accordance with this standard comprises the following re- mark when importing into the country or exporting

ting to other
quired components: countries. You can visit the nearest office of the Department
the IPPC symbol of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Directorate: Inspec-
country code
producer/treatment provider code
tion Services or www.daff.gov.za then go to divisions, agri-
cultural products inspection services, and wood packaging Regulating
treatment code using the appropriate abbreviation
(HT for heat treatment or MB for methyl bromide
to find the registered treatment provider or pallet manufac-
turer next to your area. wood packaging
fumigation). material using
Markings should be:
Legible, permanent and not transferrable; ISPM No. 15
Placed in a visible location, preferably on at least two
opposite sides of the article being certified;
Rectangular or square in shape;
Surrounded by border lines with a vertical line separat-
ing IPPC logo from country information;
Must not be hand drawn;
Red and orange colours must be avoided as they are
used for dangerous goods. Contact details
Directorate : Inspection Services
Tel : 011 971 5117
E-mail : AdamD@daff.gov.za
Tel : 012 309 8738
E-mail : BusisiweS@daff.gov.za
Documents available online
www.daff.gov.za Divisions Agricultural
products wood packaging ISPM No. 15

HT mark
8. Message to all traders
All traders must use wood packaging material from reg- agriculture,
istered service providers. The wood packaging material
should always be treated and marked with the proper IPPC
forestry & fisheries
Department:
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
1. What is ISPM No. 15?
ISPM No. 15 (International Standard for Phytosanitary Mea-
sures No. 15) is a standard developed and adapted by the
International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and its
member countries which serves as a guideline for regulating
wood packaging material in the international trade.
2. Why is wood packaging material
regulated?
Wood packaging material is made of raw wood which origi-
nates from living or dead trees that may be infested by pests.
This raw wood had not undergone sufficient processing or
treatment to remove or kill pests and as such, remains a
pathway for the introduction and spread of quarantine pests.
Regulating this material would reduce significantly the risk
of introduction and spread of most quarantine pests that
may be associated with the particular material.
3. What are the regulated wood
packaging materials?
All packaging material such as crates, boxes, packing cas-
es, dunnage, pallets, cable drums and spools/reels made
from raw wood.
4. What are the exempted wood
packaging materials?
The following articles are of sufficiently low risk to be
exempted from the provisions of this standard:
wood packaging material made entirely from thin wood
(6 mm or less in thickness);
wood packaging made entirely from 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 and spirit that have been heated dur-
ing manufacture;
gift boxes for wine, cigars and other commodities
made from wood that has been processed and/or
manufactured in a way that renders it free of pests;
sawdust, wood shavings and wood wool;
wood components permanently attached to freight
vehicles and containers.
5. Where can treated wood packaging
material be bought?
Wood packaging material can be treated by the registered
treatment providers and can be bought from registered pal-
let manufacturers. For further information about registered
pallet manufacturers and treatment providers, visit www.
daff.gov.za then go to divisions, agricultural products in-
spection services, and wood packaging to find the treat-
ment provider or pallet manufacturer next to your area.
6. What are the approved treatments
associated with wood packaging
material?
Approved measures consist of phytosanitary procedures
including treatments (heat treatment and methyl bromide)
and marking of the wood packaging material.
Heat treatment: wood packaging material should be heated
in accordance with a specific time-temperature schedule
that achieves a minimum wood core temperature of 56oC for
a minimum of 30 continuous minutes throughout the entire
profile of the wood.
Methyl bromide treatment: wood packaging material must
be fumigated with methyl bromide in accordance with a
schedule that achieves the minimum concentration-time
product over 24 hours at the temperature and final residual
concentration. The minimum temperature of the wood and
its surrounding atmosphere must be not less than 10oC and
the minimum exposure time must be not less than 24 hours
at the required MB dosage.
7. What are the marking requirements
associated with wood packaging
material?
An IPPC mark indicating that wood packaging material has
been subjected to approved phytosanitary treatment in