V-legal system

NOTE: We have created a special page for our Australian visitors as to inform them about the regulations for importing a wooden prefab house from Indonesia. Click <here> 

WITHOUT A  V-LEGAL ACCREDITATION NO EXPORT. READ THE BELOW

The initial test shipments of timber from Indonesia backed by ihe FSC proof of legality licensing system are now en route for destinations around Europe, opening the way for its first exports to be licensed under the EU FLEGT VPA scheme in 2013.
The V-Legal documents, which became compulsory for all timber exports in January 2013, are issued by the independently accredited Indonesian Timber Legality Verification Bodies and form part of its "Sistem Verifikasi Legalitas Kayu (SVLK)" legality verification system. The latter now covers 7 million ha of productive forest, 326 timber factories and has 300 independent auditors trained to assess forests and companies against its legality definition. The whole new timber legality framework replaces Indonesia’s previous BRIK system whereas the client paid about USD. 500 per container for the Indonesian reforestation program. At this moment in time it is unclear and unknown what the extra charges will be for the V-legal system.

The V-legal system also controls the sizes and shapes of hardwoods to be exported. Logs are prohibited while hardwood boards and beams shall comply with certain sizing regulations issued by the Ministry of Forestry of Indonesia as long as these boards an beams are not part of a finished and completed product such as gazebos and wooden prefab bouses. The sizing regulation can be found <here>

The V-legal system has been developed in response to increasingly rigorous anti-illegal timber legislation in key markets, including the upcoming EU Timber Regulation and Australian Illegal Logging Prohibition Bill, the US Lacey Act, and Japan’s Goho Wood system.
Our company is registered for V-legal timber shipments (*) which is a client's guarantee that we have all export papers in place, the timber is felled legally and that reforestation will take place. The Indonesian Government who is tightening the grip on hardwood exports has contracted SGS (locally called Sucofindo), a Swiss based company which undertakes inspections, verifications, testing and certifies on behalf of the Indonesian Government. SGS will reject any container ready for shipment if the company papers are not place and/or the timber does not comply with the compulsory V-legal system. In conclusion: The shipment will NOT go. 
  
(*) All Indonesian hardwoods, except Iron wood (locally known as Ulin) which is banned from being exported.

ALERT: Any company not in possesion of a V-legal license will not be allowed to directly export, but all goods will be checked by a Government official, one-by-one and the volume list scrutinized as to compliance with the drawings. In addition such company shall "borrow" the V-legal license from another company who will take full responsibility of the goods to be shipped to its legality. A Government verification may well take a few weeks before the shipment is allowed to leave. 

Extra costs will be charged by the cargo forwarder to comply witn the new Government export regulations. You can read this < here >