Sandalwood powder

Country
Malaysia (MY)
Scientific Name
Santalum spicatum
Group
Processed timber
End use
Processing
NPPO Details
Plant Biosecurity Division, Department of Agriculture Malaysia
Relevant Web Addresses
http://www.doa.gov.my/
Criteria Criteria Required?
Import Permit Yes
Phytosanitary Certificate Yes
Additional Declaration/Endorsement No
Protocol Market No
Consignments are to be free from pests, soil, weed seeds and extraneous material.


A copy of the import permit must be presented to an Authorised Officer at the time of inspection.


Must be shipped in lots of no more than 2 cubic metres in volume and packaged in clear plastic wrapping.

It is the exporter’s responsibility to ensure that the phytosanitary certificate is issued within 14 days of the consignment being exported from Australia.

Refer to the departure date and inspection date in the Request for Permit.

 

Malaysian import permits may indicate that the following text be included as an additional declaration: "The issuance of this PC is based on the Malaysia IP reference number MAQXXXXXX."

  • Australian phytosanitary certificates cannot be issued with additional declarations that reference import permit numbers.
  • In negotiations with the Malaysian NPPO, it has been agreed that the import permit number indicated in the import permit section of Australian phytosanitary certificates is sufficient for meeting this requirement.
  • No text stating the import permit number in either the additional declaration section or the additional product description section is required for clearance, regardless of the statement on Malaysian import permits regarding import permit number printing requirements.
If the import permit states the reference number of the treatment certificate must be provided on the phytosanitary certificate, the statement "TREATMENT CERTIFICATE NUMBER (NUMBER) / DATE (DATE)" can be entered in the "Additional product description field" section of the EXDOC Request for Permit (RFP). There is to be no deviation from this text format. To enable the field on the RFP the exporter must submit a request to the EXDOC Plant program via (EXDOCPlantPrograms@aff.gov.au).

The Export Control Act 2020 and the Export Control (Wood and Woodchips) Rules 2021, require an export licence issued by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry for any exports of two tonnes or more of:

  • woodchips;
  • wood in the round (i.e. logs);
  • wood with a cross-sectional area of at least 225 square centimetres

These are considered 'prescribed goods' under the Export Control (Wood and Woodchips) Rules 2021. 

A licence is not required for the above listed wood and woodchips if:
  • the wood or woodchips are sourced from an area covered by a Regional Forest Agreement (RFA). Details regarding the areas covered by RFAs can be found here: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/forestry/policies/rfa.
  • the wood or woodchips are derived from trees harvested outside Australian territory, including those transiting through Australia.
  • the wood or woodchips are sourced from a plantation in a State with an approved code of practice for the establishment, management and harvesting of all plantations in that State.

If an export licence is required, it is the responsibility of exporters to obtain a licence to export prescribed wood or woodchips prior to export.

Exporters can find information on how to obtain an export licence for prescribed wood or woodchips on the departments website - Exports of unprocessed wood and woodchips (wood export licensing) - DAFF.

Any enquires on what is classed as prescribed wood or woodchips should be directed to: wood.export@aff.gov.au, or call (02) 6272 4353.

The only responsibility authorised officers have in relation to the export licences for unprocessed wood is to inform unprocessed wood exporters of the possible requirement to hold a licence to export unprocessed wood.

If required by the import permit, consignments must be treated prior to export. Refer to import permit for treatment details. 

If required, each consignment must be:

  • Fumigated with methyl bromide at 48 grm/m3 at 21 degrees Celsius for more than 24 hours;
OR
  • Heat treated to 70 degree Celsius core temperature for 4 hours;
OR
  • Fumigated with phosphine at 4 grm/m3 at 21 degrees Celsius for 120 hours.
Please note that the department's minor use permit for aluminium phosphide and cylinderised phosphine gas (both 99% phosphine and 2% phosphine active constituent versions) only allows for above-label concentrations if fumigation is conducted over a minimum exposure period of:

  • 7 days when commodity temperature is above 25 degrees Celsius
  • 10 days when commodity temperature is 15-25 degrees Celsius
  • 20 days for surface-only applications in well-sealed structures greater than 375m3 (300 metric tonne capacity)—it is the fumigator's responsibility to apply as appropriate.
Although the minimum fumigation duration and/or temperature required by the NPPO is below this, the department's minor use permit does not allow for treatments shorter than the above periods or at lower temperatures. The phosphine concentration applied must still meet the NPPO minimum concentration.

Treatment requirements with minimum concentrations greater than the below schedules are considered above-label treatments:

FumigantConcentration
Aluminium phosphide1.5 grm/m3
99% phosphine gas1.4 grm/m3
2% phosphine gas70 grm/m3 (1.4 grm/m3 phosphine)
(Magnesium phosphide)(No departmental minor use permit available)
 

Treatment details for phosphine treatments are to be endorsed in the Treatment section as:

“WITH [PHOSPHINE/ALUMINIUM PHOSPHIDE] AT [NPPO concentration]GRM/M3 FOR [NPPO minimum duration] OR MORE AT [temperature] DEGREES CELSIUS [add “OR ABOVE" if fumigation temperature is greater than NPPO minimum temperature]"

For example, if an NPPO requires aluminium phosphide  treatment at 5 GRM/M3 FOR 5 DAYS at 20 DEGREES CELSIUS, the treatment should be conducted at 5 grams per cubic metre for 10 days at 20 degrees and the text should read as:

“WITH ALUMINIUM PHOSPHIDE AT 5 GRM/M3 FOR 5 DAYS OR MORE AT 20 DEGREES CELSIUS"


If treatment is required by the import permit, 
The exporter is to provide evidence attesting to the treatment and present it to the department at time of authorisation.

If treatment is required by the import permit, details of the treatment are to be endorsed on the phytosanitary certificate in the treatment section.
Import permits dated 13 September 2018, 20 November 2020, 21 April 2022 and 6 May 2026.
10/06/2026 - Updated treatment details to clarify minimumtreatment duration requirements for phosphine under Australian label.
10/06/2026 - Updated general requirements to clarify the text which is permitted in the Additional Product Description field.
25/05/2026 - Updated general requirements to clarify the text which is permitted in the Additional Product Description field.
09/04/2025 - Updated treatment details to allow post-inspection fumigation of sandalwood consignments.
03/02/2025 - Updated general requirements due to legislation changes.
25/08/2022 - Updated general requirements to state no text of import permit number in additional product description field.
06/06/2022 - Updated general requirements to include the statement to be added to additional product description.
08/11/2021 - Updated general requirements due to legislation changes.
11/12/2020 - Updated to treatment details - option included for no treatment requirments.
Initial Uploaded: 29/07/2014
Reviewed Uploaded: 18/07/2026