How to Avoid Illegally Sourced Plywood: A Guide for Responsible Buyers

Illegally harvested plywood particularly from regions under sanctions or with weak forestry oversight can enter global markets through complex re-export schemes. These products often come with falsified documentation or mislabeled countries of origin. When used unknowingly, they pose risks to importers, including reputational damage, legal consequences, and project delays due to non-compliance.

Markets such as the EU, US, and UAE are increasingly tightening regulations around timber traceability. The EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) and the US Lacey Act require importers to conduct due diligence to ensure wood products are legal. A 2023 report by Earthsight found that up to 20% of birch plywood entering the EU may originate from Russian or Belarusian sources, despite sanctions. Similar findings were echoed by The Guardian in April 2025, pointing to loopholes and re-export practices via China, Kazakhstan, and Turkey.

How to Identify and Avoid Risky Sources

Buyers should be especially cautious when sourcing birch plywood from third-party countries with known re-export activity. While countries like China and Turkey are major exporters, a portion of their plywood supply may contain material originally sourced from Russia or Belarus regions currently under strict trade restrictions in the EU and US.

To mitigate these risks:

• Request full traceability from suppliers, including country of harvest and production.
• Work only with FSC- or PEFC-certified sources that have transparent chain-of-custody documentation.
• Avoid deals that appear too cheap or too urgent these are red flags for compromised supply chains.
• Use digital verification tools or work with a third-party compliance service when dealing with high volumes.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has issued alerts on fraudulent certifications and certificate misuse involving wood linked to sanctioned regions. Industry experts also recommend checking supplier names against known risk lists and trade advisories.

What We Commit To

As a responsible supplier, our company works only with certified manufacturers that meet international compliance standards. We reject any form of illegal logging or supply laundering, and we support fair trade practices across the industry.

By raising awareness and promoting best practices, we hope to contribute to a cleaner, more ethical plywood supply chain. We encourage all industry participants to stay informed, ask the right questions, and demand transparency.

For any questions about our sourcing standards or birch plywood specifications, feel free to contact us.

If you're interested in learning more about the global challenges surrounding illegal birch plywood including how sanctions are being bypassed in the EU and other regions click here to read our in-depth analysis.