Do you currently export your products internationally?

Are the pallets and/or crates that you're shipping your export products with compliant with the destination countries' wood packaging materials regulations?

Are you sure?

Atlas offers heat treated hardwood pallets, heat treated softwood pallets and heat treated #1 and #2 recycled pallets, as well as heat treated crates, containers and bins to ensure that your wood packaging materials are export compliant for worldwide shipping and adhere to the ISPM 15 regulations, which are continually being adopted by countries all over the world (see below). Don't allow your exported products to be held up in customs simply because they were shipped on a non-heat treated pallet, contact Atlas today to learn how to become export compliant worldwide.

IF YOU'RE AN EXPORTER, and haven't done so already, BOOKMARK THIS PAGE NOW! Atlas will be sure to always keep this page up-to-date with the most current information regarding newly adopted ISPM 15 regulations and with a current list of countries that are implementing and enforcing ISPM 15.

ISPM 15 Solid Wood Packaging Update
(November 30, 2009)

Australia- Regulatory Changes of WPM Products

Australia has announced changes in its policy regarding imported WPM and wood products. Plywood and other manufactured wood products will have to be heat treated or fumigated on all WPM products regardless of whether it is newly manufactured or reused. Additionally, all WPM products must be treated within 21 days prior to shipping. The proposed implementation date of these changes is to begin August 1, 2009 with a phase in period until January 1, 2010.

Debarking of WPM-European Union

The revised ISPM 15 requires all stamped WPMs be manufactured from debarked wood. The Debark Regulation requires that any number of separate and clearly distinctive small pieces of bark are acceptable under the following conditions:

1. Less than 3 centimeters (1-1/8") in width regardless of the length of the patch,

2. Greater than 3 centimeters in width and the total area of the bark patch must be less than 50 square centimeters (approximately the size of a credit card).

Bark is considered the "outer layer of a woody trunk, branch or root outside the cambium layer". Pieces of bark covering several faces of a wood component must be measured widthwise from edge to edge of each patch. Excessive bark can be scraped or stripped from the wood components.

During PROL inspections there is a zero tolerance to bark exceeding these levels. As a result of this new regulation many of our clients have had products held and sent back to the manufacturer for failing to comply. Also, there have been an increased number of re-inspections due to bark not being compliant. Again, this regulation is for ALL products with the WPM mark. (Australia and New Zealand required bark free WPM).

Australia Requires Bark Free Wood Packaging Material

Australia has implemented the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM15)—Guidelines for regulating wood packaging material in international trade. In addition to ISPM15 requirements, AQIS also has a ZERO tolerance for bark on Wood Packaging Materials (WPM) and dunnage.

Bark is the external natural growth layer covering trees and branches. All timber,
solid wood packaging and timber products imported to Australia must be BARK FREE.

AQIS acknowledges that bark around knots, bark pockets between rings of annual
growth, and inclusions in the vascular cambium are difficult to remove. However
these have the potential to harbor quarantine risk materials such as fungal spores,
fungal decays and insects.

Where bark is found on WPM, including wood packaging material and dunnage, one
of the options below will be applied to the consignment to address bark related
quarantine risks:

• the consignment will be ordered for dry heat treatment, ethylene oxide
  fumigation or gamma irradiation.

• the consignment will be ordered to have the bark removed at a Quarantine
  Approved Premise. After the bark has been removed, the consignment will be
  inspected to verify that bark has been removed and that there is no
  quarantine risk remaining, such as insects. The removed bark will be
  destroyed by an AQIS approved method

• the consignment will be re-exported or destroyed.

All options will be at the importer's expense.

Note: This Bark-Free regulation is ONLY for shipments exported to Australia. All other countries which have implemented ISMP-15 require Debarking of all WPM.

Notice to Department of Defense (DoD) vendors
The Department of Defense has announced that its shipments both “inside and outside of the United States must meet ISPM 15.” These requirements will be reflected in Defense Logistic Agency solicitations issued as of August 1, 2006. DOD pallets must be heat treatment or kiln dried (DOD does not accept fumigation as a treatment method). For more information, see the American Lumber Standard Committee, Incorporated Web page at www.alsc.org.

Summary information for countries that have begun implementation or announced plans to implement ISPM-15:

Argentina: June 1, 2006

Australia: September 1, 2004 (Variation: Bark-Free WPM); January 1, 2006 added wood packaging used in break bulk and air cargo to their ISPM-15 enforcement.

Bulgaria: January 24, 2006

Bolivia: July 23, 2005 (Variation: Debarked WPM)

Brazil: June 1, 2005

Canada: September 16, 2005 (Note: Exemption granted to U.S. until 2010)

Chile: June 1, 2005 (Variation: Debarked WPM)

China: January 1, 2006 (Variation: MB fumigation for softwood packaging
must use the 24-hour treatment schedule.)

Colombia: September 16, 2005

Costa Rica: March 19, 2006

Croatia: January 1, 2007

Cuba: October 1, 2008

Dominican Republic: July 1, 2006

Ecuador: September 20, 2005

Egypt: October 1, 2005

European Union: March 1, 2005

Guatemala: September 16, 2005

Honduras: February 25, 2006

India: November 1, 2004 (Variation: Phytosanitary certificate required only for WPM not ISPM-15 compliant)

Indonesia: September 1, 2009

Israel: June 23, 2009

Jamaica: October 20, 2007

Japan: April 1, 2007

Jordan: November 17, 2005

Kenya: January 2006 (Published May 2006)

Lebanon: March 26, 2006

Malaysia: January 1, 2010

Mexico: September 16, 2005

New Zealand: April 16, 2003 (Variation: Bark-free WPM)

Nicaragua: No published date of implementation

Nigeria: September 30, 2004

Norway: July 1, 2008

Oman: December 2006

Panama: Not yet enforcing ISPM 15

Paraguay: June 28, 2005

Peru: March 1, 2005

Philippines: June 1, 2005

Seychelles: March 1, 2006

South Africa: January 1, 2005 (Variation: 24-MB schedule for softwood packaging)

South Korea: June 1, 2005

Sri Lanka: March 1, 2004

Switzerland: March 1, 2005

Syria: April 1, 2006

Taiwan: July 2008

Tanzania: No published date of implementation

Thailand: No published date of implementation

Trinidad & Tobago: September 15, 2005

Turkey: January 1, 2006 (Variation: Debarked WPM)

Ukraine: October 1, 2005

United States: September 16, 2005

Venezuela: June 1, 2005

Vietnam: June 5, 2005

ISPM-15 Requirements

Compliance with ISPM-15 for wood packaging materials allows for two treatment options:

Heat Treatment (HT): Wood packaging material should be heated in a schedule that achieves a minimum core temperature of 56ºC for a minimum of 30 minutes. The American Lumber Standards Committee administers the U.S. certification program for heat treatment.

Methyl Bromide (MB) Fumigation: The wood packaging material should be fumigated with methyl bromide. NWPCA has been tasked by the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to administer the fumigation program.

NOTE: ISPM 15 requirements apply to all species of coniferous (softwood) and non-coniferous (hardwood) packaging materials.

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