International Shipping, Heat Treat, and ISPM-15
Stop! You have a massive question you need to answer before you ship your product!
Are you shipping internationally?
If you answered “no” to this question then the following article will have very little value for you. However, if you answered “yes” then the contents ahead could be the difference between your product making it through customs or being rejected. A rejected international shipment can cost an excruciating amount of money and lead to an unbearable delay for your shipment.
Why does it matter if I am shipping domestic or international?
Good question! We live in a modern world that has brought about an incredible increase in globalization. Products from every part of the planet are being spread to the opposite side of the globe. We experience this and celebrate the great modern innovations to allow this to happen. Yet, there is a dangerous downside. We also can spread diseases to parts of the world that are not able to naturally handle them. The short answer is that shipping internationally matters because we do not want to spread hurtful organisms to other parts of the world.
What do Pallets have to do with this problem?
Wood is a very porous material and can provide a home for countless organisms. (Yes, this means that the fashionable Pinterest pallet platform beds are stylish but most likely not sanitary.) Inside our pallets, just like our trees, are organisms of all different kinds that tunnel into the wood and go unseen by the human eye. These organisms may be harmless in their original ecosystem but they could easily be extremely damaging to an ecosystem found somewhere else on the planet (i.e. Emerald Ash Borer from NE Asia and Japanese Beetle).
Then how do we ever ship internationally?
HT Stamp Sample
I have good news for you: ISPM-15. The United Nations formed the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to help address these issues. FAO formed the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) to protect against the spread of harmful organisms. IPPC then created the ISPM-15 standard as the great guardian of this issue. ISPM-15 requires wood packaging material to be cooked to kill off any living organisms in the wood. Heat Treatment must sustain a minimum of 56 degrees Celsius for a minimum of 30 consecutive minutes. Once accomplished and documented, the packaging material is stamped with a unique and accredited stamp to prove compliance. The stamp includes the IPPC wheat symbol, the two-letter country code, the unique certification code provided to the treatment provider, the treatment applied (i.e. HT for Heat Treat), and the inspection agency logo. Every individual wood packaging product is required to be stamped appropriately. The Heat Treat process prevents the spread of living organisms to other ecosystems and the stamp proves the accreditation.
That makes sense. So what now?
Never ship internationally without using ISPM-15-certified wood packaging. The stamp should always be mandatory on every shipment you send abroad. You will not only prevent a major issue financially but you will also prevent an even greater issue globally. With the substantial increase in globalization, our “neighborhood” has grown significantly. We must care beyond our backyard and see the entire planet as “our land.”
Search for a quality and dependable ISPM-15-certified facility to supply your wood packaging for international shipments. Every treatment facility should have a third-party accreditation certificate. Ask to see the certificate and contact the accreditation company directly. Sadly, the stamp can be abused. There are companies in existence that have created counterfeit stamps. They offer the illusion of ISPM-15 compliance without treating the wood packaging in accordance with the standard. By seeing the certificate and contacting the accreditation company, you are ensuring due diligence against this crime.
Don’t let the price deter you from doing the right thing. Yes, Heat-treated pallets are expensive. However, this additional cost is not merely a marketing ploy. Facilities that offer these products have invested heavily in the machinery, accreditation, and labor to handle this large task. The premium price for these products reflects the premium cost that these services bring to their companies. The right thing is to ship with ISPM-15-compliant products and support the companies pursuing a protected world in the future.
Lastly, let’s look at some exceptions to the ISPM-15 requirements
Not all wood packaging or pallets are in the ISPM-15 scope. Here is a list of some exemptions:
Presswood pallets
Plastic pallets
<6 MM wood packaging
Processed wood material
Sawdust
Most material that has been ground up into shavings and then glued together to form packaging lands in the exempt category. The process of grinding prevents the problem as well as the process of gluing the material together. So if you think you use a product that falls into this category, please contact your local ISPM-15 certified facility to gain specific knowledge of your use.
Knowledge is power. With international shipments, there are too severe of consequences to risk ignorance. Seek out answers to your specific questions and get those answers validated again. Heat Treatment is not a complicated process but it is a very important one. Take the necessary steps and see the benefits now and into our entire global future.
Cited: https://ispm15.com
