Export pallets and ISPM 15: what applies to plastic

In briefISPM 15 covers wood packaging only: plastic pallets are outside its scope and need no treatment or mark. Chocks, boards and other wooden items shipped with the pallet remain subject to the standard.

What ISPM 15 is

ISPM 15 is International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15, issued by the IPPC, the International Plant Protection Convention under the FAO. The latest revision dates from 2018 and was published in 2019 ^[1]. For export pallets, the first question is whether your pallet falls under it at all.

Its purpose is to stop wood-boring insects and pests travelling from one continent to another inside pallets, crates and cases. To do this, the standard requires wood packaging to be treated and marked before shipment.

What it applies to

ISPM 15 regulates wood packaging material used in international trade: pallets, crates, cases, chocks, boards and dunnage ^[1].

The standard itself excludes some materials with a low pest risk, including ^[1]:

• wood 6 mm thick or less;
• wood processed with glue, heat or pressure: plywood, OSB, particleboard;
• wine and spirit barrels heat-treated during manufacture;
• sawdust, shavings and wood wool;
• wooden components permanently attached to vehicles and containers.

Plastic pallets are outside the scope

The standard does not mention plastic because it deals only with wood. A plastic pallet is therefore outside the scope of ISPM 15: it does not need to be treated or marked, and no certificate is required ^[1][4].

The same applies to metal pallets and to moulded wood pallets, which count as processed wood. In practice, plastic removes a step from the process: no certified supplier to check, no mark to inspect on recovered pallets, less risk of an unmarked pallet ending up in the container.

Approved treatments and the mark

For wood, ISPM 15 lists the approved treatments ^[1]:

The mark must be visible while the packaging is in use; the standard recommends applying it on at least two opposite sides. It always contains four elements ^[1]:

1. the IPPC symbol (the wheat ear);
2. the ISO country code, IT for Italy;
3. the code of the authorised operator;
4. the treatment code (HT, DH, MB or SF).

Methyl bromide: no longer used in Italy

Decision 2008/753/EC excluded methyl bromide from the active substances authorised in the Union. Member States had to withdraw authorisations by 18 March 2009, with a period of grace that ended on 18 March 2010 ^[2].

This is why wooden pallets marked in Italy carry HT or DH. A pallet marked MB may still arrive from outside the EU, but an Italian operator cannot treat it that way.

What still has to comply with a plastic pallet

The plastic pallet is outside the standard. Solid wood accessories are not ^[1]:

• chocks and wedges for securing reels, tubes and drums;
• boards separating layers;
• bearers and battens fixed to the load;
• dunnage in the container.

Each of these items must be treated and marked. A single unmarked chock can get the container held at customs, with the cost of inspection, treatment or return shipment.

For reel loads, the fix is to replace the accessories as well: plastic roll chocks and saddles stay outside ISPM 15, just like the pallet. See roll chocks and reel pallets.

Shipments within the European Union

EU rules on wood packaging stem from Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 on plant health and cover goods entering from third countries. They do not apply to trade between Member States ^[3].

For intra-EU shipments, an untreated wooden pallet is therefore generally accepted: it can travel from Milan to Lyon or Barcelona. The exception is coniferous wood leaving an area demarcated for pine wood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus). Implementing Decision 2012/535/EU requires wood packaging leaving these areas to be treated at an authorised facility and marked to ISPM 15 ^[5]. The demarcated area covers the whole of mainland Portugal and the island of Madeira ^[6]; there are also limited outbreaks in Spain ^[6] and, since November 2025, one in the Landes, France ^[7].

If the goods go on beyond the EU, you need compliant pallets and accessories, or materials outside the standard. Watch out for European countries that are not in the EU:

• Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales): since 1 January 2021 solid wood packaging must comply with ISPM 15 whatever the country of departure, so from the EU too; checks can take place at the border or at destination ^[8].
• Switzerland: the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) states that Swiss companies need ISPM 15 to export to countries outside the EU ^[9]; for shipments from the EU to Switzerland, confirm the rules with the consignee.
• Norway: the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) requires importers to check that all wood packaging accompanying the goods carries the ISPM 15 mark ^[10].

Practical tips for shipping

• Check every piece of wood in the load, not just the pallet: chocks, boards, battens, inner crates.
• Ask your overseas customer about the rules in their country. ISPM 15 is the baseline; some countries add checks or documents.
• Do not reuse wooden pallets without a legible mark for export: a worn mark is usually treated as missing.
• For regular flows to non-EU countries, plastic pallets and accessories take one check off every shipment.
• For one-way shipments, a light nestable plastic pallet weighs a few kilos and needs no treatment. The classes are covered in plastic pallet load capacity.

The full cost comparison between the two materials is in plastic vs wooden pallets.

Found a mistake or an outdated figure? Write to us at info@roll-packaging.com