THE Timber Trade Federation (TTF) has launched a ‘due diligence toolkit’ intended to help companies importing and exporting timber and timber products better understand, conduct and report due diligence under the EU/UK timber regulation.

Users of the tool will be provided with the essentials of due diligence, using its interactive format to gain knowledge of common high-risk factors to avoid, what and how to report due diligence actions and outcomes, country case studies and factory checklist, and useful contacts and references. The tool will be continuously reviewed and updated to take on further risk factors for consideration in timber companies’ sourcing decisions.

David Hopkins, CEO of the Timber Trade Federation, said: “With this free, interactive tool, timber firms in the UK are gaining a fantastic new resource to undertake and report due diligence. This is particularly important for those firms which may find themselves facing an expanded set of obligations as we shift from EU timber regulation to UK timber regulation.

“As the UK exits the EU single market, businesses importing into the UK from the European economic area will need to carry out due diligence, confirming that the timber product placed on the UK market has been legally harvested to meet the UK timber regulations.

“This will be a change for many members, with Europe still supplying the majority of all UK timber imports. It will be important that all our members ensure they have a due diligence system in place to identify areas of potential risk where illegal timber may enter the supply chain.”

The toolkit is available online at www.ttf.co.uk/members/due-diligence-toolkit.

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