Requirements to Export Pallets

• A forklift is used to move pallets for international export after meeting certification guidelines. forklift and pallets image by timur1970 from Fotolia.com

  In order to export pallets, they must meet the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade, known in the trade as (ISPM15). ISPM15 is one of several standards adopted by the by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), which established among the more than 43 treaty member countries requirements to prevent the spread and introduction of pests and plant pest products not indigenous to the importing country. ISPM15 is a standard on which numerous wood packaging material (WPN) regulations are based.

Materials Covered Under WPM

• Pallets aren't the only wood products that require certification before being used for export. The WPM Treaty applies to all hardwood and softwood packaging not including plywood, particle board, strand board veneer and wood wool that has been made using glue, heat and pressure or a combination of any of the three. More specifically, some examples of shipping products requiring WPM certification include skids, pallet collars, containers, crates, boxes, bins, reels, drums and packaging materials.

Treated and Marked

• Pallets must be heat treatment (HT) or methyl bromide (MB) fumigated to meet export standards. Once the pallets and other wooden materials have been treated, they are imprinted with a quality treatment mark that indicates the agency that treated the wood, the facility at which the treatment took place, the product manufacturer, the HT or MB mark (whichever treatment was used) and the country of origin.

Certification

• The American Lumber Standard Committee ALSC Wood Packaging Material (WPM) program oversees the heat treatment certification process through 20 accredited independent third-party agencies that operate about 4,700 heat treatment facilities. The National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) oversees the administration of the MB fumigation treatment under the supervision of the the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Once the pallets have been certified with the quality and treatment mark, they may be used for export.