Pallets from South Korea

Wood packaging treated in South Korea should carry the IPPC mark with the country code KR, a producer or treatment-provider code issued by Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, and a treatment code such as HT. US goods imports from South Korea were $125.5 billion in 2025 (Census basis).

Document
CTY-009
Sheet
ISPM 15 by country
Last reviewed
Sources
5 cited
KRCountry code
HT, DH, MB or SFTreatment
$125.5 billionUS imports 2025

What the stamp should show

The mark is a bordered box with the IPPC symbol on the left. To its right: KR, a hyphen, the code Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency 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 South Korea rather than against a fixed pattern.

IPPC | KR-[producer code] | HT (layout only; the producer code is a placeholder)

Who authorises the mark in South Korea

The IPPC country page for South Korea lists the official contact point as Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, registered on 27 Mar 2026. That body, or the agency it delegates to, registers treatment providers and producers and polices use of the mark. Open the IPPC page for South Korea for current contact details.

US trade with South Korea

Most wood packaging arrives under goods, so goods trade is a rough guide to how much of it you may see. South Korea ranks 9th of the 60 countries on this site by 2025 US imports. Imports rose 32.0% between 2021 and 2025, and US exports to South Korea were $69.1 billion in 2025.

US goods trade with South Korea, USD millions
YearUS imports from South KoreaUS exports to South Korea
2021$95.1 billion$65.8 billion
2022$115.3 billion$72 billion
2023$116.3 billion$64.9 billion
2024$131.5 billion$65.8 billion
2025$125.5 billion$69.1 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 South Korea 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 South Korea are yours to reuse, sell or recycle, unless they belong to a rental pool.

Sources

Last reviewed . Figures come from these publications; follow the links for the current versions.

  1. ISPM 15, Regulation of wood packaging material in international trade (adopted 2018, published 2019), IPPC Secretariat / FAO
  2. U.S. trade in goods by country (country.xlsx), U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Division
  3. IPPC country pages, International Plant Protection Convention
  4. 7 CFR 319.40-3, general permits; regulated wood packaging material, eCFR, US Government Publishing Office
  5. D-98-08: Entry requirements for wood packaging material into Canada (11th version, effective 2026-04-01), Canadian Food Inspection Agency

What do you need to do with them?

Pick one. Each form takes about a minute and goes to one partner, not a list of dealers.