Packing Declaration Generator
Declares the timber packaging and container cleanliness of a consignment — required for Australian and New Zealand biosecurity clearance.
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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.
About this document
A packing declaration tells quarantine authorities what your goods are packed in and how that packing was treated. It is about the packaging rather than the cargo: pallets, crates, dunnage and the container itself. Untreated timber carries pests, and that is what biosecurity agencies are looking for.
Timber packaging and ISPM 15
Solid wood packaging used in international trade generally must be heat treated or fumigated and stamped with the ISPM 15 mark. The declaration states whether timber was used and, if so, that it complies. Plywood, particle board and other processed materials are manufactured in ways that already destroy pests, so they are usually treated as compliant without the stamp.
Container cleanliness
Australia and New Zealand in particular ask whether the container is free of soil, plant material, seeds and pests. Containers that previously carried agricultural cargo are the usual problem. A container that fails inspection at destination is offloaded and cleaned at the importer's cost, and the delay is measured in days rather than hours.
Get it from whoever packed the goods
The declaration describes physical facts about the packing, so it should be made by whoever did the packing. Where a third-party warehouse or consolidator packed the container, ask them for the timber treatment details rather than assuming. Do not sign a declaration about packaging you never saw. That is the common way this goes wrong.
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Keep building your document set
- Commercial InvoiceGoods, values and payment details.
- Packing List — DetailedPackages, weights and dimensions.
- Certificate of OriginThe declared origin of your goods.
- Bill of LadingShipper, consignee and cargo details.
- Shipper's Letter of InstructionInstructions for your freight forwarder.
- Verified Gross Mass DeclarationThe verified weight of a packed container.
Questions
+What is ISPM 15?
An international standard for treating wood packaging so it does not carry pests. Compliant timber is heat treated or fumigated and marked with a stamp showing the country, the treatment and the facility. Most countries require it for solid wood packaging.
+Do I need a packing declaration if I use plastic pallets?
You may still need the declaration, but it will state that no timber packaging was used. Declaring the absence of timber is a valid and common answer, and it is often the quickest route through quarantine.
+Which countries require one?
Australia and New Zealand are the strictest and the ones exporters meet most often. Many other countries enforce ISPM 15 without requiring a separate declaration document, relying on the stamp itself.
+What happens if the declaration is wrong?
The container is typically held, inspected and, if untreated timber is found, fumigated or re-exported at the importer's cost. Because the charges land on the importer, this is a fast route to a commercial dispute as well as a delay.