ISPM 15 and Export Packing: How Indian Handicrafts Arrive Safely in the UK, US, Australia and UAE

A beautiful product is only half the job. Handicrafts travel thousands of kilometres by sea and air, and both the product packing and the wooden pallets or crates under it must meet international rules. The most important of these is ISPM 15, the international standard for wood packaging material. This guide explains it in plain language. Getting ISPM 15 export packing right avoids delays at the destination port.

What ISPM 15 covers

ISPM 15, published by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), regulates wood packaging material in international trade: crates, boxes, packing cases, dunnage, pallets, cable drums and spools made from raw wood. It aims to stop pests travelling inside untreated timber.

Exempt items include wood packaging made entirely of wood 6 mm thick or less, and processed wood such as plywood, particle board, oriented strand board or veneer made using glue, heat or pressure.

Source: IPPC – ISPM 15 (PDF)

Treatments and the ISPM 15 mark

• HT – heat treatment to at least 56°C for 30 continuous minutes through the whole profile of the wood.

• DH – dielectric heating to 60°C for one continuous minute.

• MB or SF – fumigation with methyl bromide or sulphuryl fluoride under set schedules.

Treated wood carries a mark with the IPPC symbol, the country code (IN for India), the producer or treatment provider code, and the treatment code. Wood must also be debarked, with only small, separate pieces of bark allowed.

How each market applies it

• United Kingdom: solid wood packaging imported into Great Britain must meet ISPM 15; non-compliant packaging could be rejected or destroyed. GOV.UK guidance

• United States: regulated wood packaging must be treated and marked; plywood, OSB and plastic pallets are not regulated. Non-compliant packaging may be re-exported or destroyed. USDA APHIS

• Australia: accepts HT and MB, requires timber packaging to be declared, and applies the bark tolerance to all solid timber packaging and dunnage. DAFF ISPM 15

• UAE: buyers commonly expect ISPM 15-marked packaging; confirm the current requirement with your freight forwarder.

ISPM 15 export packing for fragile pottery and carvings

For parcel shipments, the International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) publishes test procedures such as ISTA 3A and 2A that simulate drops, vibration and compression. Packing for handicrafts is never one-size-fits-all: a hand-painted ceramic vase, a carved wooden panel and a set of textile cushion covers each need a different approach. We plan packing product by product, based on how fragile the piece is, its weight and shape, the order quantity and whether it travels by sea or air.

As handicraft exporters from India, we include packing lists, carton marks and ISPM 15-compliant pallets as standard. Talk to us about your next shipment.

Related reading

• Sourcing Wooden Handicrafts from India: Materials, Compliance and EUDR in 2026

• Documents and HS Codes You Need to Import Handicrafts from India

• Incoterms 2020 Explained for Buyers of Indian Handicrafts: EXW, FCA, FOB, CIF and DDP

Kraft Bharat is one of the handicraft exporters in India supplying handmade products to retailers in the UK, US, Australia and UAE. Browse our catalogue or contact our export team.