All

Country
United States of America (US)
Group
Woodchips
End use
Processing
NPPO Details
Plant Protection and Quarantine, Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Relevant Web Addresses
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/home/
Criteria Criteria Required?
Import Permit No
Phytosanitary Certificate Yes
Additional Declaration/Endorsement No
Protocol Market No
Consignments are to be free from pests, soil, weed seeds and extraneous material.


Wood and Bark chips not from tropical plantation grown trees:
Cannot be commingled with other regulated materials (other than solid wood packing material) unless the other regulated articles are in separate holds or in separate sealed containers.

Wood and Bark chips from tropical plantation grown trees:
Accompanied by an exporters declaration stating that the chips were derived from live, healthy tropical species of plantation grown trees, grown in tropical areas.

Consignments must be free from rot at the time of importation into the US.

Cannot be commingled with other regulated materials (other than solid wood packing material) unless the other regulated articles are in separate holds or in separate sealed containers.

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.

Wood and Bark chips not from tropical plantation grown trees require either fumigation (T404-b-1-1) or kiln sterilisation (T404-b-4) treatment.

Consignments must be fumigated with methyl bromide as per T404-b-1-1 of the USDA Treatment Manual:

T404-b-1-1 Methyl bromide at NAP:

Dosage rate (grm/m3)Temperature (degrees Celsius)Exposure period (hours)
4821 or above16
805 - 2016


The following minimum concentration readings are required for each fumigation.

T404-b-1-1 – Minimum concentration readings

Dosage rate (grm/m3)Temperature (degrees Celsius)Minimum concentration readings (grm/m3) at:
  0.5 hr2 hrs4 hrs16 hrs
4821 or above36302725
805 - 2060514842

 

If the fumigation is conducted in a closed-door container then:

  • take the first reading at 1 hour instead of 0.5 hours;
  • take the second reading at 2.5 hours instead of 2 hours.


If the 4 and 16 hour readings would occur outside of normal working hours, then the fumigation may be extended to a total of 24 hours, instead of 16. In that case, the 24-hr minimum concentration reading would be 25 (for the initial 48grm/m3 dosage), or 42 (for the initial 80 grm/m3 dosage).

OR

 
Consignments must be kiln dried as per T404-b-4 of the USDA Treatment Manual:

 
T404-b-4—Kiln Sterilisation

Dry bulb temperature (degrees Celsius)Wet bulk drepression (degrees Celsuis)Relative Humidity (%)Moisture Content (%)Thickness of lumber (Inches)Treatment time after kiln reaches conditions (Hours)
60-13.98213.81
2
3		3
5
7
54.5-8.9609.41
2
3		10
12
14
52-9.4619.71
2
3		46
48
50

 

The exporter is to provide evidence attesting to the treatment and present it to the Authorised Officer at the time of inspection.


Details of treatment to be endorsed on the phytosanitary certificate in the treatment section.

USDA / APHIS regulations verified 5 April 2018.
03/02/2025 - Updated general requirements due to legislation changes.
10/11/2021 - Updated general requirements due to legislation changes.
Initial Uploaded: 29/07/2014
Reviewed Uploaded: 18/07/2026