Documents Needed for a Timber Export Shipment: A Practical Checklist

Timber shipments fail on paperwork more often than on timber. The cargo is ready, the container is booked, and the shipment waits because one certificate needs an inspection that should have been arranged a week earlier.

This is the practical list. Requirements vary by country, buyer and species, so treat it as a starting point and confirm with your CHA and buyer.

The documents almost every shipment needs

Often needed, depending on destination and species

• CITES permit — for protected species. Without it, the shipment does not move, and the rules change from time to time.
• Legal-origin or timber-legality documents — EU (EUDR), UK, US Lacey Act declarations.
• ISPM 15 marking — for wood packaging such as pallets and crates, not the cargo itself.
• Species and grade certificate — some buyers insist.
• Moisture content report — common for sawn timber.
• Pre-shipment inspection report — SGS or a similar surveyor, when the contract requires it.
• Letter of credit documents — exactly as the L/C spells them; a single mismatched word can cause rejection.

The order to work in

1. Contract and L/C terms first. They dictate the document set. Read the L/C before the timber is cut, not after it is loaded.
2. Tally at the yard. Everything numeric downstream comes from here.
3. Book fumigation and the phytosanitary inspection. These need lead time and a physical inspection.
4. Invoice and packing list from the tally, not re-typed from memory.
5. Certificate of origin from the Chamber of Commerce.
6. Shipping bill filed by the CHA, container stuffed and sealed.
7. Bill of lading after loading — check every spelling the same day.
8. Send the document set to the buyer or the bank within the L/C’s presentation period.

Where timber shipments actually go wrong

1. The packing list disagrees with the tally. Somebody re-typed the figures. Customs and the buyer’s surveyor both check, and a mismatch stalls payment.
2. Fumigation booked too late. The certificate cannot be back-dated.
3. Units mixed. CBM on the invoice, CFT on the packing list, Hoppus in the contract. See Hoppus vs true volume.
4. Species name inconsistent across documents — trade name on one, botanical name on another.
5. Container number typed differently on two documents.
6. Photos not kept. When a claim arrives two months later, loading photos linked to the tally settle it quickly.

Keeping the documents tied to the shipment

Most of these documents repeat the same numbers: what was measured, in what units, in which container. Each re-typing is a chance to introduce a mismatch.

In LumberLinq, the tally, the photos, the consignment, the documents, the payments and the reconciliation live on one record. The packing figures come from the tally that was actually done at the yard, and every file stays attached to that consignment, so nothing is hunted for at claim time.

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Frequently asked questions

Which document causes most delays? The phytosanitary and fumigation certificates, because both depend on something physical happening before the container is sealed.

Does the packing list need the full tally? In practice, yes. Buyers and customs compare piece counts and volumes against the tally, so the figures and units must match.

What is ISPM 15? The international standard for treating wood packaging material such as pallets and crates. It covers packaging, not the timber cargo.

When should document preparation start? At the tally, not at the port.

This is general guidance, not legal or customs advice. Requirements differ by country, species and buyer — confirm with your CHA and the importing country’s authority.

Related: How to reconcile a timber consignment · Timber tally sheet format and free template · Huber’s formula explained