Most LCL ocean freight shipments from Finland are packed either in wooden packaging or on pallets. Wooden packaging is also common in air freight. When wooden packaging material is used for transporting products outside the European Union, it must meet the requirements of the ISPM 15 standard. The ISPM 15 standard was developed by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to prevent the spread of forest and timber pests through international trade.
Operators approved by the Finnish Food Authority are entitled to mark wooden packaging material with the ISPM 15 label, ensuring that the packaging material has been treated according to the standard. The mark includes the IPPC logo, the operator’s country code, registration number, and treatment code.
If the markings are missing, the delivery of the export shipment may be delayed because the pallet must be replaced or the necessary documentation must be obtained. Terminal staff can only stamp timber that has a verified treatment certificate.
ISPM 15 regulations also apply to imports
The regulations also apply to imports. ISPM 15 regulations apply to shipments coming from outside Europe. The standard does not apply to packaging material within intra EU trade. Shipments from Portugal are currently an exception, and the standard is applied to prevent the spread of a wood pest.
More information
The Finnish Food Authority is responsible for supervising the treatment and marking of wooden packaging material according to the ISPM 15 standard in Finland. Read more on their website Wooden packaging materials