Collection

Importing and exporting wood and timber products

Collection of plant health guidance and forms for trading in wood, wood products, firewood, bark, dunnage or wood packaging.

If you import or export certain wood and timber products to or from the UK you will have to comply with plant health regulations, restrictions and requirements. The regulations are designed to protect the natural environment and plant-based industries of receiving countries from introductions of harmful organisms that can be present in wood. These include certain species of insects, bacteria and fungi.

If wood material or products are not classed as regulated there are no restrictions on their movement.

Use of the 999L waiver code for import declarations of non-regulated wood, wood products and bark is being withdrawn from 31 January 2024. 4 new waiver codes have been introduced and should be used with immediate effect. More information can be found in Plant Health Newsletter issue 48 - October 2023

If you have any queries, please contact the Plant Health Forestry Service.

Plant Health News

Plant Health News keeps importers and exporters of wood, timber products, wood packaging and dunnage up to date with changes in legislation, regulations and requirements. Read past issues.

Guidance

Find out what you must do if you want to import or export different types of regulated wood material. See also further guidance in ‘Publications’ below.

Forms

Forms you must complete when proposing to undertake certain types of wood importing and exporting activities.

Publications

Information and guidance about aspects of importing and exporting wood materials.

Published 26 September 2018
Last updated 9 January 2024 + show all updates
  1. Added information about withdrawal of 999L waiver code to CTA box.

  2. Apply for an export credit account form removed. There is now only one type of credit account, which can be accessed through the link in the collection.

  3. Links to the 'Register a Place of Destination' form and ‘Register as a Professional Operator to issue Plant Passports’ page have been added to this page,

  4. The following call for evidence has been added to this page: - Prevent the introduction of oak lace bug into Great Britain: call for evidence

  5. The following publication has been added to this page: Importing firewood: requirements for landing material into Great Britain

  6. Removed information about email subscriptions to plant health news.

  7. First published.