What is ISPM-15 and why does it matter for Bali furniture crating?

It is the IPPC/FAO wood-packaging standard: wood packaging over 6 mm must be debarked, treated and marked. Destination customs, Australia’s DAFF among them, can hold, re-treat or reject crates without a valid mark.

Is ISPM-15 certified crating mandatory for wooden furniture from Bali?

For the packaging, yes — crate, pallet, dunnage and blocks, not the furniture inside. DAFF and the EU require treatment plus the mark on raw-wood packaging from Indonesia.

What happens if my Bali furniture crate doesn’t meet ISPM-15 standards?

It can be held, treated on arrival at your cost, returned to origin or destroyed, with storage fees while it waits. That is why the mark goes on before the container sails.

Is ISPM-15 crating enough to protect Bali furniture on the ocean?

No. ISPM-15 stops pests, not knocks. Export-grade crating adds braced framing, corner guards and cushioning, photographed before sealing. For high-value pieces, add [marine insurance](/bali-furniture-shipping-insurance/).

Heat treatment or methyl bromide — which does my Bali crate need?

Either: DAFF accepts both. Heat treatment (56°C core, 30 continuous minutes) is the common default for furniture. The trade desk confirms the method per destination and crate on your quote.

Crating & Compliance · Heat-treated, IPPC-marked

Bali Furniture ISPM-15 Crating, Built to Export Grade

The crate around your teak daybed decides whether it reaches your living room or waits at the port. Here is the standard we build to, and what it costs.

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Stack of stamped wooden export pallets in a warehouse

Quick answer

ISPM-15 crating means every solid-wood crate thicker than 6 mm is debarked, heat-treated to a 56°C core for 30 continuous minutes or methyl-bromide fumigated, then stamped with the IPPC mark on two opposing faces.

The standard

ISPM-15 at a glance

The figures every compliant crate must meet.

Standard: ISPM-15, set by the IPPC under the FAO
Applies to: Solid-wood packaging thicker than 6 mm
Heat treatment: 56°C wood core for 30 continuous minutes
Alternative: Methyl bromide fumigation to ISPM-15 spec
Marking: IPPC stamp on two opposing faces
Required by: Australia’s DAFF and the EU

Stacked wooden export crates with stencilled compliance markings

Stacked raw timber planks awaiting debarking and heat treatment

The rule

What exactly is ISPM-15 crating?

ISPM-15 governs the crate, pallet and blocks that carry your furniture, not the furniture itself.

Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) applies it to coniferous and non-coniferous raw-wood packaging: pallets, dunnage, crating, cases, packing blocks and skids. The EU applies the same rule to wood packaging from non-EU countries.

The biosecurity risk sits in the crate, so the crate is what has to comply.

Booking

How compliant crating is booked

Share your list

Photos, showroom and rough dimensions of each piece, by WhatsApp or form.
Quote in 24h

Scope, per-CBM band, treatment method and destination documents.
Pickup & build

Pieces collected and crated to export grade near Kerobokan and Denpasar.
Treat & mark

Treated to ISPM-15 spec, IPPC-marked on two faces, photographed before sealing.
Consolidate & sail

LCL or full container, with ISF and Lacey (USA) or SVLK/FSC (EU) papers prepared.
Home delivery

Door to door to your address in Australia, the USA or the EU.

Treatment

Heat or fumigation?

Both recognised treatments satisfy DAFF and EU biosecurity and earn the same IPPC mark.

Heat treatment is the common default for furniture crates because it leaves no chemical residue. Some buyers and cargoes have a preference, so the trade desk confirms the method per destination on your quote.

Two routes to compliance

ISPM-15 treatments compared

Treatment	What happens	Compliance mark
Heat treatment (HT)	Wood core reaches 56°C for at least 30 continuous minutes	IPPC stamp on two opposing crate faces
Methyl bromide (MB)	Crate fumigated to ISPM-15 specification	IPPC stamp on two opposing crate faces

Balinese woodcarver shaping a timber panel with a chisel

Cost & timing

What compliant crating costs

Crating is built into the export handling on your door-to-door rate, not sold as a separate line item. There is no minimum: LCL starts from 1 CBM, and a multi-item load is its CBM count times the band.

Build, treatment and marking happen inside the pickup-to-consolidation window, so the sea leg stays the long pole. Pickups run from Ubud, Seminyak, Canggu and Kerobokan showrooms to a Denpasar-area warehouse; Kerobokan is a recognised crating locality.

Rate ledger · 2026

Door-to-door bands, crating included

Route / service	Indicative rate	Sea transit
LCL → Australia	USD 350–450 per CBM	4–8 weeks
LCL → USA / EU	USD 400–550 per CBM	6–12 weeks
20ft container (Indonesia–USA)	~USD 2,500–4,500	6–12 weeks
40ft container (Indonesia–USA)	~USD 4,000–7,000	6–12 weeks

Indicative as of 2026 and subject to change; the trade desk confirms final scope per quote.

Paperwork

Destination documents move with the crate

For the USA, wood furniture falls under Lacey Act phase VII (in force since 1 December 2024) and TSCA Title VI, typically with CBP entry, an Importer Security Filing (ISF) and a Lacey Act declaration. Since the US de minimis exemption for Indonesia was suspended in August 2025, every commercial shipment incurs duties and customs processing.

For the EU, Indonesian teak and other timber commonly rely on SVLK or FSC documentation.

Bali Furniture Shipping is an independent shipping concierge, not a carrier or licensed customs broker. Freight, treatment and clearance are arranged via vetted licensed forwarders.

FAQ