All wooden pallets used for international shipment must strictly comply with the ISPM 15 phytosanitary standard issued by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) to ensure customs clearance in all importing countries and avoid quarantine rejection, return shipment or penalty.
1. Phytosanitary Treatment Standard
All export wooden pallets must be processed with approved heat treatment (HT) or methyl bromide fumigation. Heat treatment is the preferred and most widely accepted method.
- Heat Treatment requirement: The core temperature of the wood must reach 56°C continuously for at least 30 minutes to kill all pests, eggs and fungi inside the wood.
- No raw, untreated or semi-treated solid wood is allowed for export packaging.
- All wood materials must be fullydebarked; residual bark is strictly prohibited.
2. Official IPPC Marking Requirement
Each finished export wooden pallet must be clearly and permanently stamped with the official IPPC ISPM 15 logo. The marking must be legible, complete and non-fading, and cannot be covered by tape, labels or packaging films.
The standard mark includes: country code, treatment code (HT/MB), factory registration number and IPPC symbol. No fake, altered or blurred stamps are acceptable.
3. Pallet Material & Appearance Standard
- The pallet must be made of high-quality solid wood with stable structure, no mildew, no rot, no crack, no wormhole and no insect activity.
- Wood surface must be clean and dry, free of dirt, oil stain, foreign debris and abnormal odor.
- All nails must be fully embedded, firm and rust-proof; no protruding nails to prevent package damage.
- Pallet structure must be flat, symmetrical and deformation-free to ensure stable stacking and container loading.
4. Structural & Load-Bearing Requirements
- The pallet shall have sufficient strength and load-bearing capacity to support full-container stacking and long-distance sea transportation.
- No loose boards, missing nails, broken slats or unstable connections.
- Suitable forklift entry design, smooth fork access, convenient for loading, unloading and warehouse turnover.
5. Prohibited Defects (Not Allowed)
Pallets with the following conditions are not acceptable for export:
- Untreated wood without IPPC stamp
- Pallets with bark, wormholes, mildew or rot
- Deformed, broken, loose or severely worn pallets
- Blurred, missing, modified or counterfeit IPPC marks
- Pallets with rusty protruding nails and sharp edges
6. Reuse & Replacement Rule
Repaired pallets must be re-inspected and re-stamped if any wooden board is replaced. Only fully compliant ISPM 15 pallets can be used for formal export customs declaration and sea shipment.
7. Purpose
This standard ensures100% smooth customs clearance for cross-border transportation, avoids quarantine inspection failure, shipment detention and extra logistics costs, and meets universal import requirements of Europe, America, Southeast Asia and other global markets.
