ISPM 15 pallets for exports to the USA

Check packaging before it enters the chain

APHIS requires regulated wood packaging entering or transiting the United States to be pest-free, debarked, appropriately treated and marked. Non-compliant packaging can prevent entry. Ask your US importer or broker to confirm the current requirement for the consignment and share it with the supplier before ordering.

Review the full marking format

The US authority has specifically highlighted the hyphen between the two-letter country code and the producer code. The temporary suspension of that requirement ended on 31 December 2025. Inspect the actual supplied marks, including punctuation and legibility. Refer a questionable marking to the responsible supplier; do not amend it in the warehouse.

Keep handling and customer requirements visible

A phytosanitary mark does not establish that a pallet meets the US customer’s rack, automation or footprint requirements. Obtain their packaging instructions early. Include any dimensional restrictions, load distribution, fork access and labelling instructions in the purchasing brief. If the goods travel on to another location, check that arrangement too.

Have an exception contact

Agree who the importer, broker and exporter should contact if packaging is queried. Keep the actual supplier order reference and photographs accessible. An orderly record cannot guarantee entry, but it avoids wasting time searching for generic documents while the shipment is held. Use APHIS guidance for current official instructions.

Supplier, packing team and importer: keep one brief

Give each party the same final packaging description and revision. Include the pallet footprint and construction, all additional timber, treatment and marking requirements, and any customer specification. If someone changes a component or the route, identify who must review the change before dispatch.

A supplier confirmation covers the scope agreed with that supplier. It should not be assumed to cover packing work performed later by another business. A complete material list helps prevent that gap.

A practical document and inspection sequence

At ordering, agree the product and any requested supporting records. At receipt, compare the delivered packaging with the specification and record concerns. Before wrapping or closing cases, check the final assembly and capture useful photographs. At dispatch, keep the supply reference and importer instructions with the shipment record.

This sequence is a practical workflow, not a substitute for official destination requirements. It gives the team a better chance of resolving questions while the goods are still accessible.

Separate the cargo, the pallet and the delivery

The goods may have their own import conditions. The pallet must be structurally suitable and meet the relevant plant-health requirements. Empty-pallet delivery to the packing site is a separate logistics task. Record the responsible contact for each, particularly where the exporter, packing business and importer are different organisations.

For a quotation, state quantity, cargo support and weight, footprint, handling equipment, UK delivery postcode and packing date. Confirm the final destination and any transit countries with your freight adviser.