What Is ISPM 15? The Heat Treatment Rule for Wooden Pallets
Even when your goods are in perfect order, the wooden pallet underneath can hold a consignment at destination. Here is what ISPM 15 covers, how heat treatment works, how to read the mark and what to check before loading.
What is ISPM 15?
ISPM 15 is the phytosanitary standard for wood packaging material used in international trade. It was developed under the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), and its purpose is to prevent pests that can live in raw wood from being carried from one country to another.
The rule is not about the goods themselves but about the wood underneath and around them. Whatever you ship, if you use wooden pallets or crates, ISPM 15 concerns you.
Which packaging is covered?
The standard covers packaging material made from raw wood:
- pallets,
- crates, boxes and packing cases,
- dunnage, the wood used to secure and support cargo,
- cable drums and spools or reels.
What is exempt?
The standard exempts certain materials whose pest risk is considered sufficiently low:
- packaging made entirely from thin wood, 6 mm or less in thickness,
- packaging made wholly of processed wood created using glue, heat or pressure, such as plywood, particle board, oriented strand board (OSB) or veneer,
- barrels for wine and spirits that have been heated during manufacture,
- sawdust, wood shavings and wood wool,
- wood components permanently attached to freight vehicles and containers.
How is heat treatment carried out?
Heat treatment is the most common method. The wood is heated so that it reaches a minimum temperature of 56 °C for at least 30 continuous minutes throughout its entire profile, including the core. The code for this treatment on the mark is HT.
The standard also recognises other methods, each with its own code on the mark:
| Code | Method |
|---|---|
| HT | Heat treatment: at least 56 °C for at least 30 continuous minutes |
| DH | Dielectric heating (microwave or radio frequency): at least 60 °C for 1 continuous minute |
| MB | Fumigation with methyl bromide |
| SF | Fumigation with sulphuryl fluoride |
Whichever method is applied, the packaging must be made of debarked wood; the standard tolerates only small remaining pieces of bark.
How to read the mark
Treated wood packaging is recognised by the mark it carries. The mark contains:
- the IPPC symbol,
- a country code: the two-letter ISO code (for example TR for Türkiye, BE for Belgium),
- a producer or treatment provider code: a number assigned by the country's plant protection authority,
- a treatment code: HT, DH, MB or SF.
The mark must be legible and durable, and placed where it is visible when the packaging is in use, preferably on at least two opposite sides. A hand-drawn mark is not accepted.
Used and repaired pallets
| Situation | Rule |
|---|---|
| Reuse | Packaging that has been treated and marked, and has not been repaired or altered since, does not need re-treatment during its service life. |
| Repair | Packaging with up to approximately one third of its components replaced counts as repaired. Only treated wood or processed wood material may be used for the repair. |
| Remanufacture | Where more than approximately one third of the components have been replaced, previous marks are permanently removed, and the packaging is re-treated and marked anew. |
What happens with unmarked packaging?
If wood packaging does not carry the required mark, or pests are detected in the wood, the plant protection authority of the destination country may take action. The standard lists these measures: detention of the consignment, removal of the non-compliant packaging, treatment, destruction or reshipment.
In other words, a consignment can be held at destination even when the problem lies in its packaging rather than in the goods. Checking the packaging before loading removes this risk at the outset.
A short pre-loading checklist
- Does every pallet and crate carry a mark, and is it legible?
- Does the mark show the symbol, country code, producer code and treatment code in full?
- Is the dunnage used to secure the cargo marked as well?
- On repaired pallets, are the added components made of treated wood?
- Are there visible insect holes or large pieces of bark on the wood?
- Does the destination country set any additional requirement?
For other points to watch on shipments to Europe, see our guide to shipping goods to Europe.
Frequently asked questions
Do plywood crates need the mark?
Packaging made wholly of processed wood such as plywood, OSB or particle board is exempt from the standard. If raw wood is used in the frame or the feet of the crate, those parts are covered.
Can I use a marked pallet again and again?
Yes. A pallet that has been treated and marked does not need re-treatment as long as it has not been repaired or altered.
Is the rule applied the same way in every country?
ISPM 15 is an international standard, but its application depends on each country's own legislation, and some countries may set additional requirements. The current rules of the destination country should be confirmed before shipping.
This article is for general information only. Regulations and practices vary by country and product and may change over time; contact our team for advice specific to your shipment.
