I do not know if this question belongs here, but I have heard that startting January 1, 2009 all shipment made to Canada have to be on heat treated pallets or skids. Has anyone else heard this? Thanks in advance.

I do not know if this question belongs here, but I have heard that startting January 1, 2009 all shipment made to Canada have to be on heat treated pallets or skids. Has anyone else heard this? Thanks in advance.
The regulation is ISPM 15. (http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/for/cwpc/queste.shtml)

This is the Canadian Regulation. (http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/protect/dir/d-98-08e.shtml)
(http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/for/cwpc/queste.shtml)

I glanced these over and there is nothing about shipping heat treated pallets from the US starting in 2009.

At risk of derailing the thread (if I need to move this, let me know), does anyone have any experience with soft wood pallets? The reason I ask here is that I have been told that all of the soft wood is dried, which satisfies the "treated" requirements for Europe. We have been told that they are as strong as hardwood pallets because they are thicker. Oh, and (wait for it...) they are less expensive.

It took me about 30 seconds to find this.
.2 What exactly are these international guidelines for the movement of wood packaging materials, as described in ISPM 15?
.2 All non-manufactured wood packaging ( pallets, containers, drums, ) shipped to any country that has adopted these requirements must be either:
Heat treated or kiln dried to a minimum core temperature of 56° for at least 30 minutes in a certified facility. Treated wood must display a recognized certification mark enabling identification of where and by whom the treatment has been carried out; or
Fumigated with an approved chemical by a certified facility.
Packaging material comprised entirely of manufactured wood (e.g. veneer, oriented strand board, particle board, plywood, ) or non-wood material (e.g. plastic, metal, cardboard, ) are not regulated and do not require certification.:2cents:

Read this very carefully. From the Canadian directive:Subject

This directive provides the requirements for the entry for all wood packaging materials including dunnage, pallets or crating made from non-manufactured wood entering Canada from all areas except the continental United States (US).

It took me about 30 seconds to find this.
.2 What exactly are these international guidelines for the movement of wood packaging materials, as described in ISPM 15?
.2 All non-manufactured wood packaging ( pallets, containers, drums, ) shipped to any country that has adopted these requirements must be either:
Heat treated or kiln dried to a minimum core temperature of 56° for at least 30 minutes in a certified facility. Treated wood must display a recognized certification mark enabling identification of where and by whom the treatment has been carried out; or
Fumigated with an approved chemical by a certified facility.
Packaging material comprised entirely of manufactured wood (e.g. veneer, oriented strand board, particle board, plywood, ) or non-wood material (e.g. plastic, metal, cardboard, ) are not regulated and do not require certification.:2cents:

Thank you for clarifying Dean! :agree1:

Coming from a metalworking background; when I read "Heat Treating", I was thinking how in the heck do you heat treat a wooden skid.....:lol: :o

Stijloor.

I have moved these post from the ISO forum, since it is related to other standards. Another Moderator may move these somewhere else.