What is ISPM 15?
ISPM 15 (International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15) is the global rule the IPPC uses to stop pests spreading through wood packaging. Pallets, crates, and dunnage all have to be treated and marked as pest-free. Get it wrong and the timber can be held, fumigated, sent back, or destroyed at the border, at your cost.
The standard covers solid wood. Plywood is manufactured with glue, heat, and pressure, which already kills anything living in the timber, so it's exempt from ISPM 15 rather than treated under it. That's what our custom shipping crates are built from: no heat stamps to chase, no treatment certificates to file, just a declaration that says what the packaging is.
Pallets, crates, cases, and dunnage made from solid timber. Manufactured boards are treated as a separate case.
Plywood is manufactured wood, so it sits outside ISPM 15. No heat treatment, no stamp on every board, nothing to chase.
Ask and we'll supply a Packaging Declaration stating what the packaging is made from, for your freight forwarder or customs broker.
The IPPC stamp, explained.
The official IPPC mark certifies that treated timber is pest-free. Each part of it carries a specific piece of information.
Visual Guide: The IPPC Mark
You won't find this mark on our crates. They're built from processed plywood, which is exempt from ISPM 15, so there's nothing to stamp. The Packaging Declaration is what goes with the shipment instead.
Packaging Declaration
This consignment contains timber packaging material that is:
- ✓New & processed (plywood)
- ✓Exempt from ISPM 15
Issued By
The paperwork that goes with it.
Because we use manufactured plywood, our crates fall outside the treatment and stamping rules. There's no IPPC stamp to look for, which is the first thing a freight forwarder checks.
Ask us and we'll fill out a Packaging Declaration stating that the crate is built from new, processed plywood. Send it through with the consignment and it covers the packaging.
Read the ISPM 15 rules on the DAFF siteThe standards wood must meet.
What raw timber has to pass to carry the IPPC mark, and why plywood sidesteps it.
Heat Treatment (HT)
Wood must reach a core temperature of at least 56°C for 30 minutes to kill off any pests.
Certification Marking
Treated wood has to carry the official IPPC stamp showing the country code, producer number, and treatment method.
Debarking
Wood must be free of bark before treatment, since bark can harbour pests and get in the way of the treatment.
Methyl Bromide (MB)
A fumigation alternative where heat treatment isn't practical. It's being phased out in a growing number of countries, so heat treatment is the safer choice for export.
Processed Wood (Exempt)
Plywood, OSB, particleboard, and veneer are made with glue, heat, and pressure, which already destroys any pests. They sit outside ISPM 15 and need no treatment or stamp. This is what our crates are built from.
Dunnage & Packing Timber
Loose bracing, blocking, and chocks count as wood packaging too. Solid timber used to secure a load inside a container has to meet the same standard as the crate around it.
Which countries require ISPM 15?
Most trading nations have adopted the standard, so the safe assumption is that any timber packaging leaving Australia is covered by it.
Individual countries set their own biosecurity requirements on top of ISPM 15, and those change. Confirm the destination with your freight forwarder before the crate is built, not after. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry publishes the current Australian rules.
Read the rules on the DAFF siteCrates, not loose pallets
We build crates, and the base is an integrated skid with 2-way or 4-way forklift entry, so it does a pallet's job without a separate one underneath. We don't supply loose pallets by the stack. If that's what you're after, a timber pallet supplier is the better call.
The mark doesn't expire
Treatment is permanent. A stamped crate stays valid for as long as it isn't re-infested or repaired with untreated timber. Patch a returned crate with raw wood and it has to be re-treated and re-marked before it ships again.
If it isn't compliant
Border inspection can hold the consignment, order it fumigated or re-packed at your cost, send it back, or destroy it. Your cargo waits out the same delay.
See our export cratesFrequently asked.
Stamps, documentation, country requirements: the questions we get asked about ISPM15.
What is ISPM 15?
ISPM 15 (International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15) is the IPPC standard that stops timber pests moving between countries inside wood packaging. It covers solid wood packaging: pallets, crates, cases, drums, and dunnage. Wood that falls under it has to be treated, then marked with the IPPC stamp before it can cross a border.
Is plywood exempt from ISPM 15?
Yes. ISPM 15 applies to solid wood packaging. Wood-based products manufactured with glue, heat, and pressure (plywood, OSB, particleboard, veneer) are exempt, because the manufacturing process already destroys any pests. Our crates are built from processed plywood, so they sit outside the standard rather than needing treatment and a stamp.
What is the ISPM15 compliance stamp?
It's a mark burned or stencilled into treated timber showing the wood has been heat treated or fumigated. It carries the IPPC wheat symbol, an ISO country code, the treatment facility's producer number, and the treatment code (HT for heat treated, MB for methyl bromide).
Do I need to provide the heat stamp to manufacture ISPM15 compliant products?
No. We build our crates from processed timber (plywood) rather than rough-sawn timber, so they're exempt from ISPM 15 without needing a stamp on every board.
What is heat treatment (HT), and do your crates need it?
Heat treatment means bringing the wood to a core temperature of at least 56°C and holding it there for 30 minutes, which kills any insects or larvae in the timber. Our plywood crates don't need it, because processed wood is already exempt.
How long does an ISPM15 treatment stay valid?
The mark doesn't expire. Treatment is permanent as long as the packaging isn't re-infested or repaired with untreated wood. Repair a stamped crate with untreated timber and it has to be re-treated and re-marked before it ships again.
Do you supply ISPM15 pallets?
Not on their own. We build crates, and the crate base is an integrated skid with 2-way or 4-way forklift entry, so it does the job of a pallet without a separate one underneath. If you need loose pallets by the stack, a timber pallet supplier is a better fit than us.
What documentation can you provide for ISPM15 compliance?
Ask us and we'll provide a packaging declaration form, filled out by Protectapack, stating that our crates are made from new plywood that is exempt from ISPM 15. Pass it to your freight forwarder or customs broker with the consignment.
Which countries require ISPM15 compliance?
Most trading nations have adopted ISPM 15, so assume any timber packaging leaving Australia is covered by it. Individual countries set their own biosecurity requirements on top, and those change, so confirm the destination with your freight forwarder or check the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
What happens if my packaging isn't compliant?
Border inspection can hold the consignment, order it fumigated or re-packed at your cost, send it back, or destroy it. The cargo inside usually gets caught up in the same delay, which is why the paperwork matters as much as the crate.
Ship without delays.
Get a quote for ISPM15 compliant shipping crates and ship your cargo legally, with the documentation to back it up.
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