Guides / Wood packaging and ISPM 15 · Updated 30 September 2026

Wooden pallets and packaging (ISPM 15) on UK–EU routes

Pallets, crates and dunnage are regulated as a plant health risk. Here is what the ISPM 15 mark means, which materials are exempt, and what can go wrong in each direction between Great Britain and the EU.

This guide is also available in Polish.

Almost every groupage load, machinery shipment and palletised consignment moving between the UK and the EU sits on, or is packed in, wood. That wood is regulated separately from the goods it carries. It is a plant health matter, not a tariff matter, so a perfect customs declaration will not help you if the pallet underneath is unmarked. This guide explains which wooden packaging is caught, what the ISPM 15 mark means, which materials are outside the rules, and what can happen at the border in each direction.

What counts as wood packaging material

GOV.UK uses the term wood packaging material (WPM). It covers packing cases, boxes, crates, drums and similar containers, pallets, box pallets, pallet collars and other load boards, and dunnage, meaning loose wood used to protect goods and their packaging during transport.

The concern is pests. Solid, untreated wood can carry insects and diseases that threaten forests and woodland, which is why the international standard ISPM 15 (International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15) exists and why the Forestry Commission publishes data on non-compliant wood intercepted at GB ports.

Which material is exempt

Not all wood is in scope. According to GOV.UK, the rules do not apply to:

processed, non-solid wood packaging such as plywood;
raw wood 6mm thick or less;
barrels for wines and spirits;
gift boxes made from processed wood;
sawdust, shavings and cardboard used as packing material.

In practice this is why many exporters switch to plywood crates, presswood or plastic pallets for awkward destinations: the material itself falls outside ISPM 15. A standard solid-timber pallet, collar or crate does not.

There is also a narrow rule for dunnage in timber shipments. Dunnage supporting certain sawn timber consignments, made from wood of the same quality and banded together with the timber, may be exempt. Dunnage supporting other wood species must comply with ISPM 15.

What ISPM 15 compliance involves

Debarking

Solid WPM must be made from debarked wood. GOV.UK allows small remaining pieces of bark only if each piece is less than 3cm wide (any length), or wider than 3cm but with a total surface area of less than 50cm2.

Treatment

The wood must be treated by an approved method. GOV.UK describes heat treatment (the core of the wood held at 56°C for at least 30 continuous minutes), dielectric heating (60°C for one continuous minute, for pieces under 20cm wide) and fumigation with methyl bromide or sulphuryl fluoride after bark removal.

The mark

Treated WPM carries the ISPM 15 mark. It includes the two-letter ISO country code and identifies the producer and the treatment used. A legible ISPM 15 mark on its own shows compliance: GOV.UK states that marked WPM does not need phytosanitary or treatment certificates. The mark is effectively a paperless form of phytosanitary certification.

In the UK, producers who apply the mark must be members of the UK Wood Packaging Material Marking Programme (UKWPMMP), have their facility assessed every six months and register with the Forestry Commission as a professional operator. If you buy pallets, ask your supplier to confirm this rather than assuming any stamp is valid.

Empty pallets and crates shipped as goods in their own right (not in use as packaging) are treated differently. GOV.UK lists wood packaging material not in use under CN code 4415 among goods needing phytosanitary certificates when exported from Great Britain. Check before you ship a load of pallets as cargo.

EU to Great Britain: imports

GOV.UK is clear that any WPM imported into Great Britain from any country, EU included, must meet ISPM 15. The guidance on importing plants and plant products from the EU also tells importers to find out whether wood packaging is being used, because it will need to meet ISPM 15. This applies even when the goods themselves are not plants, such as furniture, machinery or car parts.

If you are the importer on the CDS import declaration, the practical step is simple: put ISPM 15 in your purchase terms with EU suppliers and ask for photos of the mark before collection, especially for one-off shipments and reused pallets.

Great Britain to the EU: exports

For outbound loads, GOV.UK says most wood packaging used to export goods must follow ISPM 15 and tells exporters to check the requirements of the country they are exporting to. The same guidance on exporting plants and plant products lists WPM and ISPM 15 among the extra export requirements. Since leaving the EU, Great Britain is a non-EU country for these purposes, so treat every solid-wood pallet, crate and piece of dunnage going to an EU member state as needing a valid mark.

This matters for transit moves too. A consignment travelling under a T1 transit declaration can be properly documented yet still be held up because of its packaging. For a wider picture of documents that travel with an export, see the step-by-step overview of the full UK export customs process explained.

Northern Ireland

WPM moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland must comply with ISPM 15. GOV.UK says checks on these movements are carried out on a risk-targeted basis only, because they are considered very low risk. For movements from Northern Ireland to the EU, GOV.UK points traders to DAERA guidance.

What happens if packaging is non-compliant

For imports into Great Britain, GOV.UK states that non-compliant WPM may be rejected or destroyed, whether at the border or at inland premises, and the importer is responsible for arranging alternative transport. In other words, goods can be stuck while they are repacked onto compliant pallets, and the cost and delay fall on the trade, not the authorities. The Forestry Commission reports that intercepted non-compliant material was subject to remedial action on entering GB.

Common causes of problems include:

pallets with no mark or a mark that is illegible after repeated use;
repaired pallets where new, untreated boards were added;
improvised dunnage cut from untreated timber during loading;
bark left on boards beyond the permitted size.

Checklist before loading

Identify every wooden item in the load: pallets, collars, crates, bracing and dunnage.
Check whether any of it is exempt (plywood, processed wood, 6mm or thinner).
Confirm solid wood carries a legible ISPM 15 mark on each item.
Buy from a UKWPMMP member, or require EU suppliers to confirm ISPM 15 in writing.
Do not let drivers or warehouses add untreated wood to secure the load.
If shipping empty pallets as goods, check phytosanitary certificate rules separately.

Packaging problems are rarely fixed by paperwork alone, but a good agent will flag them early. If you are unsure who handles what, see do you need a customs broker.

Related guides

Exporting from the UK to the EU?

Plutos is a UK–Poland customs information site run by the same team as Easy Clearance. Its export guide walks through the customs steps for goods leaving the UK.

Read the Plutos export guide

Sources

General information, not legal, tax or customs advice. Rules change; confirm current requirements on gov.uk or with a registered agent before you ship.