In March 2002, the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) , an international treaty relating to plant health, passed a measure requiring that all solid wood packaging (including both hardwoods and softwoods) be heat-treated or fumigated before they can be imported into any of the member countries that are part of the convention. That changed everything in the pallet and wooden packaging materials businesses.

The IPPC edict, known as ISPM 15, gives wood packaging manufacturers the option of heat treatment , requiring that the wood core temperature reaches a minimum of 56 degrees Centigrade (132.8F) , for 30 minutes, or that the wood be fumigated to a prescribed specification with methyl bromide. All ISPM 15 compliant wood is then stamped with an approved mark signifying that it meets the ISPM 15 standards.

Compare with Chemical Methyl Bromide (Fumigation), Heat Treatment is safe and has no legal implications since fumigation be phased out of use due to its toxicity and its alleged effects of contributing to the Ozone level depletion problem. Fumigation also creates the potential for legal liability for both shipper and manufacturer, as well as creating intolerable health risk for employees and all humans who come in contact during the loading, shipping and unloading operations. Furthermore, heat treated materials does not have a shelf life as compared to Fumigation.
(Buckeye Diamond Logistics, Inc.)

It is also important that all heat treated wooden materials should be kept under roof and segregate from non-treated wooden items.