Wood packaging import rules: Ethiopia

ISPM 15 on imports

Not confirmed

Enforced since

—

Treatments

Not confirmed; ISPM 15 methods (HT, MB, DH, SF)

Plant protection authority

Ministry of Agriculture – Plant Health Regulatory Directorate (Ethiopia)

Common pallet sizes

1200 × 1000 mm
1200 × 800 mm

Main ports

Djibouti (Doraleh/Damerjog, transit), Modjo dry port, Addis Ababa Bole (air), Moyale (land border)

Overview

Ethiopia's enforcement of ISPM 15 on imported wood packaging is unclear: I found no date or legal instrument and the country is absent from the Australian table of national implementation dates. Plant health regulation sits with the agriculture ministry's regulatory directorate, which issues import permits and inspects consignments at entry points. Ethiopia is landlocked and about 90 percent of its foreign trade moves through the port of Djibouti, mostly by road and the Addis Ababa–Djibouti railway; containers are cleared at inland points such as the Modjo dry port. Any wood packaging therefore passes through Djibouti first, then onward to Ethiopia, which in practice puts a premium on treated and marked wood. Imports include machinery, fertiliser, grain, vehicles and consumer goods from China, India, Turkey and the Gulf, mostly on 1200 × 1000 mm pallets when palletised, but much bulk cargo is bagged or loose and does not use pallets at all. Local industry produces wooden pallets from eucalyptus and other fast-growing timber, mainly for domestic use. No pooling scheme is known. Exporters should confirm requirements with the Ethiopian consignee before shipping and use ISPM 15-marked pallets by default.

Key points

• Landlocked: nearly all sea cargo comes in via Djibouti
• Not listed in the Australian implementation table
• Modjo dry port and Addis Ababa customs clear containers inland

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Australian Dept of Agriculture – ISPM 15 implementation dates by country
2. IPPC country page – Ethiopia

Import rules change. Confirm current requirements with the national plant protection organization or your importer before shipping. This page is general information, not legal advice.