Packing, marking and moisture in transit

A good board can arrive in poor condition because of how it was packed, marked or wetted on the way. This lesson covers what the portal's trade-compliance article says about packaging, plant health marks, moisture and tolerances at the point of dispatch. Rules here are specific to destinations and change; the lesson shows the questions to ask rather than a complete rulebook.

Packaging is a contract line

Among the typical contract terms the article lists, packaging is separate from product and delivery: pack size, wrapping, spacers and pallets, and the ISPM 15 requirement. It also lists "ignoring moisture and transit time in closed containers" as a common pitfall, and recommends photographing packs at loading. The article's own interpretation is that under delivered terms (DAP, DPU) transit risk sits with the seller, and for timber that means rain, staining and condensation risk, so wrapping and moisture limits should be agreed. The portal gives no wrap specification or condensation figure, so none is quoted here.

Two separate plant health questions

The timber may need a phytosanitary certificate issued by the exporting country's plant protection authority and may have to be bark-free, soil-free or pest-free. The wood packaging (pallets, crates, bearers, dunnage) must separately be treated and marked under ISPM 15, whatever it carries. A mixed-up pair is a common reason for holds.

ISPM 15 (2018 edition) covers wood packaging made from raw wood. Treatments are:

The mark has the IPPC symbol, the ISO country code, the producer code assigned by the national plant protection organisation and the treatment code. It must be legible without aids, durable, not hand-drawn, visible and preferably on two opposite sides; avoid red and orange. Exemptions include wood 6 mm or thinner, panel products such as plywood and OSB, sawdust and wood wool, and wood permanently attached to vehicles or containers. Processed wood products are outside scope. The 2009 text lists only HT and MB, so old brochures may be out of date.

Repairs. If up to about one-third of components are replaced, the new components are treated and marked. If more than about one-third are replaced, the old marks must be obliterated and the whole pallet re-treated and re-marked. A 12-component pallet with 6 new boards (50%) is therefore in the second category.

Destination-specific conditions

• China, sawn wood: phytosanitary certificate and verification inspection; fumigation only if quarantine pests are present (NZ MPI). For pine, Announcement No. 110 of 2021 (in force from 1 February 2022) requires lumber heat treatment to a core temperature of 56 degrees C for 30 minutes, shown on the certificate, for listed origins (the CFIA summary names Portugal and Spain); confirm current requirements with your plant protection organisation.
• Saudi Arabia, sawn timber: certificate, bark prohibited, free of quarantine pests and soil.
• United Kingdom: kiln-dried wood must carry a KD or equivalent mark (GOV.UK); the text read did not mention ISPM 15.
• Egypt: the ACID number must appear on the bill of lading, invoice and certificate of origin, or the shipment risks refusal at the port.

Tolerances and moisture reference

A Swedish Wood publication cites EN 1313-1 tolerances of +3/-1 mm up to 100 mm and +4/-2 mm above 100 mm in thickness and width, referenced to 20% moisture content. Average dimensions must not fall below target. A board delivered at 12% MC is smaller than at 20%, so the contract must state the moisture reference and the measurement method. For treated timber, the preservation article advises stating the use class and the preservative on the delivery note, invoice or treatment certificate.

Key points

• Timber certificate and ISPM 15 pallet treatment are separate questions.
• HT: core at least 56 degrees C for at least 30 minutes; DH: at least 60 degrees C for 1 minute; MB and SF not for pieces over 20 cm.
• More than about one-third replaced components means re-treat and re-mark the whole pallet.
• China's pine rule is a 56 degrees C, 30 minute heat treatment on the certificate; confirm current rules before shipping.
• State the moisture reference and measurement method with the dimensional tolerances.
• Photograph packs at loading; keep moisture and transit time in mind for closed containers.