EXCEPTIONS TO THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD FOR PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES NO. 15 (ISPM15)
NOM-144-SEMARNAT-2004
1. Definition:
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM15) would require that all solid wood packaging material used in the international trade, thicker than 6mm to be heat-treated or fumigated, shall be stamped with an official mark.
Mexico, guidelines were defined by the NOM-144-SEMARNAT-2004 Standard, which was published in Mexico’s Federal Register on January 18, 2005. It was previously published on November 26, 2003 in an emergency phase.
The aim is to prevent pests, other insects and biological material from being transferred unknowingly from one country to another. Goods packed in wood material that does not comply with the ISPM15 standard will be returned to the exporter at their expense.
2. Considerations:
Section 5.7 of the Mexican Standard NOM-144-SEMARNAT-2004 mentions the exceptions to this standard as follows:
- Manufactured wood material (e.g., particle board, plywood, oriented strand board)
- Wine and whiskey barrels.
- The thin pieces of wood (6 mm thickness or less), and the sawdust.
Packing exist that does not require phytosanitary standards, we can recommended the following types of packing that does not require phytoanitary standards:
- Corrugated Paperboard / Fiberboard Pallets: The fiberboard used in corrugated is classified “containerboard” by the paper industry. Thinner material, often made from recycled paper and used in non-shipping container applications such as cereal boxes, are classified as “boxboard”. The components of corrugated fiberboard are flat linerboards and corrugated medium bonded together by adhesives. The paper components are made from virgin and recycled fiber.
- Structural Wood Panels: Classified as plywood, composite (veneer and particles), waferboards, oriented strand boards (OSB), and structural particle boards. Plywood and OSB are most commonly used in pallet construction. Structural wood panels, also sometimes called Panel Deck Pallets. These pallets are specifically designed for heavy loads.
- Plastic Pallets: Generally made of thermoplastics, which can be re-softened by heating. The raw material for thermoplastics is polyethylene. Virtually any common plastic materials can be used to make a pallet. The current material of choice for plastic pallets is High Density Polyethylene. Plastic pallets must compete with wood which is much less expensive on a cubic foot basis. To compete effectively, plastic pallets must be durable. Cost per trip is the major determining factor for users of plastic pallets. Low cost per trip can only be
- Slipsheets: Are flat, solid fiber sheets with a load-bearing area used as a platform for unitizing, handling, storing, and shipping. They are made from multiple plies of kraft linerboard laminated to form a sturdy single sheet. Slipsheets have a pull- tab on one or more sides to enable a push-pull attachment to grip the load. Slipsheets have been used in the hardware, pharmaceuticals, food, pet food, and paint industries.