Argentina Revises Phytosanitary Controls on Imported Wood Packaging – Todo Logística News | 19/10/26

Argentina has updated its phytosanitary control regime for imported wood packaging through Resolution 873/2026 issued by the National Service for Agrifood Health and Quality (Senasa), aiming to simplify procedures, reduce delays in foreign trade operations and prevent the spread of pests that could threaten plant health. The regulation covers pallets, supports and dunnage entering the country alongside goods transported by air, road, sea or rail, and continues to follow International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM 15). One of the main changes is the introduction of a phytosanitary risk matrix, which classifies shipments as high, medium or low risk based on the origin and provenance of the goods, the type of product being transported and the compliance records of importers, exporters, customs brokers and customs transport agents. Low-risk operations will be subject to random physical inspections, while the presence of live insects, bark, biological activity or irregularities in regulatory markings may trigger stricter controls. Another significant change is that importers will be able to choose whether inspections take place at the point of entry into the country or at a previously declared final warehouse, allowing goods to be unloaded and released while their wooden packaging remains separated in a designated holding area pending inspection. Warehouses must have aphid-proof mesh, identification and traceability systems, and facilities for destroying non-compliant materials, with the associated costs borne by the importer or warehouse operator. The regulation also allows packaging from different shipments to be inspected together, although any detected non-compliance will require the destruction of all packaging materials stored in the designated holding area. Additionally, the resolution strengthens the digitalization of sworn declarations, authorizations and certificates through the Integrated Management System for Imported Wood Packaging, linked to the Malvina Customs Information System, to improve traceability and facilitate audits. Through these changes, Senasa aims to balance phytosanitary protection with greater logistics efficiency, preventing unnecessary cargo immobilization and accelerating the availability of imported goods. Link to Article