What is EUDR?
A practical guide for companies.
The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) requires companies that place certain commodities and derived products on the EU market — or export them from the EU — to prove they are deforestation-free and legally produced.
EUDR compliance is operational: you need supplier data, plot-level geolocation and traceability, deforestation risk assessment, evidence retention, and submission of a Due Diligence Statement (DDS) before goods can be placed on the EU market or exported.
What does EUDR require?
EUDR is designed to reduce global deforestation linked to EU consumption. For companies in scope, the regulation requires a due diligence system that can demonstrate, with evidence, that products do not originate from land subject to deforestation after the regulation’s cut-off date and that local laws were respected.
Traceability to origin
Collect plot-level geolocation and link it to products, suppliers, and shipments.
Deforestation risk assessment
Assess deforestation risk and identify evidence gaps before goods are placed on the market.
Evidence and audit trail
Maintain an auditable record of documents, checks, and decisions supporting your DDS.
Supplier engagement
Request upstream data at scale and track completeness across suppliers and products.
DDS readiness
Ensure your dataset and evidence package are complete before submitting a Due Diligence Statement.
Ongoing operations
Move from one-time compliance to continuously minimizing your deforestation risk across your supply chain.
Upstream data requests are the bottleneck
For most companies, EUDR effort concentrates upstream: collecting geolocation, supply chain details, and evidence from suppliers. Doing this by email threads and spreadsheets slows everything down and creates audit risk.
A structured approach helps you standardize what you ask for, automate follow-ups, and keep a clean record of what was received and when.
- Structured supplier data requests aligned to EUDR needs
- Automated reminders and follow-ups
- Real-time completeness tracking across products and suppliers
- Audit-friendly evidence trail for internal and external review
Who is affected by EUDR?
EUDR can affect importers, manufacturers, brand owners, retailers, and traders. If your company places in-scope products on the EU market or exports them from the EU, you may have obligations depending on your role in the supply chain and your company size classification.
Operators
Typically responsible for due diligence, collecting traceability data, assessing deforestation risk, and submitting a DDS.
Traders
Often responsible for maintaining traceability and ensuring upstream due diligence information is retained and available.
EU and non-EU companies
Scope is based on placing relevant products on the EU market or exporting from the EU — not only where your HQ is located.
Multi-tier supply chains
Even if you buy from intermediaries, you may still need plot-level data and evidence from upstream producers.
Annex I products in scope under EUDR
EUDR applies to seven commodities and a defined list of derived products under Annex I. Following the December 2025 update, printed materials under CN Chapter 49 (for example printed books, newspapers and other printed products) are excluded. Paper and paperboard (CN Chapter 48) remain relevant for many packaging and paper products.
Relevant commodities
- Cattle
- Cocoa
- Coffee
- Oil palm
- Rubber
- Soya
- Wood
Derived products (Annex I – high-level groups)
- Cattle-derived: live bovine animals, beef and edible offal, hides and skins, leather and leather-related products
- Cocoa-derived: cocoa beans, cocoa paste, cocoa butter/fat/oil, cocoa powder, chocolate and cocoa preparations
- Coffee-derived: coffee (including roasted/decaffeinated) and coffee extracts/essences/concentrates
- Oil palm-derived: palm oil and palm oil fractions/derivatives
- Rubber-derived: natural rubber and rubber articles (including tyres and related rubber products)
- Soya-derived: soybeans, soya oil and fractions, oilcake/meal and other soya derivatives
- Wood-derived: wood in the rough, fuel wood, wood charcoal, sawn wood, plywood/veneers/boards, joinery, wood pulp, paper and paperboard products
- Wood-based products: wooden furniture and other wood-based manufactured goods listed in Annex I
- Excluded: CN Chapter 49 printed materials (excluded as of Dec 2025)
Want clarity on your EUDR exposure?
Take the readiness quiz or book a demo of our Laurelize software to see how deforestation-free can be operationalized across your supply chain.