What treatments are required under ISPM-15 for wooden pallets and crates used in handicraft exports?

ISPM-15 requires that all wood packaging material (WPM), including pallets, crates, dunnage, and box frames, be either heat treated (HT) to a minimum core temperature of 56°C for 30 minutes or fumigated with methyl bromide (MB). Handicraft shipments using untreated or improperly treated wood packaging risk refusal at the destination port.

What information must appear on the IPPC stamp on compliant wood packaging?

The IPPC stamp (also called the wheat-stamp mark) must include the IPPC symbol, the ISO two-letter country code of origin, the accredited producer or treatment provider's unique code, and the treatment code (HT or MB). The mark must be legible, permanent, and applied in a visible location—typically on at least two opposite sides of the pallet or crate—so inspectors can verify compliance at a glance.

What happens if a handicraft shipment arrives without compliant ISPM-15 wood packaging, and how can importers prevent rejection?

Non-compliant shipments may be refused entry, re-exported at the importer's expense, or have the wood packaging destroyed by the national plant protection organization (NPPO) of the destination country. To prevent rejection, importers should source pallets and crates from ISPM-15-certified suppliers, verify the stamp before loading, and confirm the treatment code is appropriate for the destination market, since some countries have phased out methyl bromide.

ISPM-15: Wood Packaging Rules for Importers

ISPM-15 is the international standard that governs how wood packaging material (WPM) used in cross-border trade must be treated and marked. For handicraft importers, the rule is absolute: if the pallet, crate, or dunnage under your shipment isn’t compliant, your goods can be refused entry, re-exported at your cost, or destroyed — regardless of how clean and valuable the crafts on top are. A few minutes of inspection at the port or warehouse is the cheapest insurance you can buy.

What ISPM-15 Is and Why Handicraft Shipments Trigger It

ISPM-15 (International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15) is administered by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and adopted by most major trading nations. Its purpose is to prevent wood-boring pests — beetles, nematodes, fungi — from hitchhiking across borders on raw wood. The standard applies to all WPM used in international trade: pallets, crates, dunnage, blocking, bracing, and similar items. Handicrafts are no exception. A container of rattan baskets or ceramic tiles sits on a wooden pallet, and that pallet is itself a regulated article.

The Two Approved Treatments

ISPM-15 accepts two forms of pest-elimination treatment, both of which must be applied before the wood leaves the country of origin:

Heat Treatment (HT) — the wood is heated to a temperature-time combination specified in the standard until the core reaches the required threshold. This is the most common treatment today because it is chemical-free and works well for kiln-dried lumber.
Methyl Bromide (MB) Fumigation — the wood is exposed to methyl bromide gas under controlled conditions. Methyl bromide is being phased down globally under the Montreal Protocol, so many producers and importers are moving away from it. Some destination countries restrict or prohibit MB-treated WPM, so check before accepting it.

Both treatments must be performed by facilities authorized by the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of the exporting country. Self-treatment is not permitted.

Reading the IPPC Stamp

Compliant wood must carry a permanent, legible IPPC mark (often called the “IPPC stamp” or “wheat-stamp”) burned, ink-stamped, or stenciled on at least two opposite sides of the unit. A compliant mark contains four elements:

The IPPC wheat-stalk logo
The ISO two-letter country code (e.g., IN for India, VN for Vietnam, CN for China)
A producer/facility code assigned by the NPPO
A treatment code — HT for heat-treated, or MB for methyl-bromide fumigated

If any of these elements are missing, smeared, painted over, or applied to a sticker instead of burned into the wood, the mark is not valid. A pallet with no visible mark is a non-compliant pallet, full stop.

What’s Exempt (and What’s Not)

Not every piece of wood in a shipment falls under ISPM-15. Generally exempt are:

Manufactured wood products: plywood, OSB, MDF, particle board, and similar engineered materials
Wood packaging less than 6 mm in thickness
Wine and gift boxes made entirely of processed/tempered wood
Wood packaging used solely within a free-trade zone that never crosses a border

Raw-wood crates, solid-wood pallets, wooden bracing, and rough-sawn dunnage are not exempt, even if the goods inside are.

Common Reasons Shipments Get Rejected

In practice, refusals at destination usually come down to a small list of recurring problems:

Missing or illegible IPPC marks — stamps painted over, covered by a shipping label, or applied to stickers
Visible bark on the wood — ISPM-15 requires debarked wood with limited tolerance for bark remnants
Visible signs of infestation — exit holes, frass, fungal staining, or live insects
Non-approved wood — fresh-cut, untreated timber or pallet components from mixed sources
Reused pallets without re-treatment — a repaired or reassembled pallet must be re-treated and re-stamped, not just patched
Moisture damage and mold — inspectors may flag wood that is so degraded the mark is no longer legible

Practical Checklist Before You Sign Off

Use this list when goods arrive at your warehouse or are loaded for export:

At least two opposite sides of each pallet/crate show a clear, legible IPPC mark
The mark includes the wheat-stalk logo, country code, producer code, and treatment code (HT or MB)
No visible bark, insect exit holes, or live pests on the wood
Wood appears dry, sound, and structurally adequate
No MB-treated WPM if your destination country restricts it
Pallets have not been re-manufactured or visibly repaired without a fresh mark
The producer code on the mark matches documentation from the supplier (when available)

Worked Example: Inspecting an Incoming Pallet

A shipment of 200 handwoven jute rugs arrives from India on standard wooden pallets. At the receiving dock, your warehouse team pulls one pallet aside for inspection. They confirm:

Two opposite faces of the pallet show a black, heat-burned stamp containing the IPPC logo, IN, a six-digit producer code, and HT.
The wood is free of bark and shows no exit holes or frass.
The mark is fully legible — not covered by a “Fragile” sticker or by stretch wrap.

The pallet passes and the shipment is released. Had the stamp been missing or painted over by the exporter to hide a previous mark, the pallet would have failed and the container would be at risk of being held by the plant health authority. The fix — sourcing pallets from a known compliant supplier — costs less than a single demurrage day.

Bottom Line

ISPM-15 compliance is a non-negotiable part of international handicraft shipping, and it is the exporter’s responsibility to source and stamp compliant wood. Your role as the importer is to verify the IPPC mark on every pallet and crate before accepting the goods, refuse non-compliant WPM, and confirm current treatment rules — including any country-specific restrictions on methyl bromide — with the IPPC and your national plant protection authority.

Note: This guide is general information for planning, not legal or customs advice. Rules change — always confirm current requirements with the relevant customs authority or a licensed broker before you ship.