which are costs and losses.

How to avoid fumigation?

In view of the trouble and cost of fumigation, plastic pallets or fumigation-free plywood, particleboard, fiberboard, etc. can be used for packaging to avoid the re-steaming step, thereby saving time and cost.

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