ISPM 15 is an International Phytosanitary Measure developed by the IPPC that addresses the need to treat wood materials, used to ship products between countries. It affects all wood packaging material (pallets, crates, dunnages, etc) requiring that they be treated with heat or fumigated with chemicals such as methyl bromide and marked, with a seal of compliance.
Wood packaging material made of unprocessed raw wood is recognized as a vector for the introduction and spread of pests. Many countries have put quarantine regulations in place to protect their native forests from the introduction of wood pests. To limit the entry and spread of pests through international trade, the International Plant Protection Convention ( IPPC ) , part of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, adopted the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade, ISPM 15.
ICM has prepared a document on ISPM 15, available for download, to help you understand crating, and shipping regulations.
