If you export industrial machinery, project cargo, or any product that ships in a wood crate or on a wooden pallet, ISPM 15 governs whether your shipment clears the discharge port or gets rejected at customs. More than 80 countries enforce it. A non-compliant crate can result in the shipment being returned, fumigated at the discharge port at the importer’s expense, or destroyed.
This post is a 2026 reference for U.S. exporters on what ISPM 15 actually requires and where shippers most commonly get it wrong.
What ISPM 15 is
ISPM 15 — International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 — is an International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) standard developed to prevent the international spread of forest pests through wood packaging material (WPM). It covers wooden pallets, crates, dunnage, skids, boxes, and any other wood packaging used in international trade.
The standard does not apply to:
- Engineered wood products like plywood, particleboard, OSB, or veneer-based materials (these are heat-pressed in manufacturing)
- Wood packaging made entirely from materials less than 6 mm thick
- Wine and spirit barrels heated during manufacture
Everything else made of solid wood and crossing an international border is in scope.
The two approved treatments
To be ISPM 15 compliant, wood packaging must undergo one of two approved treatments:
Heat Treatment (HT) — the wood is heated until the core temperature reaches at least 56 deg C (133 deg F) for a minimum of 30 minutes. This is the most widely accepted method and is used by essentially all reputable U.S. crate manufacturers.
Methyl Bromide Fumigation (MB) — fumigation under a sealed environment. MB is phased out or restricted in many jurisdictions due to environmental concerns (it is an ozone-depleting substance), so HT is the default in 2026 for U.S. exporters.
In addition to treatment, the wood must be bark-free. Even small amounts of bark on a treated crate can fail inspection — the bark could harbor surface pests even if the heartwood is clean.
The IPPC mark
The compliance mark is the visible proof of treatment. It must include:
- The IPPC logo (an ear of wheat in a circle)
- The ISO country code of the country where the treatment was performed
- The producer/treater code assigned by the national plant protection organization (in the U.S., that is the American Lumber Standard Committee, ALSC)
- The treatment code — “HT” for heat treatment or “MB” for methyl bromide
The mark must be legible, durable, and applied to at least two opposing sides of each wood packaging unit. Stencils, brands, or laser markings are all acceptable as long as they remain visible for the life of the packaging.
Regional enforcement intensity
While ISPM 15 is a harmonized standard, enforcement varies by region. The 2026 reality:
- North America (NAPPO) — Full enforcement; the U.S., Canada, and Mexico all reject WPM showing live pests even if it carries the IPPC mark
- European Union — Strict enforcement; bark-free requirement is checked carefully
- China — Rigorous inspection, especially on machinery and project cargo
- Australia and New Zealand — Some of the strictest border biosecurity regimes in the world; additional requirements may apply on top of ISPM 15
- Brazil — Active enforcement; non-compliant shipments often fumigated at the port at the importer’s expense
- United Kingdom — Maintains its own post-Brexit phytosanitary regime, generally aligned with ISPM 15
Some countries also require shipper attestation paperwork in addition to the IPPC mark.
The cost of a rejection
When wood packaging fails inspection at the discharge port, the importer typically has three options:
- Treat at port — fumigation or kiln treatment, with costs often $1,500-$5,000 per container plus storage
- Re-export — back to the origin or to a third country, with ocean freight and demurrage costs in the five figures
- Destroy — incineration of the wood (and sometimes the cargo if separation is impractical)
Delay times range from days for a same-port treatment to weeks for re-export logistics. The cost is borne by the importer under most Incoterms, which creates immediate commercial friction with the exporter.
Where U.S. exporters most often fail
Six patterns in 2026:
- Re-using uncertified crates. A crate built domestically for a U.S. move may have no IPPC mark — sending it international without checking fails inspection.
- Bark on dunnage. Even when the crate itself is compliant, the loose blocking and bracing wood used to secure cargo inside the container is often non-compliant.
- Marks worn off. Old crates with faded stencils get rejected — the mark has to be legible at inspection.
- Single-sided marking. ISPM 15 requires the mark on at least two opposing sides; one-sided marking fails.
- Wrong producer code. Using a crate with another company’s IPPC code (even on a legitimately treated crate) creates documentation problems.
- Non-wood packaging that includes wood components. A plastic skid with wood corner braces is in scope for the wood components.
Each of these is a one-time fix in your packaging spec. None is fixable after the container has loaded.
Practical compliance checklist
If you export internationally and use wood packaging:
- Source crates from an ALSC-certified treater (the producer code on the crate should be traceable)
- Verify the IPPC mark is on at least two opposing sides and legible
- Use bark-free dunnage and blocking — buy ISPM 15 dunnage, do not improvise
- Document the crate’s compliance in your shipping records in case a discharge port requests proof
- If you build your own crates, get certified — the ALSC website lists current certification programs
- Train your dock staff to spot non-compliant crates and reject them before they load
How Go Freight handles export crating
Go Freight provides ISPM 15-compliant crating for international shipments out of South Florida, with in-house heat-treated lumber and properly marked, traceable construction. Whether you need a single crate for a project shipment or recurring volume for an industrial product line, we build to the IPPC standard so your cargo clears any port that enforces ISPM 15.
If you export industrial product, project cargo, or anything else that needs compliant wood packaging, call Go Freight at (786) 244-3235 or visit our contact page to start the conversation about export crating.
Sources: APHIS Wood Packaging Material Imports — USDA; ISPM 15 Export Rules — Creopack; ISPM 15 Standard for Wooden Packaging in 2026 — Acadon; 2026 International Wood Packaging Regulations — Express Packing.