Wood packaging is essential for the protection and movement of cargo around the world and represents a large group of products such as crates, pallets, hoods, blocking & bracing materials, dunnage, skids and reels. Although wood packaging is important to global trade, it has been scientifically recognized that wood packaging is a significant pathway for the introduction and spread of quarantine pest around the world.

Various levels of government and industry have worked to develop a harmonized plan to control the spread of quarantine pest. In March of 2002 the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) adopted the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No.15 (ISPM 15). This standard identifies the minimum mandatory treatment requirements and a marking system for wood packaging materials.