Glossary term

ISPM 15

The international standard requiring wood packaging to be treated and marked against pests.

The phytosanitary standard governing wood packaging material - pallets, crates, dunnage - in international trade. Compliant material is heat treated or fumigated and carries a mark identifying the country, the treatment and the facility.

Non-compliant wood packaging is a common and expensive failure: the shipment can be refused entry, treated at the border, or re-exported at the importer’s cost, and the goods inside are usually blameless. It applies to the packaging, not the cargo.