ISPM 15, plainly, for freight leaving Memphis

BOX 01What the standard asks for

• Debarking. Wood packaging must be debarked prior to treatment. Allowed bark may be less than 3 cm wide, or if wider than 3 cm, its surface area must be under 50 square centimeters.
• Treatment. Heat treatment, which requires the wood core to reach at least 56 °C for at least 30 minutes, or fumigation.
• Marking. The IPPC mark with a country code, a producer number and a treatment code.

Those rules are summarized in the ISPM 15 article. The standard exists to stop pests moving in packaging, and each country enforces it at its own border.

BOX 02What exporters in Memphis do

A forwarder consolidating air freight near the airport, a plant loading a container, and a food processor sending product by rail to a border all check the same list. Is the wood marked? Is the mark readable? Was any board replaced after treatment? Those are the questions an inspector asks, and a failed one can mean a rejected load.

• Ask for pallets with HT and the IPPC logo in the request.
• Check each pallet's mark before loading, not after.
• Keep treated wood dry; see keeping pallets dry.
• Look up the destination: Canada handles wood packaging from the continental United States differently, per CFIA.

BOX 03Where to go from here

The mark is explained step by step in how to read the HT stamp. For stock, see export pallets and heat-treated pallets. For a specific shipment, confirm with the carrier or the destination's plant-protection office.

BOX 04A short note on who checks

The check happens at the destination. A customs or plant-health officer may look at pallets as they arrive and reject a load whose wood is unmarked. The cost of a rejected load falls on the shipper, which is why exporters want the mark confirmed before the trailer leaves.

This guide is general. Individual countries have their own rules and exceptions, and they change. Always confirm with your forwarder.

FAQStraight answers