**The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has commissioned the American Lumber Standards Committee (ALSC) to appoint inspection agencies for the purpose of certifying companies approved to provide HT packing. The best way to stay current on changes or updates to SWPM is to visit the USDA web site at www.aphis.usda.gov.
**Solid Wood Packing Material (SWPM) is defined as “wood packing other than that comprised wholly of wood-based products such as plywood, oriented strand board, veneer, etc., which has been created using glue, heat, and pressure or a combination thereof.” SWPM includes pallets, crating, wood boxes, blocking boards, skids, etc., but not dunnage.
**The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) passed a United Nations Treaty on March 15, 2002. This Treaty put in place guidelines for regulating solid wood packing material (SWPM) in International Trade. (ISPM 15) click here to see a list of current countries that have implemented or are implementing the ISPM 15 regulation.
**Heat treat (HT) lumber is still the preferred method of meeting the standards for the future. Kiln drying (KD), chemical pressure impregnation (CPI) and methylbromide fumigation (MB) are still accepted methods of treatment, but CPI and KD alone without HT certification does not comply.
** Heat treat standards now apply to non-coniferous (hardwood) as well as all species of coniferous (softwood) packing materials.
**There is no identified timeline for implementation, however implementation will be left to each country at their discretion. The EU and Canada are expected to be the first to officially implement the standard sometime in 2003 with others to follow.
**Click here to see the mark certifying that the wood packing material has been subjected to an approved measure. It should appear on two sides of the solid wood packing material. (SWPM)