For any Moroccan exporter, a non-compliant wood pallet can be enough to hold up an entire container at customs. The ISPM 15 (ST) standard — the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 — governs the treatment of wood packaging material used in international trade.
What exactly does the ISPM 15 (ST) standard cover?
The standard applies to all raw wood packaging: pallets, crates, pallet-crates, and dunnage. Its purpose is to prevent the spread of insects and forest pests from one country to another via wood packaging material. Two treatments are recognized: heat treatment (HT), which raises the core temperature of the wood to a minimum level for a defined duration, and methyl bromide fumigation (MB), now less used for environmental reasons.
The ISPM 15 (ST) mark: what to check
A compliant pallet carries an official mark stamped on at least two opposite faces, including the country code, a unique identifier for the manufacturer or treatment provider, and the treatment code used (HT or MB), all framed by the IPPC logo. The absence of this mark, or an illegible mark, exposes the exporter to having the goods rejected by customs authorities in the destination country.
Why this is particularly critical for Morocco
Moroccan manufacturers and exporters shipping to Europe, the United States, or other markets subject to the standard have no room for error: an unfavorable customs inspection results at best in on-site retreatment, at worst in destruction of the goods or the container being turned back. Working with a supplier who controls the traceability of its ISPM 15 (ST) treatment, from raw wood to delivered pallet, removes this risk upstream.
What PALIVO guarantees
All our wood pallets intended for export are treated and marked in accordance with the ISPM 15 (ST) standard. We support our exporting clients in choosing the format suited to their goods and destination, with clear traceability of the treatment applied.
