Guide
Customs basics for pallet users
Packaging usually travels quietly in the background of a customs declaration — until an inspection asks about the timber. Understanding where pallets sit in the paperwork saves a lot of time later.
Reviewed 10 September 2026.
Illustrative stock photography — not our stock or a specific size, grade or treatment. Photograph by PedaltotheStock (Envato Elements).
Goods and packaging are described separately
Customs processes describe what is being moved, its value, origin and classification. Wood packaging requirements sit alongside that as a plant health matter, administered separately and enforced on the packaging itself. A consignment can be entirely correct on the customs side and still be stopped over its pallets.
That separation is why the answer to 'is my pallet OK?' rarely comes from the same person who prepares your declaration — and why both need asking.
Where pallets commonly cause delay
- Unmarked or illegibly marked timber on a movement that requires marking.
- Repaired pallets whose treatment status cannot be evidenced.
- Mixed loads where some pallets are marked and others are not.
- Assumptions carried over from a previous route with different requirements.
- Packaging material described inaccurately, for example presswood recorded as solid timber.
Building it into your process
Treat packaging as a line in your pre-despatch checks with a named owner, in the same way as the commercial invoice. Record what was checked, against which source, and on what date. If a query arrives weeks later, that record is the difference between a quick answer and an expensive one.
Your forwarder, customs agent and the official guidance are the authorities here. This page is general information and not advice on your declarations.
General information only, reviewed on the date above. It is not legal, customs or phytosanitary advice and does not confirm that any pallet or consignment is compliant. Always check the official source for your own movement.