Methyl bromide (MB)
Also called: MB, methyl bromide fumigation, MB treatment
Methyl bromide (MB) is a fumigant gas approved under ISPM 15 for treating wood packaging, marked with the code MB. It depletes the ozone layer, ISPM 15 encourages alternatives, and the EU has prohibited its use since March 2010 except in emergencies.
In depth: ISPM 15: the wood packaging standard for international shipping
Fumigation with methyl bromide was one of the original ISPM 15 treatments. Heat treatment has largely replaced it for pallets.
ISPM 15 rules for MB
| Rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Mark code | MB |
| Maximum wood size | No piece over 20 cm in cross-section at its smallest dimension |
| Bark | Must be removed before treatment |
| Temperature and time | Wood and air at least 10 °C; at least 24 hours of exposure |
| Dosage | Minimum concentration-time product per ISPM 15 Annex 1 |
| Policy | NPPOs are encouraged to promote alternative treatments |
Why it is being phased out
Methyl bromide is an ozone-depleting substance controlled under the Montreal Protocol. Quarantine and pre-shipment uses were exempted there, but ISPM 15 points users to the IPPC recommendation on replacing or reducing MB. The EU banned MB use from 18 March 2010 under Regulation (EC) No 1005/2009, apart from tightly limited emergency uses. Other countries restrict it to varying degrees.
Why it matters
MB-marked pallets are still valid under ISPM 15 where the treatment is accepted, but many shippers and customers now require HT, which uses no chemicals. Check the destination country's current rules.
On a spec sheet or RFQ
Specify HT (or DH) unless you have a reason to accept MB. If you receive MB-marked pallets, check that your customers accept them.
Common confusions
An MB mark does not mean a pallet is currently toxic, and an HT mark does not mean it is chemically clean. Each certifies only that the approved treatment was applied.
Related
- GlossaryWhat is ISPM 15?ISPM 15 is the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) standard for wood packaging material in international trade. It requires pallets, crates and dunnage made of solid wood to be debarked, treated by an approved method such as heat treatment (56 °C core for 30 minutes), and marked with the IPPC mark.
- GlossaryWhat is heat treatment (HT) for pallets?Heat treatment (HT) is the ISPM 15 method of heating wood packaging until the whole profile of the wood, including its core, reaches at least 56 °C for 30 continuous minutes. Treated pallets carry the IPPC mark with the code HT.
- GlossaryIPPC markThe IPPC mark is the stamp that shows wood packaging was treated under ISPM 15. It contains the IPPC symbol, a two-letter ISO country code, a producer or treatment provider code assigned by the national plant protection organization, and a treatment code (HT, DH, MB or SF), inside a border.
- 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.
- 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.
More in Standards and compliance
- GlossaryCP palletCP pallets (chemical pallets) are a family of nine standardized wood block pallets, CP1 to CP9, developed for the European chemical and plastics industries. Each type has a defined size and construction for loads such as bagged polymer, drums and bulk containers.
- GlossaryDebarked lumberDebarked lumber is wood from which the bark has been removed. ISPM 15 requires all treated wood packaging to be made of debarked wood, allowing only small pieces of bark: under 3 cm wide of any length, or wider pieces with a surface area under 50 cm² each.
- GlossaryDielectric heating (DH)Dielectric heating (DH) is an ISPM 15 treatment that heats wood packaging with microwaves or radio waves until the entire profile of the wood, including its surface, reaches at least 60 °C for 1 continuous minute. Treated wood is marked with the code DH.
- GlossaryEPALEPAL (European Pallet Association e.V.) is the organization that licenses manufacturers and repairers of EPAL Euro pallets and other EPAL load carriers and controls their quality. The EPAL 1 Euro pallet is a 1200 × 800 × 144 mm block pallet used in open pallet exchange across Europe.
- GlossaryFSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act)FSMA is the US Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011. Under its Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food rule (21 CFR Part 1, Subpart O), pallets are transportation equipment and must be designed and maintained so they are suitable and adequately cleanable, and do not make food unsafe.
- GlossaryGMAGMA stands for the Grocery Manufacturers Association (now the Consumer Brands Association), whose name became attached to the standard 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm) US grocery pallet: a partial four-way wood stringer pallet with three notched stringers, seven top and five bottom deckboards.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 271 words.