CHINA TO REGULATE U.S. SOLID WOOD PACKING MATERIALS

   China has announced that it will require heat treatment of solid wood
packing materials that are made from U.S. conifers starting Jan. 1.
   The regulation will apply to shipments from the United States and Japan. According to the Chinese government, coniferous solid wood packing from the United States has been found to carry pinewood nematode, a pest associated with pine wilt disease. The Chinese say they have detained 44 shipments carrying the pest since October 1998. The nematode has reportedly spread to five provinces in China.
   "The U.S. Department of Agriculture is prepared to work together with exporters and the Chinese government to ensure there is a minimal
disruption to trade," said Michael V. Dunn, undersecretary for USDA’s
marketing and regulatory programs.
   The United States and Canada imposed controls on solid wood packing materials from China and Hong Kong earlier this year to prevent the spread of the Asian longhorned beetle into North American forests.