Plastic pallets and ISPM 15
ISPM 15 in short
- Applies to
- Wood packaging material
- Heat treatment
- Core temperature 56 C for at least 30 minutes
- Exempt
- Steel, aluminum, plastic, engineered wood
- US rule
- Wood entering the US must be treated and certified
- Source
- USDA APHIS; encyclopedia entry
Plastic pallets are exempt from ISPM 15. USDA APHIS lists plastic pallets among the products not subject to its wood packaging regulation, as an alternative to wood packaging material. An export pallet in plastic needs no heat-treat stamp.
ISPM 15 is the international standard for treating wood packaging. This guide gives the rule in short, the numbers that define heat treatment and the checks that still apply to an export load in plastic.
What the rule says
Wood packaging material entering the US must be treated and certified under ISPM 15. Wood must reach a core temperature of 56 C for at least 30 minutes for heat treatment, and it carries a mark showing it was treated. Steel, aluminum, plastic and engineered-wood pallets are exempt, so none of that applies to them.
| Pallet material | ISPM 15 treatment | Mark |
|---|---|---|
| Solid wood | Required | Treatment mark required |
| Plastic | Exempt | None |
| Metal | Exempt | None |
| Engineered wood | Exempt | None |
What still applies on an export load
- The destination's own import rules for pallets and packaging. ISPM 15 is the international standard; each country enforces its own version.
- The footprint the destination expects: 48 x 32 Euro for much of Europe, 1200 x 1000 mm in Europe and Asia.
- Weight, because a light pallet saves freight. Cabka lists extra-lightweight and air-freight versions of nestable export designs.
- Rating, because a light pallet still has to carry the stack in a container.
A pallet that carries cargo made of or packed in wood does not change the pallet's status. The exemption is about the pallet's own material.
Why export buyers choose plastic
Heat-treat stamps cost time and carry risk at the border. Plastic skips both. The trade-off is price and lifespan: Nelson Company says advanced composite pallets made of 100 percent recycled polyolefins are cheaper with a shorter life, and suit export where the pallet is not returned. Read the one-way plastic pallets page for the full trade.
What the rule asks of wood and why plastic is outside it
USDA APHIS requires wood packaging material entering the US to be treated and certified under ISPM 15, and lists plastic pallets among alternatives that are not subject to its regulation. Heat treatment means the core of the wood reaches 56 C for at least 30 minutes. Steel, aluminium, plastic and engineered-wood pallets are exempt.
- Cabka says plastic export pallets are exempt from ISPM 15 treatment and that there is no single export size.
- Its nestable export designs include extra-lightweight and air-freight versions.
- ISO 6780 lists 1016 x 1219 mm for North America, 1000 x 1200 mm for Europe and Asia and 800 x 1200 mm for Europe.
- A Nelson 48 x 40 x 4.8 in nestable is listed as ISPM 15 exempt and is under 5 in tall, which that page says suits air freight.
Exemption removes a treatment step and a stamp. It does not remove the receiver's own preferences, so ask the consignee which footprint and weight it will accept.
Why a plastic pallet is outside the rule
ISPM 15 is a standard for wood packaging because wood can carry insects. A plastic pallet contains no wood, so the rule does not apply to it, and a shipment on plastic does not need the heat-treatment mark. The receiver's own rules still apply, so check whether the destination asks for any other document.
From request to trailer
- Send the ship-to. A delivery ZIP, a footprint and a quantity, in pallets or in trailers. If you do not know a rating, describe the load.
- We match a model. We pick a maker and model whose published static, dynamic and racking load fit the load, and say so when only one maker fits.
- You get a count. The quote carries the maker's own per-trailer figure where one is published, and says plainly where none is.
- Papers and delivery. For food or pharma we attach the resin and colourant documents. A standing supply repeats the same line on every order.
What a complete request carries
- The footprint, in inches or millimetres, and whether it is fixed by a rack bay or a container.
- How many pallets, or how many 53 ft trailers.
- The ratings the load needs: static for the stack, dynamic for the move, racking only if the pallet sits on beams.
- Food, pharma, chemical, automotive, warehouse or export use, which sets the papers.
- One load now, or a standing supply with the same line on every order.
- Where it goes and when, and anything marked on the pallet: colour, logo, RFID tag.
Terms on this page
- Nestable
- Empty pallets stack inside one another, cutting empty storage space by up to 75 percent.
- ISPM 15
- The international standard for treating wood packaging against pests. Plastic pallets are outside it.
- PP
- Polypropylene. More rigid than HDPE and better with heat and harsh chemicals; used where rack stiffness matters.
- Recycled-content pallet
- A pallet moulded partly or wholly from post-industrial or post-consumer resin.
- Static load
- Weight a pallet carries at rest, or the bottom pallet carries when stacked. The highest of the three ratings.
- Dynamic load
- Weight a pallet carries while moving on a forklift, pallet jack or conveyor.
- Racking load
- Weight a pallet carries bridging an open span in unsupported racking. Often the lowest rating.
- HDPE
- High-density polyethylene, resin code 2. The most common resin in plastic pallets; tough and moisture resistant.
- Closed loop
- Pallets that travel between known sites and come back, so they are never lost to a downstream user.
- 4-way entry
- Forks or a jack can enter from all four sides.
Questions at the dock
Are plastic pallets exempt from ISPM 15?
Yes. USDA APHIS lists plastic pallets among the products not subject to its wood packaging regulation.
What temperature does ISPM 15 heat treatment reach?
A core temperature of 56 C for at least 30 minutes.
Keep reading
Last reviewed 2026-11-12.