Following an update from MPI this morning, unfortunately there have been several discoveries of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug in cargo originating from Italy. This has lead MPI to require additional supervised unpacks of all Italian origin cargo in order to ensure this threat is contained. This includes our weekly FAK containers. If any stink bugs are found in these containers, fumigation will be required followed by a re-inspection.
This is a very large undertaking and MPI has asked all importers to be patient as they work through the backlog.
MPI sent the below comments this morning:
With three serious finds, including large aggregations in the last two weeks, 100% of containers ex Italy will be checked and devanned under MPI supervision.
Unfortunately this will take time and resource to achieve and we expect an exponential increase in delays to occur as our Target Evaluation and Border Clearance teams work to maintain oversight and appropriate auditing.
As soon as we have any more information we will let you know.
Should you need any further clarification, please feel free to contact us.