Whatever You Import, This Five-minute Read Provides Substantial Risk Mitigation

A well-meaning packer earning close to minimum wage abroad is bracing your merchandise in a shipping container with wood that he is cutting to length. A marked piece of wood is cut, and the leftover bit without marking fits just right, securing your merchandise in the container. Customs sees this unmarked piece of wood on importation. Now you face a penalty of three times the domestic value of the merchandise in the container and must bear the costs of returning the whole shipment to its country of origin.

Solid wood packaging materials (WPM) have become the target of increased concern and scrutiny over the past year. Importers face potential liquidated damages, penalties, denial of a shipment's entry, and the costs associated with returning the shipment back to its country of origin. WPM are pieces of wood used to support, brace, protect, or carry cargo including but not limited to crates, pallets, packing blocks, boxes, drums, cases, and skids. There are significan