Wood packaging material made of unprocessd raw wood is a recognized pathway for the introduction and spread of pests. To limit the entry and spread of pests, such as insects, through international trade, the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) adopted the International standards for Phytosanitary Measures  Guidelines for regulating wood Packaging Material in International Trade (ISPM 15).
 
The United States has reached agreements with other countries to adopt ISPM15 to stop the spread of pests.  As the National Plant Protection Organization of the United States, The United States Department of  Agriculture, in coordination with the wood packaging material industry, has developed an export program to guarantee compliance with the import requirements of the trading countries.

The program insures certified treatment and marking of wood packaging material for international trade, while maintaining traceablility of the packaging material.  The integrity of the programis dependant upon industries compliance. What should my company do to comply with ISPM 15 requirements? Wood packaging material, including pallets and dunnage, must beeither heat treated or fumigated and marked by a company certified to heat treat if it is to be exported to countries participating in ISPM 15.

General Pallet manufactures the highest quality wooden shipping crates for a variety of industrial, commercial and residential uses. We build all of our custom crates to the highest standards to help protect your cargo during shipment.

What does "heat treating" mean?

The wood packaging material must be placed in a heat chamber and heated to achieve a minimum wood core temperature of 56 degrees C  for a minimum of 30 minutes.  The product must then be marked to show it is compliant with ISPM 15. If I buy repaired pallets, that were previously heat treated, are they still ISPM 15 compliant? No.  If the pallets have been repaired, they must be re-heat treated and re-stamped.  The old stamp must be obliterated.  The supplier should provide documentation that the pallets were re-heat treated.

How do I know I am buying a repaired pallet?

Look for new replacement boards or nail holes in the deck boards, which are the boards on the top and bottom of the pallet. What if my supplier doesn't own heat treating equipment? He may be using another company to do his heat treating, whick is OK.  Look for a stamp (two positions with the same stamp number) on the pallets and ask him to provide a letter of certification. Does General Pallet own a heat treating unit and are they certified? Yes.  We have a large unit with a capacity of two truckloads per charge, at our Flemington, NJ facility.  We also heat treat for other pallet companies.  We are certified by third party inspections and  monthly audits.

The PALLETS DO NOT conform to the international requirements. If your current vendor cannot certify the pallets, your product may be subject to quarantine at the receiving port, and you may be subject to fines and penalties, as well as other costs of repacking.
 
What does a heat treatment stamp look like?
Heat treatment stamps can vary slightly in form.  for additional information, please refer to:
 
http://www.alsc.org/WPM_summary_mod.htm
 
The mark for heat treatment must include the trademark of  the accrediting agency, the facility ID, the heat treatment mark, the two letter country code, the approved international symbol for compliant wood packaging material, and an indication for use as dunnage if applicable.