The side session intends to highlight the challenges of sea container logistics, risks posed to plant resources by contaminated containers and their cargos, and some of the efforts made by government and industry collaboratively to reduce those risks.

The side session presents an opportunity for countries to share experiences and best practices to assist them with developing their own outreach and awareness campaigns, to promote the use of the Cargo Transport Units (CTU) code and joint industry cleaning guidelines, other related practices, to determine current risks and how these are mitigated through voluntary measures.

The industry involved can create awareness among their peers, which will promote best practices, and reduced risk, which results in fewer rejections and delays along the supply chain continuum. The risk for pests to contaminate containers and cargo is greatest at the packing location. This implies that shippers and packers, acting on behalf of shippers, should put measures in place to minimize pest contamination during packing. However, others in the international container supply chain such as container operators and consignees should also put measures in place to reduce the risk of pest contamination while the container is in their control. These measures should be in accordance with the parties’ roles and responsibilities in the supply chain as set out in the IMO/ILO/UNECE Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units, and should take into consideration all safety and operational constraints.

The programme may be considered as a new way to safeguard both the environment and international trade, a model for ceramic companies of other countries or other interested sectors aiming to reduce the worldwide risk of phytosanitary contamination through the sea cargo shipments. The Program has been in use since August 2014 and its very positive results will be shown by Enrico LUPI, Representative of the company.

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