Untreated pallets donÆt pass El Paso
A shipment of apple puree in 50-gallon barrels last week was refused entry into the United States at the El Paso, Texas, cargo checkpoint and re-exported to Mexico after border inspectors revealed soil contamination and several pallets that were not in compliance with phytosanitary requirements for wood packaging material, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Monday.
Under international standards upheld by U.S. law, wood packaging materials must be specially treated with heat or fumigation to eliminate pests that can harm U.S. crops and forests. Treated packing material is supposed to be marked with an approved stamp.
CBP said 19 shipments were turned back in El Paso during the fiscal year ended Sept. 30 because they contained live wood boring pests.
