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After Brexit your wooden pallets may become illegal 
From January 1^st all wooden pallets used within the UK and Europe must be compliant 

It’s entirely possible that you have been using wooden pallets to facilitate the transportation of your goods around the UK and Europe for years.  You should be aware however, that as from January 1^st 2021 the regulations regarding the construction and use of wooden pallets are changing.  From the beginning of next year it will be a legal requirement for all wooden pallets (and wood packaging material too for that matter) used in the transportation of goods to and from the UK and Europe to be compliant and marked as specified by the International Standard for Phytosanitary measures No. 15 (ISPM15) 

A phytosanitary treatment is an official procedure for the killing, inactivation or removal of pests, or rendering pests infertile or for devitalisation.  It is designed to prevent the transfer of pests and plant material diseases between different countries.  A crucial requirement is a Phytosanitary Certificate that is used to confirm that the consignments (and that includes wooden pallets) meet the strict phytosanitary import/export regulations. 

If your wooden pallets fail to meet these new regulations then it is very possible, in fact it is almost certain that your consignment will not be cleared for shipping. 

From next year all UK companies involved in the manufacture of wooden pallets must be authorised to do so and they must demonstrate compliance to ISPM15.  All wooden pallets that have been approved to ISPM15 standards must also be marked accordingly. 

The new regulations not only refer to newly constructed wooden pallets, but they also apply to pallets that have been refurbished or repaired. 

The marking of phytosanitary compliant wooden pallets in the UK will be administrated by the Timber Packaging and Pallet Confederation (TIMCON).  You can check out further details of the necessary construction and marking by going to the TIMCON website at: www.timcon.org/ISPM15/ApplicationPack. There you will find a down-loadable PDF document: ‘Guide to the ISPM15 Mark – the Model Mark’. 

At Aerona and as one of the leading agents for air, sea and road shipments we feel that it is only right that we should remind exporters and importers about these new regulations that are now about to come in force and that will become a legal requirement from the beginning of 2021. We realise that it could be very easy to overlook (or ignore) these new compliance requirements, but to do so would almost certainly result in unnecessary and costly delays to your shipments. 

It is just not worth the risk! 

If you transport goods by air, sea or road, either across the UK or overseas, then please do not hesitate to contact us for the latest information and unbeatable service.  You can call us on: 0161 652 3443. You can also email us at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or you can send us an online message using the form that can be found on our Contact page.