Wood pallets, crates and dunnage are often examined seriously only after the goods are packed. Finding a scope, treatment or marking issue then can mean repacking, delay and extra cost. Treat wood packaging as a distinct hand-off before loading and booking.
This is a dispatch-control guide, not phytosanitary, customs, contract, insurance or legal advice. The importing country, importer, carrier and authorized program participants decide the actual requirements for a shipment.
1. List the wood packaging actually used
List pallets, crates, frames, dunnage and wood used to secure goods, not only the outer carton. IPPC defines wood packaging material as wood or wood products used to support, protect or carry a commodity, including dunnage. Record each type, quantity, supplier, packing position and whether it travels with the shipment.
2. Do not assume wood always means the same scope
ISPM 15 scope and exclusions must be checked against the standard and the destination rule. Processed wood products, paper products and mixed materials may not receive identical treatment, but a warehouse should not decide from appearance. Obtain traceable clarification for plywood, composite material or a claimed exception from the packaging supplier, importer or destination authority channel.
3. Confirm treatment and marking come through an authorized program
Do not treat a chat message saying heat treated as sufficient evidence. APHIS describes the official mark as including an IPPC symbol, country code, facility number and treatment type; the exporting country's national plant-protection program governs authorization and implementation. Ask the supplier for its authorization path and treatment-and-marking arrangement, then retain the purchasing or hand-off record that can be checked.
4. Inspect the real packaging before loading
Compare actual pallets, crates and dunnage with the order record. Check that a required mark is visible, intact and not obscured by repair or coating, and retain proportionate photos, quantities and batch links. If you see pests, damage, an unreadable mark or a substituted material, pause its use in the export path and refer it to the responsible authorized party.
5. Put destination, importer and carrier requirements on the same card
ISPM 15 is an international phytosanitary framework, while the destination may have its own implementation and inspection rules. APHIS also states that packaging must meet importing-country requirements. Have the importer or its designated party confirm destination rules, entry point, product controls and carrier limits. Do not turn a generic mark into a clearance guarantee.
6. Connect packaging evidence to the order hand-off
Record package type and count, related order or container number, supplier, reviewer and destination confirmation in the packing list, booking file and order record. The packaging record and commercial documents do different jobs, but tracing should lead to the same shipment. That gives the team one factual record if a buyer, forwarder or authority asks later.
Wood packaging dispatch card
Keep these six records
- Actual pallets, crates and dunnage: type, quantity and packing position
- Scope decision and any exception still requiring confirmation
- Traceable supplier, treatment and marking-authorization path
- Pre-load check of actual package condition, mark state and exceptions
- Importer or destination confirmation of country and carrier requirements
- Link to order, packing list, container number, photos and hand-off owner
Sources and limits
Published 24 September 2026, this guide uses the IPPC implementation information for ISPM 15, the IPPC adopted-standards directory, and APHIS guidance for importing ISPM 15-compliant wood packaging. They establish general scope and evidence boundaries. Confirm the actual Chinese export, destination import, product-control and carrier requirements for the shipment in writing.
Frequently asked questions
Does every wood package need an ISPM 15 mark?
Confirm the material against the standard's scope and the destination rule. IPPC defines wood packaging material and identifies some materials outside the scope; do not decide from a photograph or the word wood alone.
Can an exporter apply the ISPM 15 mark itself?
Do not create or apply a mark independently. Treatment, marking and authorization must follow the exporting country's national plant-protection program and be checked with the packaging supplier and destination requirements.
Does a mark guarantee entry?
No. The mark addresses phytosanitary treatment of wood packaging. Product controls, import declarations, destination requirements, carrier rules and inspection remain separate checks.