The First Meeting of the IPPC Sea Container Task Force Successfully Held in Shanghai China

The first meeting of the IPPC Sea Container Task Force (SCTF) was held from 6-10 November 2017, in Shanghai, China. The meeting was jointly organized by the IPPC Secretariat, and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection & Quarantine (AQSIQ) of the Peoples Republic of China, and hosted by Shanghai Inspection and Quarantine Bureau (SHCIQ). Mr Jingyuan Xia, IPPC Secretary, opened the meeting, Ms. Yijuan Li, Deputy Director General (DDG) of the AQSIQ presented a welcome address on behalf of the AQSIQ, and Mr. Yucheng Zheng, DDG of the (SHCIQ), delivered a welcome speech on behalf of the (SHCIQ).

The meeting was attended by most IPPC SCTF members mainly from the contracting parties (Australia, China, Kenya and USA), the CPM Bureau (North America Region), the IC of the IPPC (Jordan), and the RPPO (New Zealand), as well as the invited experts from the shipping industry, the sea container working group, the World Customs Organization (WCO), the World Bank (WB), and the World Shipping Council. There were two observers also present in the meeting coming from the AQSIQ and the (SHCIQ), respectively. Ms. Marie-Claude Forest, CPM Bureau member, was elected as the Chair of the meeting, and John Hedley, Principle Advisor of New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), was selected as the Rapporteur of the meeting. Mr. Mike Downes, Independent Consultant, was named as the Coordinator of the IPPC SCTF.

The main activities and outcomes of the meeting was 1) to review the Terms of Reference (ToR) and the Rules of Procedures (RoP) of the IPPC SCTF, as well as the CPM-12 Decisions and the Adopted Complementary Action Plan; 2) to update the current CPs/NPPOs, RPPOs, Regional and International organizations initiatives on management of the phytosanitary risk associated with sea containers; 3) to share the information on Sea Container Logistics, as well as the CTU Code and Industry Guideline; and 4) to develop the IPPC SCTF five-year action plan, as well as its work plan and proposed budget for 2018.

It was decided during the meeting to survey the current state of contaminated (pest contaminated in IPPC terms) containers through industry and NPPOs. Recognizing the divergence among various industrial guidelines on container cleaning, the IPPC SCTF will talk actions to provide alignment with respect to pest contamination in a certain way. The IPPC SCTF will also raise the awareness of pest risks of sea containers through developing guidance and sharing best-practice.

The meeting was deemed by all participants to be very useful and successful. The next meeting is planned for October/November 2018, to be held in Shenzhen, China.