Exporter reference · Solid wood packaging · Pallets · Crates · Dunnage

ISPM 15 Wooden Packaging Guide for Exporters

ISPM 15 regulates raw solid wood used to support, protect or carry international cargo because untreated timber can transport forest pests. For most exporters, compliance means debarked wood, an approved treatment, and a legible official mark applied by an authorised producer or treatment provider. Plywood and other fully processed wood products are generally exempt, but any solid wood runners, blocks or dunnage in the same pack remain subject to the destination rules.

Reviewed by the BENZ Packaging technical team · Updated 16 July 2026 from IPPC and import-authority guidance

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Direct Answer

What Does ISPM 15 Require?

ISPM 15 is the International Plant Protection Convention standard for wood packaging material moving in international trade. It covers items such as solid wood pallets, crates, cases, skids, cable drums and loose dunnage. Compliant material is made from debarked wood, receives an approved phytosanitary treatment, and carries the official IPPC mark showing the country, authorised producer or treatment provider, and treatment code.

The standard is not a load-rating certificate, moisture guarantee or proof that a crate is suitable for a particular machine. It controls pest risk. Structural design, cargo restraint, corrosion protection and destination-specific import instructions remain separate engineering and logistics decisions.

Does Your Packaging Fall Under ISPM 15?

Material or component	Typical ISPM 15 position	Exporter check
Solid wood pallet, crate, skid or case	Regulated when used in international trade	Use debarked, treated and officially marked material accepted by the destination.
Loose solid wood dunnage, bearers or blocking	Regulated	Every loose timber support matters, not only the outer crate.
Plywood, OSB, particle board or veneer packaging	Generally exempt when made entirely from processed wood using glue, heat, pressure or a combination	Check whether solid wood cleats, runners or blocks have been added.
Wood 6 mm thick or less	Exempt under the ISPM 15 framework	Confirm the complete pack does not include thicker raw wood components.
Paper, corrugated board, plastic or metal packaging	Outside the wood packaging definition	Other product, customs or environmental rules may still apply.
Domestic-only solid wood packaging	ISPM 15 is an international-trade standard	Local plant-health rules can still exist, so verify the actual route.

Important: a plywood box is not automatically an all-exempt pack. If it sits on raw solid wood skids or contains untreated timber blocking, those components can bring the package back into scope.

Approved Treatment Codes: Read the Stamp, Not the Sales Claim

Annex 1 of the standard defines approved measures. Availability and acceptance depend on authorised national programmes and destination rules.

HT: Conventional Heat Treatment

The entire wood profile, including the core, reaches at least 56°C for 30 continuous minutes. APHIS identifies this as a standard route for compliant export WPM.

DH: Dielectric Heating

Microwave or radio-frequency systems heat eligible wood to at least 60°C for one continuous minute throughout the profile, including the surface. Dimensional and process conditions apply.

MB: Methyl Bromide

An approved fumigation route under controlled schedules. It must be performed and marked through an authorised programme; exporters should not assume it is preferable or available for every destination.

SF: Sulfuryl Fluoride

Another treatment code recognised in the standard under defined schedules. National implementation and destination acceptance must be checked before specification.

How to Read an ISPM 15 Mark

Mark element	What it means	What to verify
IPPC symbol	The protected symbol prescribed by the standard	It appears to the left of the codes and is not improvised as a company logo.
Country code	Two-letter ISO country code	It matches the country whose NPPO authorised the marking system.
Producer / provider code	Unique code assigned by the national plant protection organisation	The code is legible and traceable through the responsible national programme.
Treatment code	HT, DH, MB or SF	The code matches an approved treatment actually applied to the material.
Application quality	The mark is legible, durable and non-transferable	It is visible on the finished unit and is not a detachable paper label.

Do not substitute paperwork for the mark. Current UK guidance states that a treatment or phytosanitary certificate cannot replace the ISPM 15 mark on regulated WPM. Destination authorities may request other shipment documents, but those do not cure an unmarked regulated pallet or crate.

Seven Checks Before the Container Door Closes

A practical dispatch audit for exporters, freight forwarders and packing teams.

1. Confirm the destination rule

Use the destination NPPO or border-authority source. ISPM 15 is an international framework, but enforcement procedures and route exceptions are national.

2. Inspect every raw timber piece

Check pallet deck boards, runners, skids, wedges, chocks and loose dunnage. One untreated support can make the shipment noncompliant.

3. Match the mark to the pack

The official mark belongs on the treated finished WPM under the authorised system. Do not reuse a loose stamped board as proof for a newly built crate.

4. Check bark and pest evidence

The wood must be debarked within the standard's tolerance. A stamp does not excuse live pests, fresh galleries or obvious contamination.

5. Protect the mark

Keep it visible after wrapping, painting and strapping. Photograph each marked side before loading and retain pack records against the shipment reference.

6. Control repairs

Repaired or remanufactured WPM has specific marking rules. Do not patch an export pallet with unmarked raw wood or leave conflicting old marks in place.

7. Separate pest compliance from cargo protection

ISPM 15 does not stop rain, condensation or corrosion. Add a suitable barrier, VCI and desiccant system when the machine and route require it.

What Can Happen at the Border?

Authorities inspect for the official mark, treatment compliance and pest evidence. The exact response depends on national law and the shipment circumstances. APHIS states that noncompliant WPM is not allowed to enter the United States; current UK guidance says noncompliant material may be rejected or destroyed; EU rules require incoming non-EU WPM to be debarked, treated or fumigated under ISPM 15, and officially marked.

Failure	Likely commercial consequence	Prevention
Usually omitted or unreadable mark	Hold, inspection, treatment, re-export or disposal depending on authority	Photograph legible marks before dispatch and keep them visible.
Untreated dunnage inside a compliant crate	The entire shipment can be treated as noncompliant	Source every loose timber support through the same controlled process.
Live pests or prohibited bark	Plant-health action even when a mark is present	Inspect material condition; do not treat the mark as immunity from inspection.
Altered or conflicting marks after repair	Traceability failure and additional scrutiny	Use authorised repair and remanufacture procedures.

ISPM 15 Questions Exporters Ask

Is plywood exempt from ISPM 15?

Wood packaging made entirely from processed wood such as plywood, OSB or veneer produced using glue, heat, pressure or a combination is generally exempt. Solid wood runners, cleats, blocks or dunnage added to that plywood box are not automatically exempt.

What temperature is required for ISPM 15 heat treatment?

For conventional heat treatment coded HT, the entire wood profile including the core must reach at least 56°C for 30 continuous minutes. Dielectric heating uses a different approved schedule and code.

Does an ISPM 15 certificate replace the stamp?

No. The official mark is the recognised certification on regulated wood packaging. Other commercial or shipment documents may be requested, but they do not correct an unmarked pallet, crate or piece of dunnage.

Can an ISPM 15 pallet be reused?

It may be reusable if it remains compliant, free of pest evidence and structurally fit, and has not been repaired or altered in a way that breaks the marking rules. Repaired and remanufactured WPM must follow the standard and national programme requirements.

Does ISPM 15 make a wooden box seaworthy?

No. ISPM 15 addresses phytosanitary pest risk. Seaworthy protection also requires a structure designed for the cargo, secure blocking and lashing, and a moisture or corrosion-control system matched to the route.

Do all countries apply identical ISPM 15 procedures?

No. ISPM 15 provides the international framework, while national plant-protection authorities implement and enforce it. Exporters should verify the current destination rule and any route-specific instructions before packing.

ISPM 15 Wooden Packaging Guide for Exporters

What Does ISPM 15 Require?

Does Your Packaging Fall Under ISPM 15?

Approved Treatment Codes: Read the Stamp, Not the Sales Claim

How to Read an ISPM 15 Mark

Seven Checks Before the Container Door Closes

What Can Happen at the Border?

Primary Sources for Destination Verification

ISPM 15 Questions Exporters Ask

Need an ISPM 15 Export Pack That Fits the Cargo?

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ISPM 15 Wooden Packaging Guide for Exporters

What Does ISPM 15 Require?

Does Your Packaging Fall Under ISPM 15?

Approved Treatment Codes: Read the Stamp, Not the Sales Claim

How to Read an ISPM 15 Mark

Seven Checks Before the Container Door Closes

What Can Happen at the Border?

Primary Sources for Destination Verification

ISPM 15 Questions Exporters Ask

Plan the Complete Export Pack

Need an ISPM 15 Export Pack That Fits the Cargo?