If you are shipping goods internationally on wood pallets, ISPM-15 compliance is not optional - it is legally required by 195+ countries. Non-compliant pallets are quarantined and destroyed at the destination port, and you bear the cost of re-palletizing and reshipping. For Florida exporters using PortMiami, Port Everglades, and JAXPORT, ISPM-15 compliance directly affects your shipping timelines and costs.
This guide explains exactly what ISPM-15 requires, how to read the HT mark on pallets, what the treatment process involves, and how to ensure your export pallet supply is always compliant.
ISPM-15 certified heat treated pallets - ready for export delivery from Florida ports
What Is ISPM-15?
ISPM-15 (International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15) is the international plant protection standard that governs wood packaging materials used in international trade. Its purpose is to prevent the spread of invasive insects and plant diseases (like the Asian longhorned beetle and pine wood nematode) that can travel inside the wood of untreated pallets and crates. The standard is enforced by the USDA APHIS in the United States and by equivalent phytosanitary agencies in every importing country.
How Heat Treatment Works
ISPM-15 heat treatment (HT) requires that the wood core temperature reaches 56 degrees Celsius (132.8 degrees Fahrenheit) for a continuous 30 minutes. This is achieved in large kilns or heat chambers. The treatment kills all insects and larvae in any life stage without using pesticides or chemical fumigants. After treatment, pallets are stamped with the certified HT mark and cannot be re-worked with untreated wood (any repair using non-heat-treated boards requires re-treatment).
How to Read the ISPM-15 Pallet Stamp
The ISPM-15 mark appears as a wheat sheaf symbol with four sections:
Top left: Country code (e.g., US for United States)
Top right: Producer/treatment provider certificate number
Bottom left: Treatment type (HT = heat treated, MB = methyl bromide, DB = dielectric heating)
Bottom right: DB mark if applicable
Example stamp: US-12-345 / HT - a US-certified heat-treated pallet from provider #12-345. The MB (methyl bromide) treatment is being phased out globally; ensure your pallets carry HT or DB marks only.
Which Countries Require ISPM-15?
As of 2025, 195 countries have adopted ISPM-15. Key trading partners with strict enforcement include: All EU member states, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, and India. The United States requires ISPM-15 on all wood pallets imported into the US. For Florida exporters, this means every international pallet shipment leaving PortMiami, Port Everglades, or JAXPORT must use ISPM-15 certified heat treated pallets.
ISPM-15 Compliance for Florida Exporters
Florida's position as a hub for Caribbean, Latin American, and European trade makes ISPM-15 compliance especially important. PortMiami is the 10th busiest container port in the US, and Port Everglades handles significant produce export volumes. Non-compliant pallets are rejected at destination customs, resulting in quarantine fees, re-palletizing costs, and shipment delays that can destroy time-sensitive goods. Florida Pallet Supply maintains certified ISPM-15 heat-treated pallet inventory ready for same-week delivery to Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Jacksonville export operations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Recycled pallets can be ISPM-15 certified if they were originally heat treated AND any repairs used heat-treated wood only. If a recycled pallet has been repaired with untreated wood, the original HT stamp is no longer valid. Always source recycled ISPM-15 pallets from certified suppliers who verify repair wood compliance.
HT (heat treatment) uses high-temperature kilns to kill insects. MB (methyl bromide) is a chemical fumigant that was widely used but is being phased out globally due to environmental and health concerns. Many countries are no longer accepting MB-stamped pallets. Heat treatment (HT) is the current standard.
The certification is permanent for the wood itself as long as the pallet is not repaired with uncertified wood. There is no expiration date on the HT stamp. However, if a stringer or deck board is replaced, only certified replacement wood maintains compliance.
Yes. Florida Pallet Supply delivers ISPM-15 certified heat-treated pallets to PortMiami, Port Everglades, JAXPORT, and directly to exporter warehouses throughout South Florida and the Jacksonville corridor.
Need Pallets?
Florida Pallet Supply delivers new, recycled, and custom pallets across FL, GA, NJ, MD & DE. Fast quotes, reliable weekly delivery.
