Aside from the risk that wood pests pose to the nation’s agricultural system, the potential loss of time and money to importers who don’t comply is significant, warns the agency, as CBP may reject shipments that are infested or accompanied by uncertified wood packaging. If importers try to send the shipment back to the point of origin for proper treatment and certification, re-shipment can take months.

Alternatively, if the importer attempts to export the infested shipment to another country, it may be rejected, as many other nations share our import standards in this area. Finally, if the importer abandons the shipment altogether, financial penalties result. And all of these scenarios can lead to factory shutdowns, late production penalties, and loss of business.

Additionally, says CBP, importers must be careful to avoid fraudulent wood packaging material certifiers, who may stamp the wood as treated without actually making sure that the pests inside have been eradicated. Importers are responsible for the state of the wood regardless of whether its certification is false.