Fumigation services
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Table of Contents
What is fumigation?
Fumigation is not very familiar to everyone who are in international trade industry. But fumigation is necessary when we make international shipping for raw wood products or some agriculture products.
Fumigation is applied to kill pests, pathogens and microorganisms which is usually in raw wood and agriculture products.
Fumigation is handled in an enclosed space like in a truck / in a 20ft/40ft container or in a warehouse.
We can use two ways of fumigation: chemical fumigation and heat treatment fumigation.
Fumigation usually takes about 24 hours.
Why do we need to make fumigation?
Fumigation is necessary when we make international shipping for raw wood products and agricultural products. Because pests or pathogens in these products may cause biosecurity risk in destination countries.
For example when we ship raw wood furniture from China to Australia, if we do not make fumigation, the pests in the wood may reproduce very quickly in Australia as there are no natural predators in that region. And Australia is an island country so Australia is very strict in fumigation to prevent biosecurity risk.
Actually, different countries have different requirements on fumigation.For example, Australian fumigation is different from European fumigation requirements. When we ship raw wood products from China to Australia, we must make fumigation according to Australian fumigation requirements. Otherwise, cargo can not be customs released in time when the vessel/airplane arrives in Australia.
As an importer or exporter, we must be careful when we are doing international trading business for the products which require fumigation. Making fumigation in advance can make international shipping and customs clearance process go smoothly.
Without fumigation or a fumigation certificate, cargo may get stuck in customs and will cause a lot of delays and extra money.
What kind of products would require fumigation?
The pests or pathogens usually live in raw wood products or agricultural products. So usually raw wood products or agricultural products need fumigation.
Some products like machines are not raw wood. But if the machine is packed with raw wood or bamboo packaging material, fumigation is also required.
Different countries have different fumigation certificate. Below is an example of Australian certificate :
If products are not raw wood but packing are raw wood, we only need to make fumigation on the packaging and put a fumigation stamp on it. Fumigation certificate are not required.
Below are examples of fumigation stamps :
If products and packing are both raw wood, we would need both the fumigation stamp and fumigation certificate.
Which countries would require fumigation?
When we ship from China to below countries, we need to make fumigation :
- USA
- Australia
- New Zealand
- UK
- European Union
- Japan
- Egypt
- Saudi Arabia
- Etc
Actually, when we ship products from other countries like Australia or USA to China, Chinese government will also require fumigation on raw wood products. And the proper fumigation certificate must be presented.
Fumigation Requirement
Some raw wood products can not be fumigated for international shipping.
First, raw wood packaging must be dry, free of bark, free of obvious insect holes, and without mildew or blackening.
Below raw wood is not good for fumigation :
Secondly, if raw wood products are packed in plastic bags and the fumigation gas can not be entered, we need to put holes onto the plastic material.
Take Australian fumigation requirement for example, we need to make a statement to AU customs that plastic wrapping used in this consignment confirms to AFAS wrapping and perforation standard. For more details, you can google AFAS Methyl Bromide Fumigation Standard.
Fumigation Way
There are two ways of fumigation. One way is chemical fumigation. Another way is heat treatment.
Chemical fumigation means that we use the toxic gases generated by chemical agents to kill pests, pathogens, or other harmful organisms.Chemical agents include Methyl Bromide, Ethylene Oxide, Sulfuryl Fluoride, etc
Heat treatment means that we use controlled high temperatures to kill pests, pathogens, and insect eggs.The temperature is usually about 56 degrees Celsius and it needs to last about 30 minutes. The heat treatment needs to be carried out in an enclosed space.
As Heat treatment is more environmentally friendly than chemical fumigation, so heat treatment is more commonly used in fumigation services in international trade industry.
Fumigation Steps
DAKA Transport takes a 20ft container fumigation for example to explain fumigation steps.
- Fumigation application: DAKA Transport gets cargo information from your Chinese factory and find out destination countries’ fumigation requirements (for example Australian fumigation requirement). Then we sent fumigation application for to the fumigation authorities like Chinese customs. In the application form, we need to list all the products, fumigation way, destination country and fumigation date etc.
Entry into fumigation depot : After the Chinese factory finishes production, we pick up the products from Chinese factory to fumigation depot according to the booking time and place in the first step. If there is raw wood package, we need to stamp on the package first before entry into fumigation depot.
Make Fumigation:
We make fumigation via chemical agents or heat treatment for 24 hours. When we make fumigation for a 20ft container, we do not open the container. We insert the toxic or heat gas via the ventilation hole on the container.
- Gas Release:
After fumigation, the fumigation deports worker will open the container door to release the toxic or heat gas. This process will take about 4 hours.
- Container return:
After the fumigation deport check everything is ok, we can pick up the container from fumigation deport to the Chinese port. Then we can start Chinese customs clearance and get container onto the vessel.
- Issue fumigation certificate: After 3 or 4 working days, a fumigation certificate will be issued by fumigation authorities like Chinese customs. Fumigation is finished till now.
Fumigation Certificate
Fumigation certificate is required when your products are made of by raw wood.
If your products are not raw wood and only the packaging is raw wood, although fumigation is still required, fumigation certificate doesn’t need to be provided.
Fumigation certificate is a doc that demonstrates the products are fumigated according to the fumigation law and rules. On the fumigation certificate, it states when and where and how the fumigation is proceeded.
In China, fumigation certificates can be divided into three types according to different certification authorities.
- Fumigation/Disinfection Certificate issued by Chinese Customs. It belongs to a government doc.
- Methyl Bromide Fumigation Certificate issued by Quarantine Treatment Company Limited. This is a doc from government-affiliated institution.
- Fumigation Certificate issuedby private companies. This is kind of business doc issued by companies who have the license to make fumigation services
Different countries have different requirements on fumigation. For example, if you ship products from China to Australia, Australian government may have different requests from the USA government’s requirement. It is better to understand destination countries’ laws and rules before fumigation.
How to avoid fumigation legally?
If the products are made by raw wood, we have no way to avoid fumigation.
If the products are not raw wood but only the package is raw wood, we can avoid fumigation by changing the packaging material.
In international shipping, as fumigation takes a lot of money and a very long time, more and more non-fumigation materials are used.
DAKA International Transport Company would suggest our customers not to use raw wood material to pack the products.
For example, we can use plastic pallets, steel pallets, plywood pallets, plywood wooden box, paper cartons to pack the products.In this way, we can avoid fumigation really.
FAQ
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Fumigation time is 24 hours. But you need to send the cargo into the fumigation deport at least 3 hours before fumigation starts. And after 24 hours of fumigation, we need about 4 hours to release the fumigation toxic gas. That is why we need 2 days to make fumigation
Fumigation fee in China is different when you ship from different Chinese ports.
Take fumigation fee of a 20ft container in Shenzhen port for example :
A: Container trucking from factory to fumigation depot: about USD200
B: Fumigation fee paid to QuarantineCompany: about USD200
So it is about USD400.
If the products are packed by raw wood packaging, we need to send a quarantine officer to stamp on the raw wood packaging, this will cost another around USD100
No. If the products are packed in plywood boxes or pallets, there is no need to make fumigation. Plywood is different from raw wood. Fumigation is only applicable to raw wood. Plywood can be free of fumigation.
