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ISPM 15 – Importation of Wood Packaging Material (WPM). Columbia Transport can offer you the fumigation service of the cargo if it it necessary.

The regulation requires WPM to be either heat treated or fumigated in accordance to ISPM 15 guidelines and also marked with an approved international mark certifying treatment (see marking below).The requirements will involve the import of wood packing material The restriction covers many types of wood articles, pallets, crates, boxes and dunnage.

Exemption: WPM made entirely of manufactured wood material; particle board, plywood, oriented strand board, wine and whiskey barrels, thin pieces of wood (less than or equal to 6mm). The approved treatments for wood packaging material are:

1) heat treatment to a minimum wood core temperature of 56ºC for a minimum of 30 minutes or

2) fumigation with methyl bromide.

To certify treatment, the WPM must be marked with the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) logo. Paper certificates of treatment will no longer be required or accepted.

ISPM 15 Solid Wood Packaging Update (July 31st 2016)

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

North America	Canada	ISPM 15 standards in force, as for other Nappo countries, definitively since July 5th, 2006.
	Mexico	See Canada (Nappo country).
	USA	See Canada (Nappo country). The following territories are considered “U.S. Trust” (as a consequence, they apply the same rule): District of Columbia, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, American Samoa.
Central/South America	Argentina	Standards applied since January 1st, 2006.
	Bolivia	Standards applied since end of July 2005. Wood material must be debarked, but not marked with the corresponding stamp (DB).
	Brazil	Definitive application as from June 1st, 2005. Principle of reciprocity: compliance requested only from countries already applying the  standards.
	Chile	Standards applied since June 1st, 2005.
	Columbia	Standards applied since September 15th, 2005.
	Costa Rica	Standards applied since March 19th, 2006.
	Cuba	Standards applied since October 1st, 2008.
	Dominican Republic	Standards in force since March 1st, 2006.
	Ecuador	Standards in force since September 30th, 2005.
	Guatemala	Standards applied since end of January 2006.
	Guyana	Standards implemented.
	Honduras	Implementation from March 3rd, 2006, following publication  on  the Official Journal.
	Jamaica	Standards officially in force since March 1st,  2011.
	Nicaragua	Standards  adopted since September 6th, 2007.
	Panama	Standards are applied since February 2005.
	Paraguay	Standards are implemented since half of July 2005.
	Peru	Definitively in force since January 1st, 2006.
	Trinidad & Tobago	Standards applied since January 1st, 2006.
	Uruguay	No WTO notification, but there’s an official statement dated May 31st 2006 requiring the adoption. Enforced since end of July 2006.
	Venezuela	Standards applied since June 1st, 2005.
Asia/Middle East	Bangladesh	Standards might be in force, but no official statement can be found.
	China	ISPM 15 standards implemented since January 1st, 2006 even for wood packing material accompanying goods coming from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Hong Kong SAR is not applying the standards:  consequently goods having Hong Kong as final destination are exempt from treatment, but if in transit and destined to China, wood packing material must be ISPM 15 compliant.

The Incoterms rules or International Commercial Terms are a series of pre-defined commercial terms published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) that are widely used in International commercial transactions or Procurement processes. A series of three-letter trade terms related to common contractual sales practices, the Incoterms rules are intended primarily to clearly communicate the tasks, costs, and risks associated with the transportation and delivery of goods. The Incoterms rules are accepted by governments, legal authorities, and practitioners worldwide for the interpretation of most commonly used terms in international trade. They are intended to reduce or remove altogether uncertainties arising from different interpretation of the rules in different countries. As such they are regularly incorporated into sales contracts worldwide.