American Hardwood Industry Stands Ready to Tackle EU Deforestation Regulation

By Ben Stanley
RISI Fastmarkets
September 9, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, International

After a long journey towards implementation, the controversial European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will become law on December 30, 2026, for large operators in the EU, and on June 30, 2027, for smaller operators. When it finally does, the likes of White Oak, Red Oak, Ash, and Walnut from the US will continue flowing into the European market without major hold-ups, thanks largely to the latest tweaks made to the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC)’s free compliance platform. “I’m very confident in saying that we are 100 percent EUDR compliant,” AHEC’s Tripp Pryor told HMR/Fastmarkets about the American Hardwood Assured (AHA) platform. …Last year saw AHEC make additional changes to ensure full compliance with the European Commission’s specifications around geo-coordinates and harvest sourcing. …Recent tweaks have incorporated preparatory AI to upload US Forest Service data and identify individual harvest sites within counties. “This is a natural fit for using an AI system,” Pryor said.

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