Deforestation: important shipping changes to be aware of
Deforestation: important shipping changes to be aware of
What you need to know
The new EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is a part of the European Green Deal initiative.
The stated goal is to minimize the European Union (EU) market’s impact on global deforestation, forest degradation and biodiversity loss.
It is also designed to promote deforestation-free supply chains, reduce the EU’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and protect human rights and the rights of Indigenous people.
What it means for you
Eligible goods
If you import or export the following goods to any of the EU27 Member States*, then you will be required to prove that these goods do not originate from recently deforested areas or contribute to forest degradation:
- palm oil
- cattle
- soy
- coffee
- cocoa
- timber
- rubber
- palm oil
- cattle
- soy
- coffee
- cocoa
- timber
- rubber
Products derived from those commodities (such as beef, furniture, or chocolate) are also in scope as are commodities and their derivatives being re-imported into the EU and being released for free circulation.
When should your business be compliant
As of December 30, 2025, the Deforestation Regulation will impose due diligence obligations. Businesses will be obliged to undertake the due diligence to ensure that in-scope goods are deforestation-free and produced in compliance with all applicable and relevant laws in force in the manufacturing country.
Due diligence statement (DDS)
Businesses placing on the EU market or exporting in-scope products from the EU will be required to create a due diligence statement (DDS) in a new EU Information System, proving that the relevant checks have been completed to satisfy the requirements of the regulation. The DDS should include:
- Gathering geographic information (i.e. satellite imagery) on the plot of land the commodities were sourced from;
- Assessing the risk of non-compliance to the EU deforestation-free regulation; and
- Mitigating risks to negligible levels.
The unique DDS reference number will have to be quoted on the import / export customs declaration. The importer / exporter of relevant goods should therefore share the DDS number with FedEx prior to customs clearance to enable compliant cross- border movement.
Timeline: EUDR applies to all products placed on the market or exported from December 30, 2025. There is a longer period of transition for micro and small enterprises until June 30, 2026.
*EU countries are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
What you need to do
You must consider the impact of the EUDR on your supply chain and prepare for the new obligations. It is your responsibility to ensure that the items entering or leaving the EU market meet the regulation requirements. If such products do not comply with the EUDR, they cannot be placed on the EU market or exported from the EU.
You must share the DDS reference number with FedEx before placing the product on the EU market. Your shipment cannot be processed through customs unless you comply to the new regulation.
Please visit the following pages for more information: