International Trade Today is a Warren News publication.

APHIS Lists Approved Chinese Wooden Handicraft Manufacturers

International Trade Today is providing a list obtained from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of approved manufacturers of wooden handicrafts in China. Under regulations issued in 2012 by APHIS, wooden handcrafts from China made with twigs with bark of a diameter of over 1 centimeter or more are subject to treatment requirements (see 12030122). Fumigation by approved facilities may be used to satisfy the requirements if the twigs with bark have a diameter of less than 6 centimeters. "By the utilization of an approved facility, the U.S. importer is only responsible for obtaining an import permit and submitting a Lacey Act declaration to make entry,” an APHIS spokeswoman said. The list is current as of Feb. 28, 2017.

Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article

If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.

Fumigator certifications are tied to the production facility, the spokeswoman said. For importers to make entry, they need to use one of the approved manufacturers on the list provided by APHIS. “The manufacturers have treatments performed by a fumigator under Chinese Inspection and Quarantine Service (CIQ) supervision. Companies must import from one of the approved manufacturers to make legal entry into the U.S.,” she said. APHIS lays out requirements for importing wood handicrafts from China in its Miscellaneous and Processed Products Import Manual (here).

The requirements for importation of wooden handicrafts from China are meant to address pest concerns following detections of insects related to the Asian longhorn beetle, the spokeswoman said. APHIS had banned the importation of Chinese-origin wooden handicrafts “based on 303 recalls from 2003 to 2005,” she said. APHIS worked with industry, China and CBP beginning in 2009 before issuing its final rule in 2012 and developing a work plan to address pest concerns in 2013. “The workplan defined the requirements for importing wooden handicrafts from China, including processing provisions and treatments (such as fumigation),” the spokeswoman said. “Minimal processing, such as cleaning to remove soil, twigs, or leaves; rough sawing; or rough shaping to give a rustic appearance are not enough to eliminate wood boring pests.”

Email ITTNews@warren-news.com for a copy of the list of approved Chinese manufacturers.