Insight
PET Strap for Export Containers: What It Can and Cannot Do
Strap turns a stack of cartons into one unit. Keeping that unit still inside a box at sea is a separate job, and the international packing code treats them differently.
Published 26 October 2026 · By Ranjeet Kumar, Proprietor, Solution Enterprises
Short answer: PET strap is a good choice for unitising export pallets because it does not rust, keeps its tension through a long voyage and recovers after shocks. But strap only holds the pallet together. The IMO/ILO/UNECE CTU Code calls bundling and strapping an auxiliary measure that should always be combined with blocking, lashing or friction securing inside the container.
Most supplier pages say “ideal for export” and stop there. This article separates the two jobs, explains what changes on a sea leg, and gives a short checklist for the loading bay.
Two jobs, often confused
- Unitising. Holding cartons, sheets or bundles to each other and to the pallet so the whole load moves as one piece. This is where PET strap, edge protectors and stretch film do their work.
- Securing in the container. Stopping that unit sliding, tipping or racking when the ship rolls or the truck brakes. The CTU Code lists three ways: direct securing (blocking, lashings, shores), friction securing (tie-down lashings that press the load onto the floor), and compacting (bundling, strapping, wrapping). Only the first two actually restrain the cargo against the container.
One detail in the Code is worth knowing. Its table of maximum securing loads covers shackles, fibre ropes, web lashings, wire ropes, steel band and chains. Plastic strap is not on it. So treat PET strap as a unitising material, and use rated lashings, dunnage and airbags for securing unless your supplier gives you a rated system with figures.
Why PET suits the sea leg
A closed container on a long voyage builds up its own climate. The CTU Code’s annex on condensation describes moisture coming from the cargo, timber dunnage, pallets and packaging, and warns that above about 40% relative humidity the risk of corrosion on ferrous metal starts to rise. That is the case against steel strap on painted or bright goods: rust stains. PET does not corrode.
The second reason is movement. Loads settle over weeks of vibration. PET stretches a little and recovers, so it keeps more of its grip than PP, which slackens. Our PET vs PP strap comparison explains the difference in detail.
Corners: where strap and cargo both get damaged
The CTU Code is direct about this: lashing strength figures assume smooth or smoothed edges, sharp edges and corners reduce them substantially, and edge protectors should be used wherever practicable. The same logic applies to strap on a pallet. A paper angle board under every strap crossing protects the carton edge and the strap, and a full-height board also adds column strength when pallets are stacked. Sizes are covered in how to choose edge protector size.
Monsoon loading and port dwell
The CTU Code names packing a container during rain, or in hot and very humid air, as one of the ways moisture gets sealed in with the cargo. In much of India that describes three or four months of the year. Strap is not the weak point here, but the cartons, paper and timber it holds are. A few habits help:
- Store strap rolls, edge protectors and pallets indoors and off the floor until they are used.
- Strap and wrap pallets under cover, and stuff the container under cover or in a dry spell.
- If pallets wait in the open at a CFS or port, ask for UV-stabilised strap and protect the tops of the loads.
- Check strap tension again before stuffing if pallets have stood for days. Cartons that took up moisture may have softened and settled under the band.
Our guide to packaging for the monsoon season covers the cartons and paper side in more detail.
What to strap, and how, for a container
| Load | Strapping approach | Securing in the box |
|---|---|---|
| Cartons | Strap through the pallet both ways, edge protectors at crossings, film for dust | Tight stow, fill gaps, airbags or dunnage at the door end |
| Sheets, panels | Several bands along the length, edge protectors on both long edges | Block against the end wall; lash if the stack is tall |
| Coils, drums | Band each unit to its pallet or cradle | Chock and lash to container lashing points |
| Machinery | Strap only loose parts; the machine needs lashings | Rated lashings with a securing plan |
Pre-stuffing checklist for an Indian exporter
- Strap width and thickness chosen for the pallet weight, with margin for the joint, not just the strap.
- Every strap passes through the pallet, not only around the cartons.
- Edge protectors under every crossing, and full height where pallets will be double-stacked.
- Seals or welds checked on each pallet before the forklift moves it.
- Pallets and dunnage dry; do not stuff in rain. Timber dunnage must meet the destination’s wood rules (see ISPM 15 explained). Paper pallets and PET strap are not wood.
- Load spread evenly over the floor, heaviest at the bottom, no gaps left for pallets to gather speed.
- A securing plan for the container itself: blocking, lashings, airbags.
To estimate how many pallets fit before you plan the securing, try the container load calculator.
Common questions
Is the CTU Code mandatory?
No. It is a non-mandatory code of practice from IMO, ILO and UNECE, published by IMO as MSC.1/Circ.1497 in December 2014. Carriers, insurers and surveyors use it as the reference for good packing.
Can I lash a pallet to the container with PET strap?
Only if the strap, the joint and the anchor points come as a rated system with a known securing load. Ordinary pallet strap is for unitising.
Does PET strap weaken in a hot container?
Ask your supplier for the strap’s working temperature range and whether it is UV-stabilised if pallets wait in the open at port.
We make PET strap and paper angle boards for export pallets. Share your load and route on the PET strap page or through request a quote.
Sources
- IMO / ILO / UNECE, Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units (CTU Code), MSC.1/Circ.1497, 16 December 2014 — Annex 7 sections 2.4.2–2.4.3 (securing loads, edge protectors), 4.1.3 and 4.2.2 (securing principles; strapping as auxiliary); Annex 3 (condensation, corrosion threshold); overpack and unit-load definitions.
- FIATA, via Heavy Lift & Project Forwarding International, CTU Code takes leap forward — non-mandatory status.
- Teufelberger, PET straps product page — corrosion resistance and elongation recovery.
General guidance, not a securing plan. For heavy, tall or unusual cargo, have the container securing designed by your forwarder or a cargo surveyor.
Send us your load, not just your enquiry
Pallet size, stack height, monthly quantity and where it ships. That is enough for us to specify the board and quote it — usually the same working day.