Also known as: Wood Packaging Standard, Fumigation Certificate, IPPC Stamp
ISPM-15 is the international standard requiring solid wood packaging in export consignments to be heat-treated or fumigated and stamped with an IPPC mark. Non-compliant wood is refused, treated or destroyed at the destination port at the shipper's cost.
The standard exists to stop timber pests moving between countries in pallets and crates. It applies to solid wood over 6 mm thick used in packaging — pallets, crates, dunnage and bracing.
Compliant wood carries the IPPC stamp: the wheat symbol, country code, treatment provider number and treatment code (HT for heat treatment, MB for methyl bromide). Customs officers check for that mark, and its absence is enough to hold a consignment.
The consequences of getting it wrong are disproportionate to the value of the pallet — consignments are refused entry, treated at the port or destroyed, with the shipper paying and the delivery date lost.
The reliable way to avoid the risk entirely is to not use solid wood. Processed materials — plywood, corrugated, paper honeycomb, moulded pulp — are outside the standard because manufacturing has already destroyed any pest. For many machinery exporters a 7-ply carton or honeycomb crate removes the problem completely.
ISPM-15 at a glance
| Applies to | Solid wood over 6 mm in export packaging |
|---|---|
| Treatments | Heat treatment (HT) or methyl bromide (MB) |
| Mark | IPPC wheat symbol, country code, provider number, treatment code |
| Exempt materials | Plywood, corrugated, paper honeycomb, moulded pulp, plastic |
| Non-compliance | Refusal, treatment or destruction at shipper's cost |
Common questions
Does corrugated packaging need ISPM-15 treatment?
No. The standard covers solid wood only. Corrugated board, paper honeycomb, plywood and moulded pulp are all exempt because processing has already eliminated any pest risk.
How do I avoid ISPM-15 problems entirely?
Do not use solid wood. A 7-ply corrugated carton or a paper honeycomb crate with foam fitments replaces a timber crate on many routes, removing the fumigation, certification and port-hold risk together.
Need Custom Corrugated Boxes for your product?
We manufacture custom corrugated boxes at our Rajkot unit and dispatch across India. Send the product, size or weight and monthly quantity and we specify and quote within one working day.
Or read the full specification: Custom Corrugated Boxes