ISPM 15 Explained: Wood Packaging for International Shipping

The International Plant Protection Convention’s ISPM 15 overview includes raw-wood packaging and dunnage, while excluding wood processed so that it is free from pests, such as plywood. The standard’s measures are not intended to provide ongoing protection against later contamination.

• Review pallets, skids, crate frames, solid-wood panels, blocking, and loose dunnage.
• Check the entire packaging unit: plywood walls do not exempt solid-wood runners or framing.
• Tell the provider the destination and any onward international legs.
• Confirm current destination requirements with the importer, forwarder, or relevant plant-health authority.

Approved treatment must follow the applicable schedule and oversight program. Conventional HT requires at least 56°C throughout the wood, including the core, for 30 continuous minutes. An ordinary kiln-dried lumber label does not by itself establish compliant finished packaging.

Do not assume heat treatment and fumigation are both required, or that an unspecified “steam treatment” is sufficient. Ask the approved provider which process applies. The IPPC explanatory guidance describes treatment and control considerations; actual treatment belongs with qualified facilities.

Inspect marks for legibility and placement where they remain visible. Do not cover them with shipping labels or recreate them with a homemade stamp. A familiar-looking symbol alone is not enough to resolve doubtful provenance; ask the supplier or relevant inspection agency.

The USDA APHIS export guidance explains U.S. compliant-production and treatment routes and states that users cannot make their own ISPM 15 mark. Follow the applicable national program.

The official mark is the central ISPM 15 evidence on the packaging. Do not assume a separate treatment certificate is required for every shipment or can replace a missing mark. Ask the provider and importer which records they need for this route.

Commercial invoices, packing lists, goods classifications, permits, and customs declarations concern the cargo and transaction. Arrange those with the responsible exporter or broker. Correct wood packaging does not resolve unrelated import restrictions or documentation errors.

Before reuse, inspect the crate’s structure, marks, condition, and any added wood. A crate can become unsuitable through damage or alterations even when its original marks remain visible. Have the responsible provider review repairs and remanufacture before using it internationally again.

Avoid replacing a broken runner with an unverified piece of lumber and assuming the original status continues. Ask how repairs are documented and whether retreatment or remarking is required under the applicable program.

Authorities can refuse entry or require corrective action when regulated packaging is noncompliant. The available response and associated costs depend on the jurisdiction and circumstances. Delays, repacking, storage, or re-export can disrupt the shipment; no provider can promise that a mark eliminates every inspection.

Build a pre-dispatch check into the packing process. Confirm the packaging order, inspect visible marks, review added dunnage, and make sure the party responsible for export documents has the needed information. Resolve uncertainty before carrier pickup.

1. Describe each item, with dimensions, weight, photos, and handling limits.
2. Identify the destination country and any additional stops.
3. Explain whether the crate will be reused or returned.
4. Ask who is responsible for compliant treatment, manufacture, and marking.
5. Confirm the proposed crate, service scope, availability, and required records.

Crates of Las Vegas lists export crating among its services. Request project-specific details about the treatment and marking arrangements rather than relying on a broad claim that the entire business is “ISPM-certified.”