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.

Published 26 September 2018
Last updated 26 March 2019 — see all updates

• From: Forestry Commission

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.

If you have any queries, please contact the Cross-Border Plant Health 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.

1. Prevent the introduction of oak lace bug into Great Britain: call for evidence
   • 26 March 2019
   • Guidance
2. Import wood, wood products or bark from non-EU countries
   • 26 September 2018
   • Guidance
3. Import or export wood packaging material
   • 13 November 2018
   • Guidance
4. Import firewood into Great Britain
   • 5 March 2019
   • Guidance
5. Export wood or wood products to non-EU countries
   • 26 September 2018
   • Guidance
6. Tree health legislation
   • 26 September 2018
   • Guidance

Forms

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

1. Become a registered trader
   • 26 September 2018
   • Form
2. Notice of landing form
   • 5 November 2018
   • Form
3. Apply to open a registered trader's credit account
   • 1 January 2017
   • Form
4. Statutory Firewood Notification Scheme
   • 6 December 2018
   • Form
5. Apply for a phytosanitary certificate
   • 26 September 2018
   • Form
6. Apply for export plant health certification services
   • 1 May 2014
   • Form
7. Apply for a forestry export business credit account
   • 1 January 2015
   • Form

Publications

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

1. Interception of non-compliant solid wood packaging material and other material imports
   • 29 April 2019
   • Guidance
2. Import inspection fees for wood, wood products and bark
   • 1 January 2018
   • Statutory guidance
3. Requirements for importers of wood packaging material
   • 1 January 2018
   • Guidance
4. Importation and movement of Christmas trees and their foliage
   • 26 July 2016
   • Guidance
5. Regulated EU wood trade and plant passporting requirements
   • 8 August 2017
   • Guidance
6. Export certification
   • 1 January 2015
   • Statutory guidance
7. Minimum facilities at ports
   • 1 January 2015
   • Statutory guidance
8. Importing wood, wood products and bark
   • 1 January 2007
   • Statutory guidance
9. Importing firewood: requirements for landing material into Great Britain
   • 23 October 2018
   • Guidance

Published 26 September 2018
Last updated 26 March 2019 + show all updates

1. 26 March 2019 The following call for evidence has been added to this page: - Prevent the introduction of oak lace bug into Great Britain: call for evidence
2. 23 October 2018 The following publication has been added to this page: Importing firewood: requirements for landing material into Great Britain
3. 26 September 2018 Removed information about email subscriptions to plant health news.
4. 26 September 2018 First published.