Do you ship products to other countries or parts of the world? If so, you’ll need to know about an important law that deals with wooden materials transported internationally. It’s called ISPM 15, and it covers issues like using heat treated pallets inWisconsin business for international shipping. Let’s take a closer look at this international standard to give you a better idea of what it’s all about.
What is ISPM 15?
ISPM 15 is the “International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures.” Phytosanitary means anything that is crossing international borders that concerns pathogens and pests. The standards address issues concerning wooden products that are at least six millimeters thick and used for shipping goods between one country and another.
ISPM 15 is meant to control the spreading of foreign and local insects or disease-causing organisms to other countries. Here are some of the things it covers:
- Pallets
- Shipping crates
- Dunnage or packing materials used for shipping
The first requirement concerns wood debarking. In other words, the wood cannot be covered with tree bark. Next, you either need to make sure you use heat treated pallets for your Wisconsin business or methyl bromide treated shipping containers. They must also be stamped with a “wheat stamp” which is a compliance stamp.
If your shipping containers are made from non-wood items like plastics (or materials like plywood or hardboard), they are not subject to ISPM 15 standards.
Why Heat Treated Pallets in Wisconsin?
Heat treating exposes wooden pallets to a temperature of 56 degrees Celsius for at least a half hour. This effectively sterilizes them, so problems like the Formosan termite in the US will not happen again. Heat treating is safer than fumigation because you don’t have to expose the wood or your products to a known toxin like methyl bromide. It’s the safest and most eco-friendly solution.
