Avoid Delays, Storage and Costly Fumigation Fees at Destination: Wood Packing Requirements and ISPM15 Compliance
Date of Publication: April 2, 2021
Wood plays an important role in the process of importing and exporting goods. Wood packaging, from pallets to crates, are used for the storage and transportation of products, and wood packaging is a reliable, reusable, and sturdy packaging solution. However, it’s important to ensure that all wood packaging is compliant with the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measure Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material, or ISPM15.
Avoid Delays, Storage and Costly Fumigation at Destination:
For imported products,
- Make sure the shipper is using packaging materials that comply with US Import regs.
- If Fumigation was performed- include the fumigation certificate with the shipment documentation
- Invoice or Packing list should have a statement regarding compliance.
For exporting products:
- To learn which countries require wood packaging material to be compliant with ISMP15, use this search function from United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services.
- Make sure the stamp on the packing materials is clear
- Add verbiage to the commercial documents indicating fumigation or packing materials is compliant with destination requirements.
What is ISMP15?
ISMP15 is a measure from the International Plant Protection Convention. It aims to prevent the spread and introduction of plant pests. It concerns a wide array of wood packaging products, including:
- Pallets
- Skids
- Containers
- Crates
- Boxes
- Bins
- Reels
- Drums
- Load boards
- Dunnage
These types of wood packaging products are required to have a ISMP15 mark. This shows that the wood packaging has undergone heat treatment and methyl bromide fumigation. The mark consists of:
- Agency trademark
- Facility identification of the wood packaging product’s manufacturer name, brand, or assigned facility number
- A mark showing that the wood packaging has undergone heat treatment and methyl bromide fumigation
- Country code
- IPCC-approved international symbol for compliant wood packaging material
Once the wood packaging material has been treated and received an official ISMP15 mark, the mark does not expire. This means that wood packaging material can be reused.
Exemptions
Some types of packaging materials are exempt from needing an ISMP15 mark. These include:
- Plastic pallets
- Presswood pallets
- Euroblock pallets
- Barrels
- Sawdust
This content is intended for informational purposes. Due to the generality of this content, the provided information may not be applicable in all situations. We encourage the reader to review the most up-date-regulations directly with the U.S. government’s sources, which can be found here.