It is a crime to import illegally logged timber into Australia under our illegal logging laws. Certain wood, pulp and paper products are listed in section 5 of the Illegal Logging Prohibition Rules 2024 (Rules) and are considered ‘regulated’. When importing these products, you must conduct due diligence unless they are exempt (see below).
However, the ban on importing illegally logged timber applies to all timber products, whether regulated or not. If you suspect that any wood, pulp, or paper product, including unregulated or exempt products, may contain illegally logged timber, you should consider not importing the product. If you do import a product which is, is made from, or contains illegally logged timber, you may commit an offence and be liable to a civil penalty.
Regulated timber products are defined in the rules by their international Harmonized System (HS) tariff codes. This includes:
- Chapter 44 – for wood and articles of wood
- Chapter 47 – for pulp of wood
- Chapter 48 – for paper and paperboard
- Chapter 94 – for furniture
The HS uses specific codes to classify traded products to identify chapters, headings and subheadings. Please ensure you understand the list of regulated timber under section 5 of the Rules. This list is provided in table format and Column 1 is where you will find what is regulated at either the heading or subheading level.
Visit our FAQs page for further information on regulated timber products.
The following products are exempt from the due diligence requirements:
- Products imported into Australia where the combined customs value of the regulated timber products in the consignment is $1000 or less.
- Products:
- which are recycled material
- which are entirely made from recycled material
- where all timber, and products derived from timber, included in the regulated product are recycled material.
If a product contains both recycled and non-recycled timber, due diligence is still required for the non-recycled parts.
Case Study
Serena is importing a mixed consignment of commercial goods into Australia. The total value of the consignment is $30,000. This includes a selection of paper products worth $900. No other regulated timber products are contained in this consignment. As the value of the regulated timber products does not exceed $1000, they are exempt and Serena does not need to do due diligence.
Case Study
Serena is importing a mixed consignment of commercial goods into Australia. The total value of the consignment is $30,000. This includes a selection of paper products worth $900. No other regulated timber products are contained in this consignment. As the value of the regulated timber products does not exceed $1000, they are exempt and Serena does not need to do due diligence.
Recycled material
Timber or a timber product, is considered recycled material if:
- it was once a different product or part of another product
- it is no longer the previous product, or has been removed from the previous product
- at the time, the other product was no longer used for its intended purpose.
Material is not considered recycled if it is the by-product of a manufacturing process. For example, sawdust or off-cuts from sawn timber used to make particle board or medium density fibreboard.
Case study
Fadel is importing a range of second hand timber panels from stripped and deconstructed boats. Because the panels that made up the boat are no longer used for their intended purpose, Fadel decides that the timber meets the law’s requirements for exemption. He keeps suitable records to justify his claims and imports the timber without having to do more due diligence.
Case study
Geoff is importing a range of second hand wine barrels. He plans to rejuvenate the barrels and sell them as functioning wine barrels. As these barrels are being imported for their original intended use, Geoff must complete due diligence prior to importing the barrels.
Geoff later decided to import more second-hand wine barrels, with plans to refurbish the barrels into furniture or planters. As the barrels are no longer in use for their intended purpose, Geoff decides that the timber barrels meet the law’s requirements for exemption. He keeps suitable records to justify his claim and imports the barrels without having to do more due diligence.
Due diligence is not required for the packaging material used to support, protect or carry a product that is being imported.
However, if the packaging materials are the main product being imported, and are covered by a regulated tariff code, you must conduct due diligence.
Materials such as bark, cork, osier, vegetable parchment, rice, bamboo, sugarcane and rattan are not considered timber. They are not regulated under the illegal logging laws.
Case Study
Sofia has a stationery business that imports a wide range of products, from pens to decorative gift boxes. Researching her due diligence obligations, Sofia concludes the packaging materials used to transport most of her goods (such as crates and timber pallets) are not regulated. However, as the gift boxes are the primary goods being imported, and fall within one of the regulated tariff codes, she needs to do due diligence on the boxes.
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