Industry Alert

Plant Protection and Quarantine July 2005

APHIS

Implementation 

of International 

Plant Protection 

Convention Standard 

for Wood Packaging 

Material

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal 

and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has 

amended the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 

to incorporate the requirements of the International 

Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM): 

Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material 

(WPM) in International Trade (ISPM Publication No. 

15). The new requirements, which are detailed at 7 

CFR 319.40 were published in the September 16, 

2004, Federal Register. These requirements will be 

enforced September 16, 2005. The International 

Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) approved the 

international standard for WPM in March 2002. 

 This standard requires WPM used in international 

trade to be treated. The approved treatments are (1) 

heat treatment to a minimum wood core temperature 

of 56 oC for a minimum of 30 minutes or (2) fumigation 

with methyl bromide (MB). The WPM also must be 

marked with the IPPC logo (see example below).

 WPM imported after September 16, 2005, without 

the IPPC mark must be reexported. Treatment or 

destruction of ISPM 15–noncompliant WPM will not 

be permitted.

 WPM imported prior to September 16, 2005, must 

be in compliance with current import requirements or 

with ISPM No. 15. WPM imported without the IPPC 

logo will not be rejected prior to September 16, 2005. 

Imported WPM, however, does need to be bark free. 

Treatment, destruction, or reexport of imported WPM 

will be required if pests are found. 

 Until September 16, solid wood packing from 

China or Hong Kong must continue to meet current 

treatment and paperwork specifi cations or arrive with 

the IPPC mark. WPM properly marked with the IPPC 

logo will not require paperwork certifi cations. 

 WPM made entirely of wood pieces less than 

6 mm thick in any dimension, or made entirely of 

manufactured wood such as plywood, particleboard, 

or oriented strand board is exempt from the treatment 

and marking requirements. Other manufactured 

wood that is outside the scope of this regulation 

includes whiskey barrels, wood packing that serves 

as gift boxes (add value to the commodity and remain 

intact with the product to the end user), and crating 

associated with antiquities, such as art pieces or 

vintage wines. Determination for such predated 

materials will be based on the age of the antiquity 

or vintage of the wine. WPM of Canadian origin is 

exempt from the treatment and marking requirements 

(7 CFR 319.40-3)

Additional Information

 For more information on the wood packaging 

material regulation, please visit this Web site: 

www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/swp/import.html.

Example of the WPM logo:

XX represents the International Standards 

Organization country.

000 represents the unique number assigned by the 

national plant protection organization to the treatment 

facility.

YY represents either HT for heat treatment or MB for 

methyl bromide fumigation.

The U.S.Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination

in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national

origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to

all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative

means for communication of program information (Braille, large 

print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at

(202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of

Civil Rights, Room 326–W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250–9410 or call (202) 720–5964

(voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and

employer.

United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture