Following the discovery of stink bugs found in containers inspected in Australia last year, the Italian Fumigation Association has decided to impose more stringent loading requirements.

VISA Global Logistics National Manager, Sam Curro, said all future consignments must be loaded with enough vacant space and separation between items to allow even distribution of hot air throughout the container and raise the core temperature of the consignment as follows: the consignment must be loaded off the floor of the container to provide free air space under the goods and to prevent cooling influences from the ground. Also, the consignment must be loaded with at least 30 cm of free air space between the goods and the container roof.

"Treatment providers have advised that containers not complying with the above will be considered unsuitable for offshore BMSB treatment and may be rejected at the export terminal and incur additional costs, and then be required to be fumigated in Australia," he said, explaining that for containers to be heat-treated in Italy, the commercial impact will be: a reduction of cargo capacity of approximately 15 per cent; a cost to the supplier to obtain pallets of other additional packing materials; and a likely increase in the cost of heat treatment.

"We strongly recommend that you communicate these changed packing requirements to your suppliers and consider whether you still wish to have your containers heat treated in Italy or fumigated instead in Australia."

Source: trailermag.com.au