Suspension of ISPM 15 Hyphen Requirement Ended December 31, 2025

The temporary suspension of the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM 15) hyphen requirement for the marking of wood packaging material (WPM) concluded on December 31, 2025.

Per the ISPM 15 regulations, WPM must be marked with the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) logo, the two-letter International Organization for Standardization (ISO) code for the country that treated the WPM, and the treatment facility number assigned by the national plant protection organization. The IPPC requires the ISO code and the treatment facility number to be separated by a hyphen (e.g., XX-000). CBP did not take regulatory action on shipments solely missing the hyphen after the country code since March 2025, but CBP will now implement the hyphen requirement as of December 31, 2025. All other ISPM 15 provisions have remained in effect during the suspension and will continue to be enforced.

Importers, trading partners, and wood packaging material manufacturers are encouraged to ensure markings are fully compliant with ISPM 15 Annex 2, including the required hyphen separating the two-letter country code from the producer code. This requirement is imperative to ensure compliance. See the above example.

Best Regards,

The Compliance Department
Thunderbolt Global Logistics, LLC