Can a used crate ship export

The short rule

Reusing a crate overseas is allowed in principle: ISPM 15 regulates the wood and its mark, not whether the crate is new. If the lumber is treated, marked and in good condition, the crate can go. In practice, many used crates have lost the mark, been repaired, or been cut down, and each of those changes the answer.

The reliable test is the stamp. Look at every solid-wood member. If the IPPC symbol, code and treatment are readable and the wood is in the state it was in when stamped, the mark still counts. If any member is unmarked, the whole crate has a gap an inspector can find.

Repairs and the re-stamping rule

NELMA's rule is that a remanufacturer must re-stamp each component with its own agency-issued HT stamp. In plain terms, a crate that has been repaired or rebuilt carries a stamp for the work done, and new boards added to a crate are not covered by the old crate's mark.

That is why we never promise a treatment mark on a used crate before we see it. A replaced board needs its own HT mark, applied by a facility in the program. Whether a given crate can be brought into compliance depends on what is on it, what is missing and how much of it has to change. That question goes to the quote.

Checks before reusing a crate

Use the sequence below on a crate you intend to reuse. A crate that fails any step is not ready to ship export as it stands.

1. 01
   Inspect every member

   Check skid, runners, cleats and any solid boards for splits, rot, insect holes and bark.

2. 02
   Find the stamps

   Locate the ISPM 15 mark on each lumber member. Note which are missing or faded.

3. 03
   List the repairs

   Identify any boards that are newer than the rest, or that were nailed on after the crate was first built.

4. 04
   Check the fit

   Compare the crate's inside dimensions with the load, including blocking room.

5. 05
   Check the strength

   Make sure the skid and floor are rated for the load's gross weight, not the weight the crate carried before.

6. 06
   Ask the destination

   Confirm the destination authority's rule for reused packaging with APHIS or your importer.

Condition matters as much as the mark

A crate can have a good stamp and still be the wrong crate. Used lumber may have dried, split or been nailed many times, and old nail holes weaken a board. A skid that carried a light load once may not carry a heavy one now.

Inspectors also look for signs of pests, such as exit holes and frass, and for bark. Wood with those signs can be refused whatever the stamp says. A crate that has spent time outdoors needs a closer look than one that came out of a warehouse.

When a new crate is the safer buy

A new HT crate is the safer buy when the load is heavy, valuable or going to a destination you have not shipped to before. A new crate is sized to the load, carries fresh stamps and costs you no time chasing marks. A used crate is attractive when the load and the lane are routine and the crate is clean and complete.

Send us photos of the crate, the stamps and the load's inside dimensions and gross weight. We will say whether it can be reused, what it would need, or whether a new build is the better answer. See the used crates page for what we have on hand.

What to send for a used crate assessment

A short photo set lets an estimator answer quickly. Send one picture of each side, a close view of every stamp, a close view of any repaired area, the underside of the skid and the top. Add a tape measure in the frame for scale, and the inside dimensions you measured with a pen mark at each end.

Include the gross weight of the load you intend to put in it, the destination country, and the date you need the crate. Say whether the crate has carried freight before and what it held, since a crate that held a leaking drum may hold residues that nobody wants in a container. We reply with a written assessment and a quote for whatever repairs or replacements the crate needs.

Cleaning, odour and previous contents

A reused crate carries its history. Oil stains, chemical residue, spilled grain and old labels can all upset an inspector or contaminate a new load. Check the floor and the corners where debris collects, sweep it out and look for staining that indicates a leak. Plant-health officers pay close attention to soil, seeds and insect evidence, so a crate that held agricultural goods needs a harder look.

Old markings should be painted out or removed so that no misleading consignee, weight or hazard symbol remains. Stencils from an earlier shipment, still readable beside the new ones, are a cheap way to cause a misdelivery.