International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15, administered by the International Plant Protection Convention. It governs wood packaging material used in international trade — pallets, crates, dunnage and any solid wood thicker than 6 mm — to stop invasive pests travelling with shipments.

Do plastic protective cases need ISPM 15 treatment?

No. ISPM 15 applies to wood packaging material. Plastics, metals and corrugated fibreboard are outside its scope, and manufactured wood products such as plywood, particle board, OSB and veneer are exempt because the manufacturing process already eliminates pests. This is a practical advantage of moulded plastic containers on export lanes.

What does heat treatment mean under ISPM 15?

The core of the wood must reach 56 °C and hold it for a minimum of 30 continuous minutes throughout the profile, not just at the surface. Other approved codes include dielectric heating and sulphuryl fluoride; methyl bromide fumigation is being phased out and is banned or restricted in many major markets.

What belongs on export shipping marks?

Consignee name or reference, destination port, package numbering such as 1 of 50, gross weight, and handling instructions like fragile or this side up. The marks must match the bill of lading and packing list exactly, because mismatches are a common reason shipments are held.

Export Packaging Compliance: ISPM 15, Marks & Labeling Rules

Q: What must the IPPC stamp show?

Four elements: the IPPC wheat-ear symbol, the two-letter ISO country code, the unique producer or treatment facility number issued by the national plant protection organisation, and the treatment code such as HT. The stamp cannot be self-applied.

ISPM 15 governs wood packaging material in international trade: pallets, crates, dunnage and any solid wood thicker than 6 mm must be treated and carry the IPPC stamp. Heat treatment means a 56 °C core temperature held for at least 30 continuous minutes. Plastic cases and moulded containers fall outside the standard entirely, which removes a whole compliance step from export lanes.

ISPM 15 in Plain Terms

The rule exists because untreated wood can carry invasive insects and nematodes. It is enforced by national plant protection organisations, and non-compliant wood packaging can be refused entry, re-treated at the importer's cost, or destroyed. Enforcement is not theoretical: Australia alone intercepted more than 37,000 shipments at the border for biosecurity non-compliance in 2023, a significant share of it packaging-related.

Treatment code	Method	Requirement	Status
HT	Heat treatment	Wood core reaches 56 °C for at least 30 continuous minutes	Universally accepted; the default choice
DH	Dielectric heating	Microwave treatment reaching 60 °C for 1 minute	Accepted since the 2013 revision
MB	Methyl bromide fumigation	Chemical fumigation	Being phased out; banned or restricted in the EU, Canada, Australia and others
SF	Sulphuryl fluoride	Chemical fumigation	Recognised under the standard

Case assembly and warehouse storage at the manufacturer — Packaging is where protection continues: carton strength, pallet pattern and moisture barrier all count.

What Is Exempt — and Why Plastic Cases Simplify Export

ISPM 15 applies to wood packaging material. Everything else is out of scope, which is why moulded plastic containers are a pragmatic choice on export lanes.

Protective case production line — Compliance documents should be requested with the order, not after it ships.

Plastic pallets, plastic cases and plastic crates — outside the scope of ISPM 15
Metal containers and corrugated fibreboard — outside the scope
Plywood, particle board, OSB and veneer — exempt, because heat and adhesive in manufacture eliminate pests
Wood 6 mm thick or less — exempt
Watch the hidden risk: untreated wood bracing or blocking added inside a container still counts as WPM and must be treated

The IPPC Stamp

A compliant mark has four elements and cannot be applied by the exporter: the IPPC wheat-ear symbol, the two-letter ISO country code, the unique producer or treatment facility number issued by the national plant protection organisation, and the treatment code. An incomplete or illegible stamp is treated as non-compliant, and inspectors check every wooden component in the consignment, not just the pallet.

Shipping Marks and Destination Labeling

Packaging material is only half of export compliance; the paperwork on the outside has to agree with the paperwork in the file. Labeling mismatches are one of the most common reasons a perfectly legal product sits in a bonded warehouse.

Element	Requirement	Common failure
Shipping marks (outer)	Consignee, destination port, package number, gross weight, handling instructions	Marks that do not match the bill of lading and packing list
Country of origin	Made in [country] per destination rules	Missing or ambiguous origin statement
Destination language	EU: official language of the destination member state; others vary	Using only the exporter's language
Product marking	CE for regulated EU products, FCC for US electronics, KC for Korea, CCC for China, PSE for Japan, SASO for Saudi Arabia	Assuming one mark covers all markets

Pre-Shipment Checklist

Decide packaging material first — choosing plastic cases or crates removes ISPM 15 from scope entirely
If wood is used, confirm the treatment code is HT and the IPPC stamp is present and legible on every wooden component
Check that dunnage, bracing and blocking are treated, not just the pallet
Match shipping marks exactly to the bill of lading and packing list
Confirm destination labeling requirements, including language, origin and any product conformity mark
Photograph the packed consignment and the marks before the container is sealed

Planning an export programme? Browse moulded case options that fall outside ISPM 15, review the factory and packing capability, and read OEM and ODM custom protective cases for how packaging is specified at order stage.

Export Packaging Compliance: ISPM 15, Labeling and Shipping Marks Explained

ISPM 15 in Plain Terms

What Is Exempt — and Why Plastic Cases Simplify Export

The IPPC Stamp

Shipping Marks and Destination Labeling

Pre-Shipment Checklist

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