IPPC
The IPPC (International Plant Protection Convention) is the international plant-health treaty whose standards include ISPM 15, the rule for treating and marking wood packaging such as pallets in international trade. Its wheat symbol appears on every ISPM 15 mark.
Also called International Plant Protection Convention, IPPC logo
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What the IPPC does for pallets
The IPPC sets International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs). The one that matters to the pallet industry is ISPM 15, which requires wood packaging material to be debarked, treated by an approved method, and marked.
The IPPC symbol in the mark
The ISPM 15 mark starts with the IPPC wheat symbol, followed by the country code, the producer number and the treatment code. Pallet buyers often call the whole stamp the "IPPC stamp" for this reason.
How it works nationally
Each country's national plant protection organization runs the program that authorizes treatment facilities and producer numbers. In the US, producers are certified through agencies accredited by the American Lumber Standard Committee (ALSC), under its wood packaging material program for heat treatment and a separate fumigation program.
Approved treatments
| Code | Treatment |
|---|---|
| HT | heat treatment |
| DH | dielectric heating |
| MB | methyl bromide |
| SF | sulfuryl fluoride |
See the ISPM 15 standard page for requirements and exemptions.
Questions
- Is IPPC the same as ISPM 15?
- No. The IPPC is the convention; ISPM 15 is one of its standards, the one covering wood packaging.
Related
- ISPM 15 markThe ISPM 15 mark is the stamp showing wood packaging was treated for export: the IPPC wheat symbol, country code, producer number and treatment code such as HT.
- Heat treatmentHeat treatment (HT) heats pallet wood until its core reaches 56 °C for 30 minutes, the ISPM 15 treatment that lets wood pallets cross borders. Marked HT.
- ISPM 15: heat treatment and marking for export palletsISPM 15 requires export wood pallets to be debarked and treated, usually heat treated to 56 °C core for 30 minutes, and stamped with the IPPC mark.
- Pallets for export shippingExport pallets must meet ISPM 15: debarked wood, heat treated to 56 °C core for 30 minutes and marked. Sizes by destination, moisture and an RFQ checklist.
- KnotA knot is the base of a branch embedded in a board. The Uniform Standard limits sound knots to half the cross-section on reusable pallets and 7/8 on single-use.
- Lead boardA lead board is the outermost deckboard at each end of a pallet deck. It is usually wider than interior boards, e.g. 5-1/2 in vs 3-1/2 in on a GMA 48x40.
Sources
- ISPM 15 overview (Wikipedia)
- ISPM 15 stamp explained (Acadon)
- Uniform Standard for Wood Pallets (NWPCA, now Woodpack Global), 2012 edition