ISPM 15 for furniture shipped from India
ISPM 15 applies to the wood the furniture travels on, not the furniture itself. Crates, pallets, packing cases and dunnage made of raw wood must be debarked, treated by an approved method and stamped with the IPPC mark. Plywood, particle board and other processed-wood packaging, and wood 6 mm thick or less, are exempt.
What needs treating, and what does not
From section 2.1 of ISPM 15.
| Item | ISPM 15? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Solid-wood crates and packing cases | Yes | Raw-wood packaging |
| Pallets, skids, packing blocks | Yes | Raw-wood packaging |
| Dunnage and bracing timber in the container | Yes | The standard names dunnage as high risk |
| Plywood, particle board, OSB or veneer packaging | No | Processed wood made with glue, heat or pressure |
| Packaging made entirely of wood 6 mm thick or less | No | Thin wood is exempt |
| The furniture itself | No | It is the commodity, not packaging; some countries have separate rules for it |
How to read an ISPM 15 stamp
Four parts inside a square or rectangular border, with a vertical line between the symbol and the codes.
Illustration of the layout only, not a valid mark.
| Part | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Symbol | The IPPC symbol, on the left |
| Country code | The ISO two-letter code of the treating country: IN for India |
| Producer or treatment provider code | The number the national plant protection organisation assigned, after a hyphen |
| Treatment code | HT heat treatment (56 °C for 30 minutes at the core), DH dielectric heating, MB methyl bromide |
- The mark must be legible, durable and not transferable, and visible when the packaging is in use, preferably on at least two opposite sides.
- It must not be hand drawn, and red or orange should be avoided.
- The wood must also be debarked. A stamp on bark-covered timber is a warning sign.
Someone else's pallets
The common failure is not a missing certificate. The factory holds an ISPM 15 certificate, but the pallets and dunnage under your cartons are unmarked scrap from the yard. At the destination, non-compliant packaging can be detained and then removed, treated, destroyed or reshipped, and your furniture waits while that happens. For Australia, that is the route where it matters most: see the Australia import guide.
In India, ISPM 15 treatment providers are accredited by the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage; the IPPC country page for India links to the list.
What we check at loading
We do
- Photograph the ISPM 15 mark on the actual pallets and dunnage under your goods.
- Check treatment certificates against the goods and dates in your consignment, not a certificate held on file.
- Record dunnage and bracing during container loading supervision (L-08).
We do not
- Treat wood or issue ISPM 15 marks. Only authorised producers and treatment providers can.
- Give legal advice on a destination country's biosecurity rules.
ISPM 15 questions
Does furniture need ISPM 15 treatment?
No. ISPM 15 covers the wood packaging, not the furniture: crates, pallets, packing cases and dunnage made of raw wood. The furniture is the commodity, and some countries, such as Australia, apply their own biosecurity rules to it separately.
Is plywood or MDF packaging exempt from ISPM 15?
Packaging made wholly of processed wood, such as plywood, particle board, oriented strand board or veneer created with glue, heat or pressure, is exempt. So is wood packaging made entirely of thin wood, 6 mm or less thick.
What does HT mean on an ISPM 15 stamp?
Heat treatment: the wood reached at least 56 °C for 30 continuous minutes throughout its whole profile, including the core. Other codes on the mark show other approved treatments, such as DH for dielectric heating and MB for methyl bromide.
Is fumigation required for ISPM 15?
No. Heat treatment is an approved alternative, and the standard encourages countries to promote alternatives to methyl bromide. What is required is debarked wood, an approved treatment and the mark.
Who can apply the ISPM 15 mark in India?
Producers and treatment providers authorised by India's national plant protection organisation. India's list of accredited ISPM 15 treatment providers is published through the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage.
What happens if the pallets under my furniture are not marked?
The importing country can detain the consignment and require the packaging to be removed, treated, destroyed or reshipped. The goods can be held while that is sorted out, so check the mark at loading, not at the destination port.
Sources: IPPC, ISPM 15, Regulation of wood packaging material in international trade (check the current edition there for any treatments added since); India's accredited treatment providers. Checked 10 October 2026.
Have the marks photographed at loading
Container loading supervision counts every carton in, records dunnage and bracing, and photographs the seal. From $249.
Container loading supervision Lacey Act for furniture