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Find the wood before you ask for a certificate
Start with the physical packaging. List every pallet, crate, case, skid, bearer, block, brace and piece of dunnage used to support the goods. “No timber in the product” does not answer whether timber surrounds it.
Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry separates packaging by material and use. Packaging that supports other goods follows the current BICON non-commodity pathway; packaging imported as the commodity follows a different case. Check the live pathway for the actual consignment before relying on a supplier’s previous shipment.
The control has four parts: identify the material, confirm the applicable BICON pathway, verify the treatment or processing evidence, and reconcile it with what was actually loaded.
Separate processed material, solid timber and bamboo
Do not use “wooden” as one category.
| Material observed | Initial classification question | Evidence to request |
|---|---|---|
| Plywood, veneer or reconstituted board | Was it sufficiently processed and is it clean and free of solid wood, bark and soil? | Material specification and clear photos of edges and construction |
| Solid-timber pallet, crate or brace | Does the current BICON pathway accept the treatment/ISPM 15 evidence for this movement? | Legible marks, treatment details and packing records |
| Bamboo or mixed bamboo/timber | What separate BICON treatment and declaration conditions apply? | Exact material statement and current treatment evidence |
| Unidentified or reused dunnage | Can the packer establish material, cleanliness and treatment? | Quarantine the packaging decision until resolved |
DAFF identifies sufficiently processed plywood, veneer and reconstituted products as lower-risk materials when the stated conditions are met. Solid timber and bamboo are not interchangeable: DAFF’s non-commodity policy says an ISPM 15 statement is not acceptable evidence for bamboo packaging.
Read the live BICON pathway
Use the BICON workflow for the goods and the non-commodity packaging. Record:
- the case and pathway selected;
- the effective date and retrieval time;
- cargo mode and packaging use;
- materials present;
- treatment, mark and documentary conditions; and
- unresolved questions sent to the broker or DAFF.
A screenshot or old broker email is not a permanent rule. Conditions can change, and the pathway depends on the facts selected.
Verify the mark as physical evidence
For in-scope solid-timber packaging, ask the supplier for wide and close photographs before loading. The wide image connects the marked pallet or crate to the goods; the close image makes the mark readable.
Check that:
- the mark is on the actual packaging, not a sample photograph;
- the country, producer/treatment-provider and treatment codes are legible;
- the packaging is free from visible bark, soil, insects and contamination;
- all solid-timber pieces, including braces and blocks, are included in the check; and
- the photos can be linked to the purchase order, package IDs and packing date.
A supplier statement that timber was “fumigated” is not the same as evidence that the current Australian conditions are met. Do not invent or repair an unreadable mark in an image.
Reconcile documents with the loaded cargo
The Australian packing declaration is a separate document gate. Compare its timber/bamboo answers with:
- the factory packaging specification;
- pallet and crate material records;
- treatment and mark photographs;
- loading-check images;
- packing-list package descriptions; and
- the current BICON evidence requirement.
If photographs show solid timber while the declaration says none was used, stop. Correct the underlying fact and have the eligible issuer reissue the declaration; do not silently edit the document.
Build the factory instruction around evidence
The packaging specification should say more than “use export pallet”. Specify the allowed material, cleanliness, treatment/mark requirement, photograph angles, package identification and the point at which OPL or the importer must approve evidence.
For reusable or mixed-material packaging, require the supplier to identify every changed component. A compliant pallet does not cure an unverified solid-timber brace added at the loading bay.
Stop defects before the container closes
Hold loading when:
- material cannot be identified;
- a required mark is absent, illegible or disconnected from the cargo;
- bamboo is supported only by an ISPM 15 statement;
- the BICON pathway or treatment evidence is unresolved;
- packaging is visibly contaminated; or
- the packing declaration contradicts the physical evidence.
DAFF states that non-compliant solid-timber packaging may require treatment in Australia or may be exported or disposed of at the importer’s expense. Pre-shipment replacement is therefore a commercial control as well as a documentation exercise.
Final timber-packaging release check
Before approving shipment, confirm the current BICON case, actual material, visible condition, treatment/mark evidence, document wording and package-to-photo link. Send the final pack to the customs broker early enough for questions to be resolved before arrival.
The objective is not to collect an ISPM 15 image. It is to prove that the packaging physically used for this cargo matches the current Australian pathway and the documents on which clearance will rely.