What Is Pallet Fumigation? ISPM-15 Treatment Methods and the IPPC Mark

Pallet fumigation is the phytosanitary treatment of wood packaging to kill pests and larvae before export, as required by the ISPM-15 standard. Treatment is done either by heat treatment (HT), raising the wood core to 56 degrees C for at least 30 minutes, or by methyl bromide (MB) fumigation. Treated wood carries the IPPC mark so customs in the importing country can verify it.

Why pallets must be fumigated before export

Solid wood packaging can harbour insects, larvae and fungi that become invasive pests when shipped across borders. To stop this, the IPPC issued the ISPM-15 standard, which most countries enforce at the border. A consignment on untreated or unmarked wood pallets can be quarantined, fumigated at the destination at the importer’s cost, re-exported or destroyed.

Fumigation is therefore not optional paperwork. It is the condition that lets wood pallets clear customs in the United States, the EU, China, Japan, Australia and almost every major market.

The two approved ISPM-15 treatment methods

Heat treatment is now the default method. Methyl bromide is being phased out worldwide because it depletes the ozone layer and several markets, notably the EU, refuse wood packaging treated with it.

Heat treatment (HT)

The pallets are placed in a kiln or heat chamber until the core of the thickest piece of wood reaches a minimum of 56 degrees C and holds that temperature for at least 30 continuous minutes. This kills insects, larvae and eggs throughout the timber. HT leaves no chemical residue, so it is accepted in essentially every ISPM-15 market and is the method ICD uses.

Methyl bromide fumigation (MB)

The pallets are sealed in a chamber and exposed to methyl bromide gas at a controlled dose, temperature and duration. MB works quickly but the gas is hazardous and ozone-depleting. Under the Montreal Protocol it is being eliminated, and the EU does not accept wood packaging marked MB. Use HT instead unless a specific destination still requires MB.

Reading the IPPC mark on a treated pallet

Every ISPM-15 compliant pallet is stamped with the IPPC mark. Customs officers read this mark to confirm the wood was treated by an approved facility. A pallet without it is treated as untreated wood.

The mark must be permanent, legible and applied on at least two opposite sides of the pallet. It must never be handwritten or applied in red or orange, which are reserved for hazard markings.

Which wood needs ISPM-15 treatment

ISPM-15 applies to non-manufactured solid wood used in packaging: pallets, crates, boxes, dunnage and bracing. It does not apply to processed wood-based materials, because the manufacturing process already destroys pests.

Because plywood, pressed-wood and plastic pallets are exempt, many exporters switch to them to skip fumigation and the related certificate entirely.

Fumigation certificate versus the IPPC mark

Two things are often confused. The IPPC mark stamped on the wood proves the pallet itself was treated. A fumigation certificate is a separate document, issued for the whole consignment, that some buyers or customs authorities ask for as proof in the shipping file. For ISPM-15 pallets the physical mark is the core requirement; request the certificate when the contract or destination specifically calls for it.

Frequently asked questions about pallet fumigation

1. What is pallet fumigation?

It is the phytosanitary treatment of wood packaging to kill pests and larvae before export, under the ISPM-15 standard, done by heat treatment (56 degrees C core for at least 30 minutes) or by methyl bromide gas.

2. Is heat treatment or methyl bromide better?

Heat treatment is preferred. It leaves no chemical residue and is accepted almost everywhere. Methyl bromide is ozone-depleting and being phased out; the EU does not accept MB-treated wood imports.

3. What temperature and time does ISPM-15 heat treatment require?

The wood core must reach a minimum of 56 degrees C and hold for at least 30 continuous minutes, which kills insects, larvae and eggs throughout the timber.

4. How do I know a pallet has been fumigated?

Look for the IPPC mark: the wheat-symbol logo, the country code, the treatment facility number and the treatment code (HT or MB). The mark should appear on at least two opposite sides.

5. Do plastic or plywood pallets need fumigation?

No. ISPM-15 covers only solid wood. Plastic, plywood and pressed-wood pallets are exempt, which is why many exporters use them to avoid fumigation.

6. What happens if my pallets are not fumigated?

The consignment can be quarantined at the border, treated at destination at your cost, re-exported or destroyed, causing delays and extra charges.

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Contact and fumigated pallet quote from ICD