On this page
Prepared by LEFAMI · Reference review: 25 October 2026
Before asking which mark or certificate is needed, identify the role of each wood component in the shipment. The product sold to the buyer, its pallet and a loose timber block used to secure the load can raise different questions. This guide explains how to organize those questions without treating one mark as approval of the whole shipment.
1. List the goods and their packaging separately
The IPPC's ISPM 15 publication describes measures for wood packaging material made from raw wood, including dunnage. It distinguishes packaging made from suitably processed wood, such as plywood. Its measures do not provide continuing protection against every later contamination. Consult the published standard and current destination implementation for the actual construction.
Start a packing inventory alongside the product list. Record the goods being purchased, pallets, crates, frames, bases and added securing material. A processed panel does not describe a complete mixed crate if that crate also has solid timber components. Ask the packing provider to confirm the full construction, including material added at an outside loading yard.
| Component | Question to resolve |
|---|---|
| Stakes, boards or an assembled product sold to the buyer | What requirements apply to the imported goods themselves? |
| Pallet or timber frame carrying the goods | What packaging requirements apply at destination? |
| Additional wood chocks or dunnage | Has the added material been included in the assessment? |
| Processed panel with a solid wood base | Has the full mixed construction been checked? |
| Pallets sold as merchandise | Have the goods and their own transport packaging been distinguished? |
2. Keep drying, treatment and marking separate
A moisture result answers the commercial question defined by the inspection method. Treatment evidence answers a different question about a specified process. Authority to use a mark is another matter. Ask the responsible provider which process was performed, for which material, and on what basis the marking is applied.
Do not infer that every kiln operator may apply an official treatment mark. Do not describe HT and chemical fumigation as interchangeable services. If a quotation includes treatment, identify the service, provider, scope, lot connection and evidence rather than using the undefined phrase “all export certificates included”.
3. Verify the goods at destination as well
An assessment of the packaging does not settle admission of the timber product, species, assembled goods or other materials inside. Ask the importer to confirm what applies to each. Do not request a phytosanitary certificate for every product without first identifying the applicable requirement, or assume that no product check is needed because a pallet is marked.
For U.S. trade, APHIS' Lacey Act guidance explicitly distinguishes certain wood packaging used to carry another item from new wooden products entering as merchandise. The importer should check the actual product, tariff coverage and entry conditions. This example illustrates why role matters; it is not a tariff classification for the buyer's pallets.
For Korea, China or another destination, use the corresponding authorities and importer / broker to establish the current product and packaging requirements. A checklist from a different destination is a starting question list, not permission to ship.
4. Inspect the packing that will actually travel
As a suggested internal control, check legibility and the relationship between the records and the actual packages. Look for replacement components, unexplained additions and loss of lot identification after repacking. If a pallet is repaired or a frame is replaced, ask the responsible party to reassess the material before release.
Agree what loading evidence will be kept and who is allowed to change the packaging after the earlier check. A photograph of an earlier pallet is not enough to show which pallet was eventually loaded. Record the point at which the final condition was confirmed and any outstanding action.
5. Assign responsibilities before ordering the service
| Suggested coordination item | Owner to agree |
|---|---|
| Confirm destination scope for goods and packaging | Importer with broker / relevant authority |
| Specify the actual packaging construction | Exporter and packaging provider |
| Arrange any applicable treatment and marking | The party responsible under the contract, using a suitable provider |
| Check material, records and final loading changes | Exporter / agreed inspector and loading coordinator |
| Resolve a discrepancy or authority notice | Named contacts on both sides |
This is a coordination matrix rather than a prescribed legal form. Exact documents, authorization and procedures depend on the applicable system and transaction. “Received” in the downloadable checklist records receipt of information, not customs acceptance or a complete compliance finding.
Official references and next steps
- IPPC: ISPM 15 publication and implementation resources.
- USDA APHIS: wood packaging material.
- USDA APHIS: Lacey Act declaration requirements, including packaging versus merchandise.
Build the English importer checklist, read shipping documents, or explore wooden pallets and assembled silt fence.