Wood packaging material used in international trade
When you are importing goods accompanied with wood packaging material (WPM) to Sweden from countries outside the EU, the packaging must be produced according to the international standard "Regulation of wood packaging material in international trade", ISPM 15. Wooden pallets, dunnage and other wood packaging material shall be marked with the ISPM 15 mark, which shows that the wood has been treated against pests. Otherwise, there is a risk that the wood packaging material may bring and spread pests which may threaten our trees and forests.
Wood packaging material which is covered by the ISPM 15 standard
Wood packaging material is a wide term which may be used to denote wood and wood products which are used to support, protect or store goods. This may include
- crates
- boxes
- packing cases
- dunnage, to wedge or support the load
- pallets
- crates
- cable drums
- spools/reels.
Wood packaging material which is not covered by the ISPM 15 standard
The following wood products do not need to be marked according to the standard, due to an insignificant risk of spreading plant pests:
- wood packaging material produced entirely of wood with a thickness of 6 mm or less
- wood packaging material made wholly of processed wood material, such as plywood, particle board, oriented strand board, or veneer that has been created using glue, heat, or pressure, or a combination thereof
- barrels for wine or spirits which are heat treated during production
- gift boxes for wine, cigars, and other commodities made of wood, that has been processed and/or manufactured in a way that renders it free of pests
- sawdust, wood shavings, and wood wool
- wooden components permanently attached to freight vehicles and containers.
Trade with wood packaging material within Sweden and the EU
There are no requirements on ISPM 15 marking of wood packaging material and dunnage within the EU or between EU Member States and Switzerland. The exception is wood packaging material and dunnage from Portugal and parts of Spain (because of the pinewood nematode), as well as other demarcated areas in the EU which have outbreaks of quarantine pests.
Wood packaging material from Portugal and parts of Spain
There is a considerable risk of spread of the plant pest pinewood nematode to Sweden from countries or areas in which it is present. Wood packaging material from Portugal, including Madeira, and parts of Spain must be ISPM 15 marked. No wood packaging material of coniferous wood may leave Portugal or other demarcated areas without being treated and marked in accordance with the ISPM 15 standard. The European Commission provides a list of these demarcated areas. The list is continually updated.
- Demarcated areas in the EU due to presence of pine wood nematodePDF, 329.3 kB.
- Labelling wood packaging material and wood with the ISPM 15 label (in Swedish)
The Swedish Board of Agriculture checks wood packaging material which arrives to Sweden. If we discover plant pests or other non-compliances, such as missing mark, you may receive a decision that the wood packaging material is to be destroyed or heat-treated. After destruction or heat treatment, you shall send a certificate to the Swedish Board of Agriculture that this was carried out within the time allotted by the decision.
The importer is liable for all costs for handling unlabelled wood packaging material from Portugal or parts of Spain.
Wood packaging material from demarcated areas for quarantine pests
There is a risk of spreading quarantine pests from countries or areas where there are outbreaks. Aromia bungii may spread via wood packaging material made of wood of the Prunus genus. Anoplophora glabripennis may spread via wood packaging material of certain hard wood species. Wood packaging material containing such wood originating from areas in France, Italy and Germany where any of these insects are present, must be treated and labelled according to the ISPM 15 standard.
Import of products with wood packaging material to the EU
Wood packaging material and dunnage in consignments imported from countries outside the EU must meet the requirements in the international standard for wood packaging material, ISPM 15. This means that the wood packaging material must be treated for pests and marked with the ISPM 15 mark.
We urge all importers of products to the EU to inform their suppliers of the importance of using wood packaging material which meets the requirements in the ISPM 15 standard. This is to prevent the spread of plant pests which may affect our forests.
If the exporting country does not have a national system to secure the production of correctly treated and marked wood packaging material, you can instead send Swedish wood packaging which meets the requirements in the ISPM 15 standard, or wood packaging material from another country which has a similar system.
Importing wood packaging material itself into the EU
When importing wood packaging material itself from countries outside the EU, the same rules apply as when importing wood packaging meterial transporting goods. The wood packaging material shall thus meet the requirements in the ISPM 15 standard, and a phytosanitary certificate is not required.
Checks of wood packaging material in consignments imported to Sweden
The Swedish Board of Agriculture carries out spot checks of wood packaging material in consignments which are imported from countries outside the EU at e.g. goods terminals where goods are un- or repackaged for further transport, or when the consignment has reached its final destination.
If it is found during the control non correct marking of the ISPM 15 mark , too much bark, or signs that the treatment has not been carried out correctly, we will stop the consignment. You may have to destroy the wood packaging material in the consignment and reload the goods on new packaging material. The importer will be liable to pay for the handling of wood packaging material, which does not meet the requirements of the ISPM 15 standard.
If you discover yourself that you have received untreated and unmarked wood packaging material in a consignment from a country outside the EU, you should ensure that the wood packaging material is destroyed. It may not be reused in Sweden or in another EU Member State.
Special checks of wood packaging material in consignments of certain products from China, Belarus and India
The EU has decided on an inspection scheme for wood packaging material accompanying certain consignments from China, Belarus and India. The same inspection scheme will be carried out in all EU Member States. For the moment there is an interruption. The inspection scheme will continue but the start date has not been determined yet. Until then, there is no requirement to notify wood packaging material from the countries mentioned above.
List of Combined Nomenclature codes (CN codes) that are included in the inspection scheme for wood packaging material
Description of the goods | CN code |
|---|---|
Slate, whether or not roughly trimmed or merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shape | 2514 |
Marble, travertine, ecaussine and other calcareous monumental or building stone of an apparent specific gravity of 2,5 or more, and alabaster, whether or not roughly trimmed or merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shape | 2515 |
Granite, porphyry, basalt, sandstone and other monumental or building stone, whether or not roughly trimmed or merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shape | 2516 |
Fuel wood, in logs, billets, twigs, faggots or similar forms; wood in chips or particles; sawdust and wood waste and scrap, whether or not agglomerated in logs, briquettes, pellets or similar forms | 4401 |
Packing cases, boxes, crates, drums and similar packing, of wood; cable-drums of wood; pallets, box pallets and other load boards, of wood; pallet collars of wood, (excluding containers specially designed and equipped for one or more modes of transport). | 4415 |
Setts, curbstones and flagstones, of natural stone (excluding slate) | 6801 |
Worked monumental or building stone (excluding slate) and articles thereof, other than goods of heading 6801; mosaic cubes and the like, of natural stone (including slate), whether or not on a blocking; artificially coloured granules, chippings and powder, of natural stone (including slate) | 6802 |
Worked slate and articles of slate or of agglomerated slate (excluding slate granules, chippings and powder, mosaic cubes and the like, slate pencils, and ready-to-use slates or boards with writing or drawing surfaces) | 6803 |
Ceramic flags and paving, hearth or wall tiles; ceramic mosaic cubes and the like, whether or not on a backing (excluding of siliceous fossil meals or similar siliceous earths, refractory goods, tiles specially adapted as table mats, ornamental articles and tiles specifically manufactured for stoves) | 6907 |
| Aluminium plates, sheets and strip | 7606 |
Control routine for wood packaging material from China, Belarus and India
Notify the consignment in Traces NT
When you import goods with the specified CN codes, and the consignment includes wood packaging material, you must pre-notify the import through the e-service Traces NT. You must notify the consignment at the latest by 1 pm (10 am in Stockholm Norvik) one business day before arrival of the goods.
If you notify the consignment a few days before it is available for inspection, you can be informed on whether it has been selected for inspection or not in good time. If it is not selected for inspection, it is possible to redirect the consignment from the border control post specified in the pre-notification to any other location for import.
Selection of consignments to be checked
Each business day after 1pm, the Swedish Board of Agriculture selects which consignments to inspect. We check at least 15 per cent of all consignments containing wood packaging material. If a consignment is selected for inspection, we will mark this in box 1.3 in the consignment’s CHED-PP in Traces NT, by specifying “Physical inspection”.
If the consignment is not selected for inspection, we will approve the consignment in Traces NT, and it is indicated as “Validated” . This means that the consignment is ready to pass customs, and does not need to pass through a border control post .
The check of wood packaging material
If the consignment is selected for physical check, it must be brought in via a border control post for wood packaging material.
You may also receive permission from the Swedish Board of Agriculture to move the consignment further from the border control post to a designated control point at a customs warehouse for physical inspection. Even if the physical check takes place at a designated control point, the consignment must still be brought in via a border control post. Contact the Swedish Board of Agriculture if you have questions about the rules/regulations for moving a consignment from a border control post to a designated control point.
At the inspection, we will check if the wood packaging material is marked in accordance with the international standard ISPM 15 and if the WPM contains pests. In order to control this, all or parts of the consignment will need to be unloaded.
The result of the inspection will be shown in Traces NT.
The consignment is approved: If the text “Validated” is shown in the consignment´s CHED-PP in TRACES NT, the consignment has been approved and is ready to pass customs.
The consignment is not approved: If the text “Rejected” is shown in the consignment´s CHED-PP in TRACES NT, the consignment has been rejected. We will inform you about what you need to do if the consignment is rejected .
Information in the customs declaration
When you import goods with the specified CN codes, you must declare whether or not the consignment contains wood packaging material. You shall specify this in the customs declaration.
On the customs declaration, you shall state the consignment’s reference number (like CHEDPP.SE.2022.0000123), which is given in box 1.2 in TRACES NT. The Swedish Customs can then verify that the check has been approved in TRACES NT.
Fees and other costs
At present, no plant health fees are charged for the specific CN codes with wood packaging material.
In connection with inspection, there may be costs relating to the movement and unloading of vehicles. These costs, if they arise, are to be paid by you, the importer.
If a consignment is not available for inspection in accordance with the notification, you must inform the Swedish Board of Agriculture of this in writing at the latest 8 am on the specified date of inspection. If you do not do so, you will need to pay a fee.
Questions about import checks
If you have any questions about how the check is carried out, please contact the Swedish Board of Agriculture.
Export of products with wood packaging material to countries outside the EU
When you export goods to countries outside the EU, the wood packaging material must in many cases meet certain requirements. The recipient country decides which rules/regulations apply. If you are not aware of the requirements that apply for the country with which you wish to trade, you should contact that country’s plant protection organisation.
Many countries have opted to follow the ISPM 15 standard. This means that many countries require that wood packaging material, material which is brought into the country, should be treated and marked in accordance with the ISPM 15 standard. If the wood packaging material is not treated and marked in accordance with the standard, the goods may be stopped at the border to the recipient country.
Permits to label wood and wood packaging material
If you are kiln-drying wood and want to be able to certify this to your customers, you can mark the wood with the KD 56°C/30 min-mark. You apply for permit to mark with the KD 56°C/30 min-mark at the Swedish Board of Agriculture.
If you manufacture or repair wood packaging material that will be used in trade with countries outside the EU, you must mark it with the ISPM 15 mark. ISPM 15 is an international standard which means that labelled wood packaging material is treated against plant pests. It reduces the risk of pests that can infest trees and forests being spread with wood packaging material through world trade. Within the EU, the marking can also be used on wood that will later be used to manufacture ISPM 15-marked wood packaging material. You apply for permit to be mark with the ISPM 15 mark at the Swedish Board of Agriculture.
Swedish companies which have permits to label wood and wood packaging material
Questions and answers
Which areas in the EU do not count as part of the EU when it comes to plant protection regulations?
The Canary Islands, Ceuta, Melilla, Guadeloupe, French Guyana, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion, Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin are treated in the same way as countries outside the EU when it comes to plant health rules/regulations. If you are intending to take plants or plant products from any of these areas, you need accordingly to comply with the rules/regulations from countries outside the EU.
From which countries outside the EU do the same plant protection rules/regulations apply as from an EU Member State?
Switzerland and Liechtenstein have a special agreement with the EU according to which they comply with the same plant health rules/regulations as the EU.
The United Kingdom has left the EU. However, there is a special agreement that means that Northern Ireland complies with the same plant health rules/regulations as the EU. England, Scotland, and Wales are not part of that agreement, and thus count as countries outside the EU.
How is Norway treated when it comes to plant protection rules/regulations ?
Norway is counted as other countries outside the EU as the plant health area is not included in the EEA agreement.
How is the UK treated as regards the plant health rules?
The United Kingdom has left the EU. However, there is a special agreement that means that Northern Ireland complies with the same plant health rules/regulations as the EU. England, Scotland, and Wales are not part of that agreement, and thus count as countries outside the EU.
Contact us if you have questions
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Revision date: 2024-03-04