What the stamp should show
The mark is a bordered box with the IPPC symbol on the left. To its right: CR, a hyphen, the code Servicio Fitosanitario del Estado, Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería gave the producer or treatment provider, and the treatment code. Producer code formats differ by country, so check the shape of the code against other marks from Costa Rica rather than against a fixed pattern.
IPPC | CR-[producer code] | HT (layout only; the producer code is a placeholder)
Who authorises the mark in Costa Rica
The IPPC country page for Costa Rica lists the official contact point as Servicio Fitosanitario del Estado, Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, registered on 17 Sep 2021. That body, or the agency it delegates to, registers treatment providers and producers and polices use of the mark. Open the IPPC page for Costa Rica for current contact details.
US trade with Costa Rica
Most wood packaging arrives under goods, so goods trade is a rough guide to how much of it you may see. Costa Rica ranks 33rd of the 60 countries on this site by 2025 US imports. Imports rose 112.7% between 2021 and 2025, and US exports to Costa Rica were $10.2 billion in 2025.
| Year | US imports from Costa Rica | US exports to Costa Rica |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $6.5 billion | $7.4 billion |
| 2022 | $8.7 billion | $9.2 billion |
| 2023 | $10.5 billion | $9.1 billion |
| 2024 | $11.6 billion | $9.6 billion |
| 2025 | $13.9 billion | $10.2 billion |
U.S. trade in goods by country, annual totals, USD millions, not seasonally adjusted (Census basis). Source: US Census Bureau, trade in goods by country.
On arrival in the US or Canada
Wood packaging from Costa Rica entering the United States is regulated under 7 CFR 319.40-3; entering Canada, under CFIA directive D-98-08. Both rely on the ISPM 15 treatment and mark. Once the goods are unpacked, surplus pallets from Costa Rica are yours to reuse, sell or recycle, unless they belong to a rental pool.