The International Plant Protection Convention is a multilateral treaty for protecting plants from pests. Its Commission on Phytosanitary Measures adopts international standards such as ISPM 15.
Detailed Definition
The IPPC is an international treaty deposited with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and its secretariat is hosted by FAO. First adopted in 1951 and later revised, it aims to prevent the introduction and spread of plant pests. Its governing body, the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures, adopts International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs), including ISPM 15 for wood packaging. Each member country names a national plant protection organization (NPPO); in the US that is USDA APHIS.
How IPPC standards become national rules
ISPMs are international standards, not laws on their own. Each country gives them force through its own regulations, enforced by its NPPO. That is why ISPM 15 is applied in most trading countries while border inspection practice and penalties for non-compliant wood packaging differ by country. In the US, USDA APHIS sets the import requirements for wood packaging, and the American Lumber Standard Committee administers the US marking program for treated wood packaging through accredited inspection agencies. Exporters should check the importing country's current requirements, not only the standard, before shipping wood packaging.
Where pallet users meet the IPPC
- The ISPM 15 mark on wood pallets includes the IPPC symbol, which may only be applied by producers or treatment providers registered under a national program.
- Phytosanitary certificates for plants and plant products follow formats set by IPPC standards, but treated wood packaging normally relies on the mark rather than a certificate.
- Non-compliant packaging found at a border may be treated, destroyed or sent back at the importer's or shipper's cost, depending on the country.
- Other ISPMs cover topics such as pest risk analysis and surveillance, which mainly concern governments rather than shippers.
Related Glossary Terms
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the IPPC certify pallet manufacturers?
No. The IPPC sets the standard and owns the symbol, but it does not inspect or register individual pallet plants. Each country's national plant protection organization runs or authorizes a program that registers producers and treatment providers and assigns their unique numbers. In the US, USDA APHIS recognizes the American Lumber Standard Committee, which accredits inspection agencies that audit participating facilities.
Is the IPPC part of the United Nations?
The IPPC is a treaty deposited with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and its secretariat is hosted at FAO headquarters in Rome. The World Trade Organization's Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures recognizes the IPPC as the reference organization for international plant health standards. Member countries, not the UN, enforce those standards at their own borders.