CBP Agriculture Specialists Intercept Eleven Shipments with Wood Boring Insects in Two Days at Laredo Port of Entry
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Jun 13, 2017, Comments Off
Courtesy Richard Pauza,
LAREDO, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agriculture Specialists intercepted eleven shipments with wood boring insects at the Colombia Solidarity Bridge.
On June 2, CBP Agriculture Specialists at Colombia Solidarity Bridge conducted wood packaging inspections on several non-agriculture related shipments. The examinations resulted in six interceptions of wood boring insects of three different species. On June 5, CBP Agriculture Specialists found five more shipments with wood boring insects bringing the total to eleven entries with wood packaging material (WPM) violations. All pests were submitted to the local U. S. Department of Agriculture-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service-Plant Protection and Quarantine identifier who determined that the pests were in the Cerambycidae, Buprestidae, and Curculionidae families and all of quarantine significance.
Non-native wood boring insects such as the Asian Longhorn Beetle and the Emerald Ash Borer have been responsible for the destruction of tens of millions trees in the United States and are a significant threat to our national forests and lumber industry. Additionally, eradication measures in those affected areas has been costly.
Wood packaging material is defined as wood or wood products used in supporting, protecting, or carrying a commodity. These include but are not limited to pallets, crates, bracing, and cable spools. All WPM must meet the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM 15) and must be free of pests in order to enter the U.S.
CBP has the authority to assess penalties in addition to claims for liquidated damages for WPM violations.
