Canada Finalizes New Agreement for Exportation of Untreated Sawn Wood to Australia

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Australia’s Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) have established a national certification program that ensures untreated Canadian sawn wood can continue to be exported to Australia. The establishment of the Canadian Untreated Sawn Wood Certification Program is an important achievement for Canada as over $40 million worth of untreated sawn wood is exported to Australia annually.

The Canadian Untreated Sawn Wood Certification Program replaces the Canadian Accredited Timber Scheme (CATS), a voluntary pre-shipment inspection program that facilitated the entry of untreated Canadian sawn wood into Australia. Both Canada and Australia recognized the potential for the CATS program to be developed into an official export certification program to mitigate pest risk and ensure continued market access.

Registration in the Canadian Untreated Sawn Wood Certification Program is mandatory and ensures that exports are compliant with Australia’s phytosanitary import requirements

Additional information is available at the following link.