ISPM 15 FAQ’s

ISPM 15, is the acronym for International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures #15. It was created by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), a part of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization. The standard addresses the need to have all wood packaging made of softwood or hardwood species treated. It requires packaging that has been treated to carry a special mark to certify it as such. The treatment could be for each individual piece or the completed packaging and the method of treatment could be either via heat treatment (HT) or fumigation.

Untreated lumber poses a risk of carrying harmful plant pests. This standard was developed to reduce the risk of transferring those pests across international borders. Every locale likely has some pest(s) that are native to that locale but which could be extremely harmful to local plants in a different region. For example, America and Canada have a microscopic pest, called the Pinewood Nematode that is hazardous to the trees of other continents. China has the Asian Longhorn Beetle that is hazardous to native trees in the United States and Canada. ISPM 15 attempts to limit or reduce the chances of such pests harming native flora and fauna. Since wood packaging (boxes, pallets, crates, dunnage, etc) is typically made from the lowest grade of lumber, the instances of pests is often higher due to the presence of bark.

Each country is different. Some countries will fumigate the package (contents and all) and charge the shipper at a premium rate. Some will just deny the shipment. There have even been cases of the shipment being incinerated or buried in a landfill. Still others may re-export only the packaging and charge a premium rate for replacing the non-compliant material.