Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1141207
Wood Packaging and Other Industries Share Common Challenges 24 PalletCentral • May-June 2019 palletcentral.com he economic impact of the wood packaging industry alone is nearly $31 billion dollars in the United States. At any given time, 1.8 billion wood pallets carry goods throughout the USA. Wooden pallets are crucial to trade and to the economy. Because of the value that wood packaging brings to the marketplace, the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association (NWPCA) advocates for the USDA ISPM 15 program, designed to protect our forests by reducing the spread of invasive species. However, many industries face challenges associated with global transportation of goods, especially fruits, vegetables and propagative material (plants, seeds, bulbs, cuttings, etc.). As a partner with the USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and global plant health organizations, NWPCA works toward improvements to the ISPM 15 program and to continue safe trade. To talk more about ISPM 15, PalletCentral sat down with the APHIS Deputy Administrator Osama El-Lissy to discuss progress and challenges to the program since its implementation in 2005. Which industries/means of shipment have the highest incidences of invasive species entering the United States? Why? Each industry and means of shipment is different in terms of the types and volumes of invasive species that it could bring into the country. These volumes can, and often do, vary from year to year or season to season. It's important to understand, though, that a high pest volume does not necessarily equal high risk. INDUSTRY T Our interview with APHIS ISPM 15 Increasing inspection at the ports is part of the solution. Background: Asian Longhorned Beetle/ArborDayBlog.org/treecare