Timber due diligence for China-made wood products
Check whether the product falls within timber rules, then request species, harvest-source and supply-chain records tied to your order. Assess gaps and verify the evidence before approving supply. Keep pallet treatment in a separate file. Cambridge China Bridge can coordinate factory-side evidence gathering through its own staff in China.
Check the finished product's scope
UK timber regulations cover imported and domestic timber and a broad range of timber products, including composites such as furniture, pulp and paper. Assess the actual finished product rather than assuming that every wooden item has the same treatment. Start with its description, construction and proposed classification; the commodity code guide explains the classification work.
Record your scope decision and the official guidance used. If the classification or coverage is unclear, resolve it before approving the order. OPSS guidance says timber due diligence must be carried out before the timber is placed on the Great Britain market.
Ask what wood was used and where it was harvested
Ask for the common and scientific names of each wood species, the country of harvest and the harvest region or concession where relevant. Request the product description, quantity and supplier details alongside documents supporting lawful harvesting. Treat this as an order-specific evidence request: a statement that the product was made in China does not identify where its trees grew.
For layered or composite products, ask the factory to identify the face veneer, core, backing and other wood components separately. Request supporting records for any recycled-material claim. Avoid accepting a commercial description such as 'hardwood' as a complete species record.
Connect harvest records to your order
Build a supply-chain map from the harvest source through timber merchants, mills and component suppliers to the factory. Request purchase invoices, delivery records, material intake records and production allocation records. Compare names, species, quantities and batch references across them; a document pack is useful only if its links can be followed.
Ask which documents support harvesting rights and which demonstrate movement of the material through the chain. Check whether certificates cover the named supplier, material and transaction, and verify them with the issuer where possible. Use the batch traceability guide to connect incoming wood with finished goods.
Assess gaps and decide how to mitigate them
Write down the concerns for each proposed supply: unclear harvest origin, inconsistent species descriptions, missing intermediaries, unexplained material mixing or records that cannot be verified. Consider the harvest location and species alongside the complexity of the chain. Record why the evidence is convincing or why further work is needed.
Match the response to the concern. Seek missing upstream records, verify documents independently, investigate material handling at the factory or commission specialist species identification where useful. Put unresolved supply on hold rather than treating another supplier declaration as closure. Keep the evidence, assessment, action and approval together. Our own staff in China can collect factory-side records; broader supplier resilience is covered in de-risking your China supply chain.
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Keep pallet treatment separate
Government guidance says you or your packing service or freight forwarder must make sure solid wood packaging meets the requirements. Use the pallet and crate treatment guide for that workstream. Keep packaging checks separate from the harvest-source evidence for the products inside.
A pallet treatment record does not tell you which species went into a cabinet or where that timber was harvested. Maintain separate product and packaging records, and review both before shipment. When a repeat order changes its wood source, species or component supplier, reopen the product evidence review.
Frequently asked questions
Is 'made in China' enough for timber due diligence?
No. Ask where the trees were harvested and connect that source to the wood used in your order. The finished product's manufacturing location does not establish its harvest source.
What timber documents should I ask a Chinese factory for?
Request species and harvest-source details, supporting harvest records, upstream invoices, deliveries, material intake records and batch allocation records. Check that the documents connect to your goods.
Does a pallet treatment certificate prove timber origin?
No. Keep pallet treatment records separate. They do not identify the species or harvest source of the wood used in the products carried on the pallet.
What should I do if timber records do not match?
Hold approval, identify the broken link and request verifiable supporting records. Use independent document checks or specialist material identification where they address the concern.