How to fill out a packing declaration
A packing declaration describes what your goods are packed in, not what they are. Australian and New Zealand biosecurity use it to decide whether a container needs inspection, and it follows the crate rather than the contents — which is why exporters of packaged goods that contain no timber at all still have to file one.
The 15 fields on a packing declaration
Taken from the document itself, in the order it prints them.
- Document No.
- Date
- PO Reference
- Shipper / Exporter
The company declaring. Where a third party packed the goods, you are still the one certifying, so get their statement before making yours.
- Consignee
- Invoice No.
Ties the declaration to the consignment. An unattached declaration cannot be matched to a container.
- B/L / AWB No.
The transport document. Biosecurity works from the container and the bill, so this is how they find the box this refers to.
- Container No.
The specific box being declared. On a multi-container shipment each needs covering, because each is inspected separately.
- Reference
The ISPM 15 treatment certificate reference where timber is present, or the treatment provider's mark. It is the evidence behind the claim.
- Country of Origin
Of the packaging, not necessarily of the goods. Timber sourced in one country and used to crate goods made in another is assessed on where the timber came from.
- Name
A named person able to bind the company, not a role.
- Title
- Company
On letterhead. Biosecurity authorities reject unheaded declarations as a matter of course.
- Place
- Date
A working packing declaration, prefilled with a sample shipment. Every field above is editable here, and it downloads as a PDF.
We declare that any solid wood packing material used in this consignment, shipped in container , has been treated and marked in accordance with ISPM 15, is bark free, and is free from live pests, soil, plant and animal material.
We further declare that the container and its contents are free from soil, seeds, plant residue, animal material and any other quarantine-risk contamination, and that the container was inspected and found clean prior to packing.
Your entries are kept as you move between documents: the parties, ports, container and line items all carry across.
Declare the absence of timber too
This is the part exporters skip. The declaration is not only for stating that timber has been treated — declaring that no solid timber packaging is present is what stops the container being held while somebody inspects packaging that does not exist. A blank declaration reads as an unanswered question, and unanswered questions get inspected.
ISPM 15 covers the crate, not the cargo
Solid wood packaging in international trade must be heat-treated or fumigated and marked with the IPPC stamp — the wheat symbol, country code, producer code and treatment code. Plywood, particleboard and processed timber are generally exempt because manufacturing already destroys pests. Pallets are the commonest thing people forget, since they are frequently supplied rather than bought.
Container cleanliness is part of it
Australian and New Zealand requirements extend to the container itself — soil, plant material, seeds, insect contamination. A box that carried agricultural goods on its previous voyage is a genuine risk, and declaring cleanliness means somebody has actually looked rather than assumed.
+Do I need one if my packaging is all plastic?
Yes, and say so on the declaration. Declaring the absence is what prevents a hold; leaving the document out entirely does not.
+Who does the ISPM 15 treatment?
An accredited treatment provider, who applies the IPPC mark to the timber. You do not self-certify treatment — you declare that treated and marked timber was used.
+Are pallets covered?
Yes, and they are the most commonly overlooked item, because they are often supplied by a warehouse rather than bought with the packaging.
+What happens if the declaration is wrong?
The container is held for inspection at your cost, and repeated failures can lead to a consignment being treated, re-exported or destroyed.
Judge it by the document, not the feature list.
Everything above is already on the form. Fill it in and download the PDF — no account needed.
Open the packing declaration generator