Import rules by market

Who must act

Operators placing wood products on the EU market or exporting them, and large traders. Product coverage is defined by customs codes in Annex I.

Role of certification

Certification (FSC, PEFC) may be used as supporting information in the risk assessment but does not satisfy the obligation by itself.

Core requirements

• Products must be deforestation-free (no deforestation after 31 December 2020) and legally produced
• Geolocation of all production plots; polygons for plots over 4 ha
• Risk assessment and mitigation documented before placing on the market
• Due diligence statement submitted via the EU information system and referenced at customs
• Records retained for five years

Hardwood-specific notes

Tropical hardwoods and any species from high-risk benchmark countries face heightened scrutiny. Ask suppliers for plot geolocation before contracting, not at shipment.

Who must act

Importers of record (or their agents) for covered plant products; the legality prohibition applies to anyone trading the product.

Role of certification

Certification is evidence of due care, not a safe harbour. The prohibition is strict-liability for forfeiture of goods.

Core requirements

• Do not import, trade or possess plant products harvested or traded in violation of any US, state, tribal or foreign law
• File a declaration with scientific name(s), country of harvest, quantity and value for covered HTS codes
• Exercise “due care” proportionate to risk—there is no statutory due-diligence checklist
• Retain supporting records; correct declarations promptly

Hardwood-specific notes

Composite and mixed-species products need every species declared. Trade names are not acceptable in place of scientific names.

Who must act

Operators first placing timber or timber products on the GB market, and traders further down the chain (record-keeping).

Role of certification

Certification and legality verification can support risk assessment; the operator remains responsible for the conclusion.

Core requirements

• Prohibition on placing illegally harvested timber on the market
• Documented due diligence system: information gathering, risk assessment, risk mitigation
• Traders must keep records of suppliers and customers
• Enforcement by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS)

Hardwood-specific notes

Northern Ireland follows the EU rules, so goods moving to NI will fall under the EUDR on its application dates.

Who must act

Importers of regulated timber products and domestic processors of raw logs.

Role of certification

The Rules recognise certain certification schemes and Country/State Specific Guidelines as inputs to the risk assessment, not as automatic compliance.

Core requirements

• Prohibition on importing or processing illegally logged timber
• Due diligence before import: information gathering, risk assessment, mitigation
• Notice of due diligence at the time of import declaration
• Records retained; regulator may require timber identification testing

Hardwood-specific notes

Merbau, teak and other Southeast Asian and Pacific hardwoods have been enforcement priorities.

Who must act

Wood-related business entities, with the strongest duties on importers and first-stage domestic processors.

Role of certification

Certification is one accepted form of evidence in the confirmation process.

Core requirements

• Confirm legality of harvest for wood handled
• Retain records and pass legality information downstream
• Registration as a “registered wood-related business entity” remains available

Hardwood-specific notes

Japan is a major market for Southeast Asian and North American hardwoods; expect requests for harvest-country legality documents.

Who must act

Importers of covered timber products.

Role of certification

FSC and PEFC certificates are among the recognised evidence types.

Core requirements

• Submit proof of legal harvest (e.g. harvest permits, certification, or documents recognised by the Korea Forest Service)
• Pre-import inspection of legality documents
• Retain records

Hardwood-specific notes

Confirm which document type the Korea Forest Service accepts for your exporting country before shipment.

Who must act

Anyone exporting, re-exporting or importing listed species across borders, in the product forms covered by the annotation.

Role of certification

Certification does not replace CITES permits. A certified supplier still needs valid permits for listed species.

Core requirements

• Export permit from the exporting country’s Management Authority
• Import permit for Appendix I; some countries (EU) also require import permits for Appendix II
• Permits must match the shipment—species, quantity, product form
• Check annotations: many listings cover logs, sawn wood and veneer but exempt finished products

Hardwood-specific notes

Listed hardwoods in this library: genuine mahogany, African mahogany, afrormosia, bubinga, Spanish cedar, ipe, cumaru, cocobolo (and all rosewoods).