USDA DEALS WITH CHINESE CONTAINER FUMIGANTS

   The U.S. Department of Agriculture wants to create a better system for marking fumigating ocean containers from China and Hong Kong.
   The concern for the agency is that anti-pest fumigants, such as methyl
bromide and phosphine, may not completely breakdown during transit. This posses a risk to government inspectors and importers when the containers arrive in the U.S.
   Safe levels for the fumigants should be 5 parts per million for methyl
bromide and 0.3 parts per million for phosphine. USDA recommends that containers should be allowed to air out before they are entered.
   USDA will send a delegation to China on Aug. 19 to talk with the Chinese government about placarding containers with fumigants. The agency launched a campaign last year to have all wood-packed goods from China fumigated against the Asian longhorned beetle.