Shipping goods overseas is a great way to reach new markets. However, with international shipments come rules and regulations you need to follow to make sure shipments are accepted upon arrival.
Key takeaways:
In this guide, you will find detailed requirements that need to be followed when using pallets for international transport.
The U.S. exports a high volume of cargo to other countries every year. Much of this freight is loaded onto pallets. To give you an idea of how much freight is shipped from the U.S. internationally, consider some data provided by Statista.
With so much freight leaving the U.S., it’s clear that you’ll need to know the necessary palletization requirements to ensure your shipments are a success.
Wood that is being shipped internationally must be fumigated or heat treated. This includes wood packaging materials such as pallets, crates, and dunnage. This is a requirement regardless of what method is used to transport the pallets.
The reason that this requirement is in place is because of something called ISPM — 15 or the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15. This measure was created by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC).
The purpose of ISPM — 15 is to prevent the spread of pests and diseases that could potentially be traveling inside wood packaging materials. Pests can be eliminated either by heat treating or fumigating pallets.
If you choose the heating method, wood packaging material must be heated until its internal temperature is 56 degrees Celsius (132.8 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher. Materials must remain at or above that temperature for 30 minutes.
You can also fumigate your pallets with a chemical called methyl bromide. When using this method, pallets are placed into a sealed chamber. Methyl bromide is then released into the chamber, where it will kill any pests present in the wood packaging materials. Fans are often placed in the enclosure to help spread the chemical.
While fumigation is a viable option, heat treatment is more popular. For one, the IPPC recommends heat treatment because it’s an easier way to kill pests and diseases. Heat treatment also doesn’t involve the use of chemicals, which makes it a safer solution.
Once the wood has finished being heated or fumigated, it is given a stamp or branding that has the IPPC's internationally recognized mark.
An official ISPM — 15 stamp will include:
After your pallets have received an ISPM — 15 stamp, you can reuse them for multiple international shipments. However, this will only apply as long as your pallets haven’t been repaired, manufactured, or modified in any way.
Wood that is engineered, like plywood, hardboard and OSB, are exempt from ISPM-15. Before you put your wood packing materials through heat treatment, check to make sure they’re not made of wood that is exempt from the requirement.
While wood remains a popular choice in the shipping industry, you can use plastic pallets if you choose. There are many benefits to be reaped from using plastic pallets.
This includes:
While plastic pallets have their benefits, they also come with some downsides. When it comes to expenses, you will be spending more on plastic pallets than wooden ones. However, paying more for plastic pallets might seem worth it since they last longer.
Plastic pallets cannot hold up freight that has a total weight of 1,500 pounds (680.38 kilograms) or more. For reference, most wooden 48 x 40 inch pallets can hold up to 4,600 pounds (2086.52 kilograms). Finally, any damage that pallets do sustain cannot be repaired. They will either have to be disposed of or remodeled into a new pallet.
You’ll need to make sure that your shipping label appears on your international palletized freight.
It should contain the following information:
Depending on the freight you’re shipping, you might want to place labels that give specific directions on how your cargo should be handled. You can include labels that say “do not double stack” or “this side up” and other warnings and directions as needed.
Placing duplicates of your shipping label on each side of the palletized load is essential. At the least, you want to have two duplicates of every label you use.
Pallet labels can be blocked from view by the walls of shipping containers or by other shipping pallets next to them. Having duplicate labels on each side of your shipment will help workers and forklifts operators find them more easily.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) gives a fairly vague description as to how pallets should be loaded. OSHA simply states that pallets should be loaded in a way that prevents them from sliding or collapsing. However, there is no set international standard.
The most reliable solution is to follow best practices to ensure a load is safe for all manner of typical handling. Secondly, use a reputable company that shows you how to stack, strap, and wrap freight to a pallet. This will ensure that your cargo stays secure while in transit.
The safest maximum height for freight that is secured to a pallet is 60 inches (1524 millimeters), or five feet (1.5 meters). This allows you to load a considerable amount of freight, without the worry of your cargo falling over.
Freight that is too high can be unsafe for the freight itself and any workers handling it. Extremely tall stacks of freight can become unstable and tip over. Additionally, freight that exceeds this height becomes considerably harder to strap down and wrap.
Pallets come in various types of widths. While your pallets don’t need to meet a certain width requirement, we do recommend a pallet width of 96 by 125 inches (2438.4 by 3175 millimeters) or under.
Pallets of this measurement are typically used for air freight. If you’re shipping your freight internationally by rail or cargo ship, then a 48”x40” pallet is a great option.
At USA Truckload, we provide a variety of 3PL services to our customers. Our large network of carriers and logistics partners allows us to serve businesses and retailers all across the United States. We specialize in moving bulk palletized freight, but we can also accommodate for other types of cargo.
Some services we provide include:
Get started with one of our services by filling out your Request for Proposal (RFP). If you have any further questions about the services we offer, you can contact our team at (866) 353-7178.
R+L Global Logistics
315 NE 14th St., Ocala, FL 34470
like to send pallet to Australia melbourne size 1m by 1m by1m 550 lbs /250 kg
We would like to have 2 pallets prepared for shipping to South Africa. We were unaware of the ISPM-15 requirements. The pallets are currently prepared for domestic shipping and will likely have to be re-palletized. The pallets are not baked. Please advise as to the cost for this service the pallet dimensions and load weights are as follows: 1) secured to pallet, in triple corregated secured box 67"x37"x62"H, 600lbs 2) crated pallet 56"x56"x94"H, 500lbs