If you’re shipping goods out of the United States, heat treating (HT) of your pallets for fumigation purposes needs to be part of your shipping procedures.
Since March of 2002, the IPPC (International Plant Protection Committee) has set guidelines for regulating wood packaging material in international trade. The ISPM-15 Standard applies to both softwood (coniferous) and hardwood (non-coniferous) packaging. Both types of wood must be either heat treated to 56 degrees Celsius for thirty minutes or fumigated (MB) with methyl bromide.
Because the ISPM-15 Standard is ever changing and can often be confusing, select a pallet provider with experience in International Shipping. This not only applies to ISPM-15 regulations, but also to acceptable size requirements. While the U.S. operates in inches, other countries around the globe use metric measurements. Not being in compliance with these measurements can result in your entire shipment being rejected and returned. A knowledgeable and reliable pallet provider can guide you through these requirements.
According to the WTO (World Trade Organization), the following countries have begun to enforce the ISPM-15 Standard:
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Columbia, Costa Rica, European Union, Guatemala, India, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Panama, Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, and Turkey. Shipments from United States to Canada are exempt.
When your shipments are treated properly and are in compliance, they will be allowed to display the IPPC certification symbol.
This symbol will include:
A two letter ISO country code. For instance, AU for Australia or US for the United States.
The 000 portion of the symbol represents the unique certification number issued for AQIS (Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service) to the treatment provider or wood packaging manufacturer. Inclusion of this certification number ensures that the wood packaging material can be traced back to the treatment provider or manufacturer.
YY is the treatment abbreviation.
HT is the code for heat treatment to a minimum of 56 degrees Celsius for a minimum of 30 minutes.
MB is the code for methyl bromide fumigation.
Inclusion of this symbol will make it easier for your shipments to move easily once they arrive at their destination.
To request a quote, or for more information, please contact us.