A new UN wood export packing guide has been published for developing countries who intend to send timber pallets, cases or crates to the EU.
The 78-page manual, written by PalletLink director John Harvey, is billed as the most comprehensive single source of wood export packing and pallet requirements. It includes new areas unfamiliar to the wood packaging industry, such as tables on wood pallet energy consumption.
The publication contains EU limits on heavy metals in wood, CEN nail strength requirements, ISO minimum fork truck access height, as well as guidance on moisture problems, styles of pallets and cases, plus special requirements for foodstuffs.
Mr Harvey said the section on wood phytosanitary requirements is already dated so PalletLink has devised a loose leaf “Phytosanitary Companion” which contains details of requirements by non ISPM 15 countries such as Brazil. The companion is available from High Wycombe-based PalletLink.
The packing guide is published by the International Trade Centre, a technical co-operation agency of the UN Conference on Trading Development and the World Trade Organisation.
