ISPM 15 for Importers - What you need to know
International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) govern the movement of organic matter to limit biological contamination. ISPM Publication No. 15 (2019): Regulation of Wood Packaging Material in International Trade (ISPM 15) regulates the movement of timber packaging and dunnage with the aim of preventing the global spread of timber pests.
You might be wondering whether ISPM 15 relates to you, especially if your goods are not made from wood or other organic matter. Regardless of the nature of your goods, you should be aware of your responsibilities under ISPM 15 as there’s a good chance that a wood product will be used in the import process. If your goods are packed in a crate, transported on a pallet or loaded on a spool, chances are they will come into contact with wood packaging along the way.
If the wood used in packaging or moving your cargo isn’t ISPM 15 compliant, you risk bringing timber pests into Australia and violating biosecurity requirements. To stay up to date with your responsibilities, here’s what importers need to know about ISPM 15.
Materials covered by ISPM 15
ISPM 15 applies to coniferous (softwood) and non-coniferous (hardwood) raw wood packaging material. This includes pallets, dunnage, crating, packing blocks, drums, cases, spools/reels, bulkheads, load boards, pallet collars and skids. However, there are some wooden items that are considered low risk and exempt from this standard:
● wood packaging made entirely from thin wood (less than 6 mm thick)
● wood packaging made wholly of processed wood (e.g. plywood or particleboard)
● veneer peeler core
● barrels for wine and spirits that have been heated during manufacture
● wooden gift boxes processed or manufactured in a way that renders it free of pests
● sawdust, wood shavings and wood wool
● wood components permanently attached to freight vehicles and containers.
What is required to comply with ISPM 15?
For timber packaging to comply with ISPM 15 it must be made from debarked wood or meet the ISPM 15 bark tolerance requirements of having no more than 3cm bark in width. Wood packaging material can also meet IPSM 15 compliance following treatment by an appropriately certified treatment provider or manufacturer.
Approved treatments under ISPM 15
Currently, there are three treatments recognised internationally under ISPM 15 that provide protection against pests in wood packaging material. These include two heat treatments and one fumigation treatment:
● conventional heating of the wood within a kiln to a temperature of 56 ˚C for a period of 30 continuous minutes throughout the profile of the wood
● dielectric heating to heat the entire profile of the wood to a temperature of 60 ˚C for a period of 60 seconds
● methyl bromide fumigation
To be ISPM compliant, treatment must be undertaken by an appropriately approved certified treatment provider or manufacturer. The Australian Wood Packaging Certification Scheme features a list of certified treatment providers.
How do you know if wood packaging is ISPM 15 compliant?
Wood packaging material bearing an ISPM 15 internationally recognised certification stamp or mark is certified as compliant.
It may be stamped or branded to the wood packaging material in any colour but it must include:
● IPPC certification symbol (this is a registered trademark).
● XX: two-letter ISO country code where the wood was treated.
● 000: unique certification number (linking the wood packaging material back to the treatment provider and/or manufacturer).
● YY: treatment abbreviation code:
○ HT = heat treatment using conventional steam or dry kiln heat chamber
○ MB = methyl bromide fumigation
○ DH = heat treatment using dielectric heat
○ SF = sulfuryl fluoride fumigation
Other information such as the date of manufacture, batch number or logo, may also be included outside of the border of the mark, provided that it’s not confusing, deceptive or misleading.
How long does ISPM 15 accreditation last?
ISPM 15 marked solid timber packaging remains compliant for the life of the material, as long as no alterations are made to the packaging. It’s important to note that ISPM 15 treatments only control pests present at the time of treatment - they don’t offer permanent protection against post-treatment re-infestation of timber packaging.
As all packaging needs to be free from biosecurity risk material, any wooden packaging that shows signs of pest infestation will be ordered for treatment, export or destruction. ISPM 15 marked packaging may be reused, but if exported from Australia it’s the exporter's responsibility to ensure that it meets the requirements of the importing country.
ISPM 15 and biosecurity
The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) is responsible for enforcing Australia’s biosecurity requirements, including ISPM 15. The conditions for importing solid wood packaging materials into Australia are available in Biosecurity Import Conditions (BICON). These conditions cover wooden packaging imported for sale (commodity) as well as packaging used to transport cargo (non-commodity).
While Australia accepts solid timber packaging that is ISPM 15 compliant, treatment options are available for timber packaging that can meet the alternative requirements outlined in BICON. It’s important that non-commodity timber in containerised cargo is declared to DAWE and that appropriate documentation is supplied, including ISPM 15 compliance statements or evidence of alternative treatment.
DAWE conducts random surveillance on all types of cargo to ensure that import conditions have been met. Any timber packaging found to be non-compliant is sent for treatment, export or destruction at the importer's expense. To avoid unnecessary expense, delays or loss, importers need to be across ISPM 15 requirements and check that any wood packaging used in the transport of their goods is fully compliant.
Experienced customs brokers, PJ's Customs is here to guide importers through the customs and import process. To find out how we can help, drop into our Darwin office, email us logistics@pjscustoms.com.au or give us a call on 1300 395 760 for more information.