March 4, 2005

KeyTronicEMS Suppliers & Customers

RE: Solid Wood Packaging Materials

Dear KeyTronicEMS Supplier,

KeyTronicEMS has adopted the new solid wood packaging material (SWPM) regulations effective September 16, 2005 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Effective immediatelyKeyTronicEMS will require all suppliers who ship material and/or other articles that involve solid wood packaging materials to a KeyTronicEMS manufacturing facility to implement the new standards for all SWPM as outlined in the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) standards. These standards are recognized as the globally acceptable method for treating SWPM for controlling pests in wood packaging materials used in global trade. The IPPC standards can be accessed on the USDA web site at or on the IPPC web site at

These new standards require that SWPM, whether in actual use as packing for regulated or non-regulated articles, or imported as cargo, may be imported into the United States under a general permit in accordance with the following conditions:

(1)Treatment: The solid wood packing materials must have been:

  1. Heat-treated to achieve a minimum wood core temperature of 56 C for a minimum of 30 minutes. Such treatment may employ kiln-drying, chemical pressure impregnation, or other treatments that achieve this specification through the use of steam, hot water, or dry heat; or,
  2. Fumigated with methyl bromide in an enclosed area for at least 16 hours at the specified dosage, stated in terms of grams of methyl bromide per cubic meter of the enclosure being fumigated (see standards located in the IPPC web site International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures 15 (ISPM15)).

(2)Marking: The solid wood packing material must be marked in a visible location on each article, preferably on at least two opposite sides of the article, with a legible and permanent mark that indicates that the article meets the requirements of this paragraph. The mark must be approved by the IPPC in its International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures to certify that the wood packaging material has been subjected to an approved measure, and must include a unique graphic symbol, the ISO two-letter country code for the country that produced the solid wood packing material, a unique number assigned by the national plant protection agency of that country to the producer of the solid wood packing material, and an abbreviation disclosing the type of treatment (e.g., HT for heat treatment or MB for methyl bromide fumigation).

KeyTronicEMS Suppliers & Customers March 4, 2005

Solid Wood Packaging Materials Page 2

The new standards require that any shipments not marked properly be immediately re-exported. Any costs incurred for re-export will be the responsibility of the shipper named on the shipping documents.

All SWPM materials must have the IPPC mark applied to two opposite sides of the packaging material. These regulations will apply to any shipment destined for a KeyTronicEMS manufacturing site.

The IPPC standards also acknowledge that other treatments currently under laboratory evaluation for their effectiveness may be added to the IPPC standards in the future. KeyTronicEMS will consider adding these if they are approved by the IPPC at a future date. Shipments received on slip-sheets, loose-loaded, other non-wood packaging materials, or processed woods are exempt from these standards.

All shipments received at a KeyTronicEMS designated facility on or after September 1, 2005 must comply with these standards.

Sincerely,

KeyTronicEMS Corporation