Wooden pallets to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan: ISPM 15 mark instead of a phytosanitary certificate from 28 October 2026

In short. Pallets, crates and dunnage (heading 4415) that carry the ISPM 15 / IPPC mark confirming heat treatment or fumigation cross the EAEU border — into Kazakhstan, and in transit to Uzbekistan — without a phytosanitary certificate since 28 October 2026. Unmarked wood still needs a certificate or re-palletising. The goods themselves — coffee, seeds, timber, grain, fresh fruit and vegetables, feed — need a phytosanitary certificate exactly as before. INFOBETA is in the Lithuanian phytosanitary register (code 008763), issues the certificate itself through the VATIS system and checks the marking at the Vilnius warehouse before loading.

What exactly changed on 28 October 2026

The Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission adopted Decision No. 102 on 9 September 2026 — “on the abolition of the phytosanitary certificate for marked wooden packaging”. It adds a note to the EAEU list of quarantine-regulated products: for marked wooden packaging and fastening materials the mandatory phytosanitary certificate is abolished. The decision applies from 28 October 2026.

Two conditions must both be met. First, the marking must be in one of the forms set out in the Unified Quarantine Phytosanitary Requirements of the EAEU (EEC Council Decision No. 157 of 30 November 2016). Second, the marking must confirm that the wood was treated by heat throughout its thickness or by fumigation. In practice this is the familiar ISPM 15 stamp — the international standard for wood packaging material in trade.

Until now a shipper had a choice at the EAEU border: either a marked pallet or a phytosanitary certificate for the packaging. From now on a correct mark is sufficient and the certificate for the packaging is no longer requested.

What the ISPM 15 mark looks like

The ISPM 15 (IPPC) mark is a stamp or brand on the wood: the IPPC “wheat ear” symbol, the two-letter country code, the registration number of the producer or treatment provider, and the treatment code — HT for heat treatment or MB for methyl bromide fumigation. The standard requires the mark on at least two opposite sides of the pallet or crate; it has to be legible and must not be painted over or covered by a label.

Fastening materials count too: dunnage, wedges, timber used to brace machinery inside a truck. If they are not marked, they are treated like any other untreated wood.

A practical check takes a minute: look at both long sides of the pallet. If there is no stamp, or the stamp is unreadable, treat the pallet as unmarked and tell us before the cargo leaves the supplier.

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan: where the new rule applies

Kazakhstan is a member of the EAEU. Trucks from Vilnius enter the union at the Kazakh crossings Petukhovo–Zhana Zhol, Troitsk–Kairak or Sagarchin–Zhaisan, and that is where the packaging is checked. With a correct ISPM 15 mark the truck continues to Almaty, Astana or Shymkent without a certificate for the pallets.

Uzbekistan is not an EAEU member. Cargo to Tashkent crosses the EAEU external border in transit through Kazakhstan, so the same exemption applies there, and then it is cleared for import in Uzbekistan — at the border or at the customs post of destination. The packaging requirements of the Uzbek side are agreed with the consignee’s broker in Tashkent before the truck leaves Vilnius, together with the contract, invoice and conformity certificate where required.

For the southern route via Türkiye, Georgia, Baku and Aktau the cargo also enters the EAEU in Kazakhstan, so the same logic applies at Aktau.

What still needs a phytosanitary certificate

Three things have not changed. First, unmarked wooden pallets, crates and dunnage still need a phytosanitary certificate — or the cargo is re-palletised onto marked pallets at the warehouse in Vilnius. Second, the certificate for the goods is required exactly as before under EAEU Decision No. 318: coffee, seeds, plant extracts, timber and products made of wood, grain, seedlings and flowers, fresh fruit and vegetables, feed and other products of plant origin.

Third, veterinary certificates under Decision No. 317 — cheese, confectionery fats, animal feed and other products of animal origin — are a separate matter and are issued by the Lithuanian State Food and Veterinary Service (VMVT).

INFOBETA is registered in the Lithuanian phytosanitary register (code 008763) and issues phytosanitary certificates itself through the VATIS system, without an intermediary — both for goods and, where still needed, for packaging. The certificate is prepared in Lithuania before departure.

What we check in Vilnius before loading

Consolidated cargo is received at the partner warehouses in Vilnius, checked and photographed; the pallets are inspected for the IPPC mark at the same time. If the mark is missing or unreadable we contact the shipper on the same day and offer two options: a phytosanitary certificate issued before departure, or re-palletising onto marked pallets at the warehouse. Repacking at the warehouse is a separate item in the quote, so it is best to tell us about the packaging already at the enquiry stage.

In parallel the HS code of the goods is checked against EU Regulations 765/2006 and 833/2014, the counter-lists of Russia and Belarus, the EAEU veterinary and phytosanitary lists and the dual-use list — the free HS code check shows the result instantly. EX, T1 and CMR are prepared in Lithuania; a fixed price follows within 24 hours of receiving the packing list and HS codes.