Export pallets: ISPM 15, container sizes and material choices
An export pallet must meet ISPM 15 (heat-treated and marked wood, or an exempt material such as plastic, presswood, paper or metal), fit the container and the consignee's equipment, and usually be cheap enough to lose. Common choices are HT wood, 45 × 45 in or 1200 × 1000 mm footprints, and nestable plastic.
- Type
- Plastic (molded)
- Footprint
- 45.00 × 45.00 in
- Height
- 5.00 in
Every dimension is editable. Get the drawing free, or request a quote.
An export pallet is defined by where it is going, not by its shape. It has to pass the destination's phytosanitary inspection, fit a container well, and survive a trip it will probably not come back from. Get any of the three wrong and the cost shows up as rejected shipments, wasted container space or overpriced pallets.
What is an export pallet?
An export pallet is a pallet used for international shipment. In practice that means one of two things:
- A solid-wood pallet treated and marked under ISPM 15, usually heat treated (HT).
- A pallet made of an exempt material: plastic, metal, paper or corrugated, or processed wood such as presswood, plywood and OSB.
Solid wood 6 mm (1/4 in) thick or less is also exempt. See heat-treated pallets.
ISPM 15 requirements in brief
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Treatment | HT: wood core at 56 °C (133 °F) for 30 minutes; also DH (dielectric heating), MB (methyl bromide, being phased out) or SF (sulfuryl fluoride) |
| Debarking | Required; small bark remnants within set size limits are allowed |
| Mark | IPPC symbol, 2-letter country code, producer number, treatment code, inside a border |
| Mark placement | Legible and permanent, on at least two opposite sides (some buyers ask for all four) |
| Repairs | Repaired or remanufactured pallets must be re-treated and re-marked |
In the US, the mark is issued through ALSC-accredited agencies. KD (kiln-dried) stamps are not ISPM 15 marks. See pallet stamps and markings. Canada and the US do not require HT for pallets crossing their shared border; Mexico does.
Export pallet materials compared
| Material | ISPM 15 | Weight (48 × 40 class) | Nestable | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HT wood (stringer or block) | Treat and mark | 30–70 lb (14–32 kg) | No | Heavy loads, custom sizes |
| Plastic, lightweight nestable | Exempt | about 14–30 lb (6–14 kg) | Yes | Light one-way air and sea freight |
| Presswood | Exempt | about 25–35 lb (11–16 kg) | Yes | Medium loads, not rackable |
| Paper / honeycomb | Exempt | about 9–20 lb (4–9 kg) | No | Light loads, air freight |
| Metal | Exempt | 50–150 lb (23–68 kg) | Some | Heavy, returnable |
| Slip sheet | Exempt | 1–5 lb (0.5–2 kg) | Flat | Container loads with push-pull trucks |
Weights are indicative ranges from supplier data and vary widely by model.
Export pallet sizes and containers
Container internal width is about 2.35 m (92.5 in). Footprints that divide it well waste less space:
| Footprint | Fits across a container | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1140 × 1140 mm (CP3, CP9) | 2 across (2280 mm) | Chemical exports |
| 1200 × 1000 mm | 2 across with the 1000 mm side across (2000 mm) | Europe, Asia |
| 45 × 45 in (1143 × 1143 mm) | 2 across | Common one-way plastic export size |
| 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm) | 2 across on the 40 in side | Leaves unused width |
| 1200 × 800 mm | Poor fit | Designed for European trailers |
The pallets per container guide and the pallets per truck calculator give counts for 20 ft and 40 ft containers.
How is a plastic export pallet built?
The pallet.design export template is a 45 × 45 in (1143 × 1143 mm) plastic pallet: open deck, nine feet, about 5 in (127 mm) high, recycled resin, nestable and one-way. Pallets like this are often compression-molded from recycled plastic and nest several to one, which saves return or inbound freight. Nine-foot bases take pallet jacks from all sides but are not rackable.
Pros and limits
| Option | Pros | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| HT wood | Cheap, any size, strong | Must be treated and marked; mould risk in containers if green |
| Nestable plastic | Exempt, light, clean, nests | Low racking capacity; costs more than wood per pallet |
| Presswood | Exempt, nests, no nails | Catalogue sizes only; not rackable |
| Paper | Exempt, very light | Moisture sensitive; low capacity |
Capacity and weight
Light export pallets trade capacity for weight. Nestable plastic and presswood models carry medium loads in dynamic use and are not rated for open-beam racking. If your consignee racks the pallets, confirm a racking rating at their beam span. Wood export pallets carry heavy loads but add weight to the freight bill. The manufacturer's rating is authoritative. See pallet load capacity.
What drives the cost?
- Material: HT wood is usually cheapest per pallet; plastic and metal cost more
- Heat treatment and certification for wood
- One-way loss: the pallet rarely comes back
- Freight saved by lighter pallets (air freight especially)
- Container fit (a better footprint puts more product in each box)
Specifying an export pallet for a quote
- Destination countries and any customer pallet specification
- Material: HT wood, plastic, presswood, paper, metal, or no preference
- ISPM 15 treatment and mark location (2 or 4 sides) for wood
- Footprint chosen for the container and consignee
- Load weight, stacking in the container, racking at destination
- One-way or returnable
- Moisture: kiln-dried wood to reduce mould risk in containers
- Quantity, cadence and delivery location
Related: ISPM 15, ISO pallet sizes, plastic pallets. The plastic export template shows a typical one-way export pallet; open it in the designer.
Drawing and parts listEdit in the design app
Export plastic 45×45 template, generated from the model. Every dimension is editable.
Pallet
- Type
- Plastic (molded)
- Footprint
- 45.00 × 45.00 in
- Overall height
- 5.00 in
- Classification
- 45.00 x 45.00 x 5.00, Plastic, Export, Open Deck, 9 Feet, 4-Way, Single-Use
Construction
- Style
- Export
- Deck / base
- Open deck, Feet9
- Max height
- 5.00 in (5)
- Resin
- Any, recycled
- Reinforcement
- If Required
- Anti-slip
- None
- Color / RFID
- Black
- Reference model
- Supplier to propose
- Ratings needed
- Supplier to state
Requirements
- Load
- 2,000 lb, uniform
- Handling
- forklift, pallet jack
- Racking
- Not racked
- Floor stack
- 1 high
- Use
- One-way / single-use
- Environment
- Standard
- ISPM-15
- Heat treated (HT) + mark
- Certified rating
- Not required
- Food contact / fire
- No / no listing
Order
- Quantity
- Not specified
- Ship to
- —
- Needed by
- —
Frequently asked questions
What makes a pallet suitable for export?
It must comply with ISPM 15 (treated and marked solid wood, or an exempt material), suit the container and the destination's handling equipment, and meet any customer specification such as EPAL or a retailer footprint.
Do plastic pallets need ISPM 15 for export?
No. ISPM 15 covers solid wood packaging. Plastic, metal, paper and processed wood such as presswood, plywood and OSB are exempt.
What pallet size is best for a shipping container?
It depends on the container and the load. 1200 × 1000 mm, 1140 × 1140 mm and 45 × 45 in footprints use a container's roughly 2.35 m (92.5 in) internal width better than 48 × 40 in. Use the pallets per container guide to compare.
Can I reuse a heat-treated pallet for export?
Yes, if it is intact and still carries a legible ISPM 15 mark. If it has been repaired or remanufactured, it must be re-treated and re-marked.
Is kiln-dried the same as heat-treated?
No. A KD stamp shows the lumber was dried; only the ISPM 15 mark with HT (or another approved treatment code) shows phytosanitary treatment. KD-HT means both.
Sources and references
Related
- StandardsISPM 15: the wood packaging standard for international shippingISPM 15 is the IPPC standard requiring solid-wood packaging, including pallets and dunnage, to be debarked, treated (HT, DH, MB or SF) and marked before crossing a border. Plywood, OSB, presswood, wood 6 mm thick or less, and plastic, metal and paper pallets are exempt.
- GuidesHeat-treated pallets (HT): what they are, when you need them, and costA heat-treated (HT) pallet's wood core was held at 56 °C (133 °F) for 30 minutes under ISPM 15, then stamped with the IPPC mark and HT. Most countries require it on wood pallets crossing their border. It adds roughly $1–3 per pallet (2026 US estimate) and kills pests; it does not dry the wood.
- GuidesHow many pallets fit in a 20 ft and 40 ft container?A 20 ft container fits 11 EUR pallets (1200 × 800 mm), 9 pallets of 1200 × 1000 mm and 9 to 10 US 48 × 40 pallets on the floor. A 40 ft or 40 ft high cube fits 23 to 25 EUR, 20 to 22 of 1200 × 1000 mm and 20 to 21 of 48 × 40. The inside width of 2.35 m (92.6 in) is what limits most layouts.
- GuidesPallet stamps and markings: HT, MB, DB, KD and what they meanMost wood pallet stamps are the ISPM 15 mark: IPPC wheat symbol, country code, facility number and treatment code. HT means heat-treated, DH dielectric heating, MB methyl bromide, SF sulfuryl fluoride. DB (debarked) and KD (kiln-dried) are older or separate marks. For reuse, pick HT and avoid MB.
- TypesPlastic pallets: types, materials, load ratings and how to buy themA plastic pallet is a molded or fabricated pallet made from HDPE or polypropylene. Types range from light nestable pallets (about 14–30 lb) to reinforced rackable pallets (about 35–70 lb). They are washable, ISPM 15 exempt and long-lived, cost several times more than wood, and carry three separate load ratings.
- TypesPresswood pallet: molded wood-fibre, nestable and ISPM 15 exemptA presswood pallet is a one-piece pallet molded from wood fibre and resin under heat and pressure. It has no nails, nests about 2.5:1 to 4:1, weighs roughly 25–35 lb (11–16 kg) in 48 × 40 class sizes and is ISPM 15 exempt as processed wood. It comes in fixed sizes and is not rackable.
- TypesPaper pallet: corrugated and honeycomb pallets explainedA paper pallet is made entirely from paper products: a corrugated or honeycomb paperboard deck on feet of paper tubes, honeycomb blocks or folded board. It is very light (from about 4 kg, 9 lb), recyclable and ISPM 15 exempt. Ratings reach about 750–1,000 kg, and humidity reduces strength.
- SizesISO pallet sizes: the six ISO 6780 footprintsISO 6780 lists six standard pallet footprints: 1200 × 800 mm (Europe), 1200 × 1000 mm (Europe, Asia), 1219 × 1016 mm or 48 × 40 in (North America), 1165 × 1165 mm (Australia), 1067 × 1067 mm or 42 × 42 in (North America, Europe, Asia) and 1100 × 1100 mm (Asia). There is no single world pallet size.
More in Special purpose
- TypesDisplay pallets: half (48 × 20) and quarter (24 × 20) palletsA display pallet is a small pallet that carries product straight onto a store floor as a ready-made display. North American sizes are the 48 × 20 in (1219 × 508 mm) half pallet and 24 × 20 in (610 × 508 mm) quarter pallet; in Europe, the 800 × 600 mm EPAL 6. Retailers set their own rules.
- TypesDrum pallet: 48 × 48 pallets for four 55-gallon drumsA drum pallet is a heavy-duty pallet sized to carry 55-gallon (208 L) drums, most often a 48 × 48 in (1219 × 1219 mm) square pallet holding four drums. It needs tight deckboard gaps so drum chimes cannot drop between boards, and extra stringers because four filled drums can weigh about 2,000 lb (900 kg) or more.
- TypesSpill pallet: sump capacity, drum counts and EPA containment rulesA spill pallet is a platform with a grated deck over a sump that catches leaks from drums or IBCs stored on it. Common four-drum models hold about 66 gal (250 L) and carry about 5,000–6,000 lb; IBC models hold about 385–400 gal. Sump size follows rules such as EPA 40 CFR 264.175.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 942 words.