PLEASE NOTE - the development of new global measures for the avoidance of contamination of sea containers by invasive pests and cargoes will have a significant impact on international trade operational and reporting practices.
REFER:
UPDATE 1 - Verified Pest Prevention (VPP) declarations
UPDATE 2 - 'Safeguarding Continuum' and associated 'Custodial Responsibility'.
UPDATE 3 - Container Cleanliness Working Group and IPPC Brisbane Conference
UPDATE 4 - World Shipping Council Proposal
Freight & Trade Alliance and the Australian Peak Shippers Association (APSA) remain at the forefront of developments through its active involvement as members of the Global Shippers Forum (GSF). Below are several notable developments on container cleanliness since UPDATE 4 (15 March 2023):
JOINT INDUSTRY GUIDELINES
Revised guidelines for the cleaning of containers were published by the shipping industry on 24 March. "Prevention of Pest Contamination of Containers: Joint Industry Guidelines for the Cleaning of Containers" has been jointly published by the Bureau International des Containers (BIC), the Container Owners Association (COA), the Institute of International Container Lessors (IICL) and the World Shipping Council (WSC).
The document is a revised edition of guidance first published in 2017 but with two crucial differences:
- The responsibility of all parties in the supply chain for container cleanliness is shown, except for the parties represented by the authors of the document
- A statement in the earlier edition that the container operator is responsible for supplying a 'clean' container to the user does not appear in this revised edition.
The emphasis of the new guidance is on what responsibilities fall to other parties, rather than describing the standards of cleanliness to be achieved. It is understood that the Joint Guidelines were presented to the meeting of the Commission for Phytosanitary Measures that took place on 27-28 March (CPM-17, see below). The document may be downloaded from the WSC website.
COMMISSION ON PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES (CPM-17)
A plenary meeting of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures took place in Rome on 27 and 28 March (CPM-17).
The Commission received a report on the work of the CPM Focus Group on Sea Containers, and as requested by that group, authorised the distribution of a draft Recommendation on Sea Containers to IPPC member governments for consultation from 1 July for six months. This will provide a crucial opportunity for industry to submit comments through advocacy with their national plant protection organisations.
The draft CPM Recommendation was included in the CCWG papers for the meeting on 22 March and is available for download from the IPPC website.
The CPM meeting also confirmed that it would receive the final report of the CPM Focus Group on Sea Containers at the end of December 2023, with a view to adopting and enacting its recommendations for regulatory measures at its next meeting in March 2024 (CPM-18).
The next 12 months will be the crucial window for GSF to influence the outcome of the process.
UNECE CTU CODE REVISION WORKING GROUP
A two-day meeting of an informal working group of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) was held on 29 and 30 March to consider amendments to the Code of Practice for the Packing of Goods in Cargo Transport Units (the CTU Code). This meeting received a proposal for the expansion and revision of those parts of the CTU Code covering container cleanliness and the avoidance of pest contamination. These had been compiled by a subcommittee of the CPM Focus Group on Sea Containers.
Amongst other requirements they would embed the principles of Custodial Responsibility, as envisaged in the CMP Recommendation and the VPP proposal, in the CTU Code. No agreement was reached on the inclusion of the proposed wording and a decision was deferred to intersessional meetings to be arranged at the beginning of May. The proposed changes are available for downloaded from the UNECE website.
The UNECE secretariat also announced that a special meeting of Working Party 24 of the Inland Transport Committee (ITC) would meet in December this year to review those changes to the CTU Code that had been agreed by the informal working group. Representatives of IMO and ILO have been invited in the hope that formal adoption of the changes (including those covering container cleanliness and pest contamination) can be agreed by all three sponsoring agencies. However, the timeline and procedure for publication of a revised edition of the CTU Code is not yet clear.
GSF CONTAINER CLEANLINESS WORKING GROUP
Chaired by Sal Milici (General Manager Trade Policy and Operations – FTA / APSA), the GSF Container Cleanliness Working Group convened for its second meeting on 12 April 2023.
A strategy was established setting out actions to address the container cleanliness issue comprising activities under four headings:
- Responses to existing proposals
- Requests of container operators
- Information and advice to shippers as container users
- Requests of IPPC and government plant protection agencies
Actions intended to achieve these objectives were agreed and incorporated into an expanded strategy that will guide the Secretariat's work in advocating on behalf of shippers in IPPC forums, in the development of guidance and advice for GSF members and other container users, and the development of campaigning message. It will be updated and reviewed at each meeting of the Container Cleanliness Working Group (as outlined in earlier updates, we encourage FTA / APSA member participation in this important international working group).
GSF's container cleanliness strategy will also inform shippers' contributions to the IPPC Workshop on Sea Containers to be held on 17 - 19 July 2023 at Sofitel Brisbane Central.
Register HERE (participation is free of charge). Please note that registrations are open until 30 May 2023 - due to the limited meeting room capacity, the IPPC Secretariat will respond within one month to confirm your participation.
More information on the programme and updates are available HERE
CPD EVENTS
Sal Milici and I will be providing an update on developments to date at upcoming CPD events in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
"New Global Measures – Custodial Responsibility"
• Avoidance of contamination of sea containers by invasive pests
• International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) - four phases of the 'Safeguarding Continuum'
EARLY BIRD registration remain available for Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane - available HERE
Paul Zalai - Director FTA | Secretariat APSA | Director GSF