US embassy cable - 05MUSCAT1597

UNCLAS MUSCAT 001597 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI 
DEPT OF AGRICULTURE FOR CMP/FFPD 
DUBAI FOR ATO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR, ETRD, MU, Economic Affairs, ESTH 
SUBJECT: OMAN'S RESPONSE TO WOOD PACKAGING MATERIAL 
REGULATIONS 
 
REF: USDA FAS 673709 
 
1.  Per reftel request for information on Oman's compliance 
with new regulations governing wood packaging material, the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed its response through 
diplomatic correspondence dated October 24, 2005. 
 
2.  Begin informal translation of the operative paragraphs: 
 
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would like to convey the 
following response by the Ministry of Regional 
Municipalities, Environment, and Water Resources: 
 
a.  The Sultanate of Oman joined the International Plant 
Protection Convention in the year 1989, and the contact party 
in the Sultanate on this convention is the Directorate 
General of Agriculture. 
 
b.  Being party to the Vienna Convention on the Ozone 
Protection, and the Montreal Protocol on the Ozone Depleting 
Materials, the Sultanate does not permit the use of methyl 
bromide in fumigating packaging wood. 
 
c.  Heat treatment of packaging wood is used by some 
companies in the Sultanate.  It is one of the methods 
consistent with the standards set by the International Plant 
Protection Convention, as cited in the documents enclosed 
with the Embassy's note."  (End informal translation.) 
BALTIMORE