If wood packaging crosses an international border, it needs to prove it is not carrying pests. The international standard that governs this is ISPM-15, and in practice it means one of two treatments: heat, or methyl bromide fumigation. Fumigation is being phased out almost everywhere for ozone reasons, so heat is the answer.
What the treatment actually is
The wood core must reach 56 °C and hold it for a continuous 30 minutes. Not the surface — the core. That is why treatment is done in a chamber with probes driven into the thickest member, and why a 'heat treated' claim without a batch log is worth nothing.
The wheat stamp
Compliant packaging carries a mark: the IPPC wheat symbol, a two-letter country code, a registered facility number, and the treatment code HT. It must be legible, permanent, and on at least two opposite sides. We apply ours at the point of treatment and log the batch against your shipment reference.
Common ways shipments get held
- Mark present but illegible after a rain-soaked yard stay.
- Mark on one side only — inspectors want two.
- Treated pallet, untreated dunnage or blocking inside the load.
- Bark remaining on a board. ISPM-15 requires debarked wood.
- Treated platform repaired afterwards with untreated boards, voiding the mark.
HT is not KD
Kiln drying reduces moisture content, usually to 19% or below, and prevents mould and warping. It often reaches ISPM-15 temperatures along the way, but they are different objectives with different documentation. If you need both, say both.
Written by the Pallets Recycle yard crew, Richmond VA. Corrections welcome — tell us if we have this wrong.