Officials from the United Kingdom (UK) have advised that effective immediately, the UK will no longer accept Heat Treatment (HT) certificates and Canadian Debarking and Grub Hole Control Program (CDGHCP) certificates for consignments of conifer and western red cedar wood products from Canada.
Effective immediately, all coniferous wood products destined to the UK, including Thuja spp., must be inspected by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and be accompanied with a phytosanitary certificate issued by the CFIA. Consignments currently in transit will be allowed entry into the UK if accompanied with a valid HT Certificate or CDGHCP certificate.
For coniferous wood produced under the Canadian Heat Treated Wood Products Certification Program, an inspection by the CFIA is required even if a HT Certificate for the European Union is presented.
Please note that wood products of Thuja spp. must be either:
- free of bark (the UK has no bark tolerance)
or - kiln dried to a moisture content less than 20%
Please contact your local CFIA office well in advance of exporting wood products to the UK to ensure that inspection activities can be completed prior to export.
Since Brexit, the UK had been accepting HT certificates and CDGHCP certificates issued in accordance with European Union derogations for coniferous wood and western red cedar. The CFIA will continue to engage with the UK to seek formal acceptance and recognition of the HT program and CDGHCP program. If you have any questions, please contact the Market Access Secretariat at aafc.mas-sam.aac@agr.gc.ca or your local CFIA office.