Malaysian exporters have been advised to start treating their wooden pallets to meet international plant health regulations or risk having their goods rejected.
The agriculture department’s crop protection and plant quarantine division says manufacturers and exporters have been told to meet the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) 15.
Markets including the EU have already adopted ISPM 15, which requires timber pallets and packaging imports to be either fumigated or heat-treated to protect against the spread of forests pests.
The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers said pallet prices had already grown from between M$16-25 to about M$48 each because of the cost of treatment.
Malaysia intends to adopt the standard next year.
