Introduction
The Timber and Timber Products Placing on the Market Regulations (UKTR) apply in Great Britain from 1st January 2021. The requirements remain the same as under EUTR. Under UKTR, Q&Y International Ltd is defined as an “operator”. Therefore we have an obligation to ensure our product has negligible risk before placing it on the market.
Overview
Timber supply chains are regulated to ensure harvesting practices are legal, encourage sustainable harvesting practices and support global forest governance. As a business trading in timber and timber products, we must take steps (due diligence) to ensure that they originate from legal sources.
Due Diligence
As an “operator, ” the legal entity that first places timber or timber products on the GB market, we are responsible for compliance.
Due diligence has to be implemented to prove “Negligible Risk” of the timber. As a major distributor of imported wood flooring products, we have developed our own due diligence systems
Our Approach to Due Diligence
- a) Document Recording – We log the movement of timber from the sawmill to our facility for each and every species. From the veneer to the ply. Mapping how the product progress through production.
- b) Risk Assessment – Using report data from bodies such as trade associations, monitoring organisations as well as Non-Governmental Organisations to assess and identify risks in our supply chain.
- c) Responding to Risks Identified – We put an action plan in place to mitigate those risks. Depending on the risks identified, we have measures such as document auditing, site visits and lab report responding proportionately to the risk level identified.
- d) Determine the overall level of risk Identified – only with a conclusion of “negligible risk”, can our company place the product in the market.