Wood or cardboard at the border? Pallets and ISPM 15 in export

Why the mark on your pallet matters

If you send shipments outside the EU, your load in almost every country has to be on wooden pallets that are treated and marked according to ISPM 15. That mark has to be on it: without it, your shipment stops at the border. In this article you read what ISPM 15 means for your pallets and when a cardboard pallet is the answer that needs no mark.

What is ISPM 15?

ISPM 15 is an international standard of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), an organisation of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Insects, fungi and nematodes can travel along in the solid wood of shipping pallets, crates and cases, such as the Asian longhorn beetle or the pine wood nematode. In the country of arrival they can do serious damage to forests and crops.

To prevent this, the wood has to be treated, usually with heat (Heat Treatment, HT): the wood is held in a heating chamber at a minimum of 56 degrees Celsius for at least 30 minutes, right through to the core. After that the official ISPM 15 mark goes on the pallet, with the country code, the registration number of the treatment company and the letters HT.

Which countries does ISPM 15 apply to?

Almost every country that imports or exports anything sets the requirement. Within the EU, ISPM 15 does not apply to pallets in trade between EU countries, with an exception for softwood from Portugal and Spain, where the pine wood nematode occurs.

If your shipment goes outside the EU, the rule works the other way round: the EU makes ISPM 15 mandatory for all wood packaging material that enters the Union. And the country the shipment arrives in sets its own requirements as well. Australia and New Zealand are the strictest: they check virtually 100% of shipments and require more than the treatment alone, such as virtually bark-free wood. Countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, China and Japan also apply the rule strictly, with extra inspections and documentation.

If a shipment arrives with wood packaging material without a valid mark, the wood still has to be treated at the importer's expense, or the shipment has to be returned or destroyed. The result is the same: delay, extra costs and an unhappy customer.

What about dunnage and packaging material?

A wooden pallet with a mark is not the only thing to watch: the same applies to the rest of your packaging. If there is dunnage under or next to your product, it falls under the same ISPM 15 rule as the pallet itself: every beam, block or wedge has to be treated and marked, and that applies to the whole shipment.

That is why many companies that export by air or by container choose pallets without wood: cardboard pallets and plastic pallets fall outside the ISPM 15 rule, just like dunnage made of plywood or chipboard.

The Revopal cardboard euro pallet is built from a top sheet and pallet feet of recycled cardboard, in the euro pallet size 800 × 1200 mm. The same applies to the block pallet of 1000 × 1200 or 1200 × 1200 mm. Revopal's pallets need no ISPM 15 treatment and can be used all over the world.

Do you have a product that does not fit on a standard pallet? Then we also make custom pallets, up to 3150 × 1200 mm. They are just as light and just as free of the ISPM 15 obligation.

What goes into a cardboard pallet?

With the wooden pallet, an incorrect or missing mark can stop the shipment. With cardboard that is not an issue. But there are more reasons to consider cardboard:

A cardboard pallet weighs much less than a wooden pallet; you notice that directly in the weight of the shipment and when your employees lift it. You also need no pallet exchange system and no administration around settling pallets and managing return flows. And after use the pallet can be recycled through paper and cardboard collection.

If you want to be sure a cardboard pallet can handle your load, our advisers work it out with you. We match the load capacity to your request.

• No ISPM 15 treatment or mark needed
• Light in weight, for transport and for your employees
• No exchange system and no settling with your customers
• Fully recyclable through the paper and cardboard stream