Hardwood Lumber Import Documents: The Set an Importer Should Receive

An importer of hardwood lumber should receive one set of papers per shipment, with the same species, quantity and lot numbers on every page. Three papers are the core: the commercial invoice, the packing list or tally and the transport document. The rest depend on the species, where the trees grew, how the lumber was treated and where it is going. This checklist names each paper, who issues it and what it can and cannot prove.

Document	Issued by	What it shows	What it does not show
Commercial invoice	Seller	Parties, goods, quantity, value, terms	Grade, moisture or legality
Packing list and tally	Seller	Bundles, pieces, board feet or cubic meters	Whether the grade is right
Bill of lading or waybill	Carrier	The goods were shipped, container and seal numbers	Contents of the container
Grade report	Mill grader or independent inspector	Grade result for the lot against a named rule	Legal origin
Moisture or kiln record	Mill	Drying run and readings	A guarantee of moisture on arrival
Phytosanitary certificate	Plant protection authority of the exporting country	Plant health status at export	Quality, grade or legality
Fumigation or heat treatment record	Treatment provider	Treatment applied	Plant health clearance on its own
Certificate of origin	Chamber or authority named by the destination	Where the goods were made	Where the trees were harvested
Lacey Act data	Mill gives, importer files	Species, harvest country, value, quantity	Legality
CITES permit	Authority of the exporting country	Permission to export a listed species	Other legal origin papers
FSC or other chain-of-custody claim	Seller, backed by a certificate	A claim on the invoice with a certificate code	Compliance with import law
EUDR data and reference number	Importer or operator	Due diligence statement reference for EU entry	Compliance of the wood by itself

This page is general information as of October 2026, not legal advice. Which papers a shipment needs depends on species, origin and destination. Confirm with your customs broker.

The core three

Commercial invoice. Seller, buyer, description, quantity, unit price, total, Incoterm and payment terms. Use the botanical name in the description, with the trade name in brackets. Customs reads the invoice for the entry value, so the species and the value on it must match the other papers. For payment terms see lumber import payment terms.

Packing list and tally. By bundle: piece count, widths and lengths or a summary, grade, thickness, and board feet or cubic meters. State whether the tally is gross or net and the rule it follows. See NHLA measurement rules and the guide to container loading, bundles and tally.

Transport document. The bill of lading (sea) or waybill (air and some other modes) names the carrier, the container and seal numbers and the ports. The goods description must match the invoice.

The quality papers

• Grade report. A graded-lot report from the mill grader or an independent inspector, naming the rule and edition. See NHLA inspection reports.
• Moisture or kiln record. The kiln charge number, the drying run and the moisture readings at loading, with the method. See moisture test methods and kiln drying schedules.
• Photos. Bundle ends, labels and container loading photos give a visual record. See lumber photos for buyers.

The plant health papers

A phytosanitary certificate is issued by the exporting country’s plant protection authority when the destination requires it. It states that the shipment meets plant health rules. It is not a statement of grade. Where a treatment such as fumigation or heat treatment is part of the requirement, the treatment record is a separate paper. Read hardwood fumigation and heat treatment rules for the details by destination. Whether plant health papers are needed at all depends on the species, the form of the wood, the origin and the destination, so ask your broker before you order.

Papers by destination

Destination	Extra papers to expect (typical, confirm)
United States	Lacey Act declaration data for the electronic filing. Paper PPQ 505 has not been accepted since 1 January 2026. CITES document for listed species. Plant health papers where required
European Union	EUDR due diligence statement reference. The regulation applies from 30 December 2026 to large and medium operators and from 30 June 2027 to other micro and small operators, after the December 2025 amendment. CITES export permit and, for Annex B species, an EU import permit. Plant health papers where required
Other markets	National legal timber rules, import permits and certificates of origin named by the destination. Ask the broker for the list in writing

For the US declaration see Lacey Act declaration and, for the mill side, Lacey Act supplier records. For panels, mouldings and blanks in the same load see solid lumber and TSCA Title VI. For EU data see the EUDR guide for hardwood lumber and EUDR sawmill due diligence. For listed species see CITES permits for timber. Tariffs are a separate question: see Section 232 and lumber.

The May 2026 EUDR guidance, as summarized by a law firm, says downstream traders meet the duty to collect and keep information by retaining what they received through standard commercial documents such as invoices. Operators have heavier duties. Check which role your company has.

How to run the check

1. Before the order: send the checklist to the mill and agree which papers it will provide and by when.
2. Before sailing: compare the draft set. Species, quantity, lot numbers and values must match on every page.
3. At arrival: file the entry with the final set and keep the file.
4. After clearance: store the file. Authorities can ask for records after the goods are released.

Common mismatches

Mismatch	Why it matters
Species written as a trade name on one paper and a botanical name on another	Lacey and CITES checks depend on the botanical name
Quantity in board feet on the invoice and cubic meters on the tally	Unit conversion errors change the declared value
Container or seal number differs from the bill of lading	Delays at the port
Certificate code on the invoice not found in the database	The claim cannot be relied on
Phytosanitary certificate issued for a different lot	Border authority may refuse it

What to write on the RFQ

List the papers you expect as separate lines, with a date for each. Send your lumber RFQ and we pass it to up to 3 mills or yards that can supply the set.

RFQ line: Ash (Fraxinus americana), No.1 Common, 4/4, KD 6-8%, documents before sailing: invoice, tally, grade report, kiln record, Lacey Act data, plant health papers as required for the destination.