Raw Timber vs Finished Wood: Export Rules, the LS Certificate, and the 8cm Ban (Part 3)

The first two parts of this series covered V-Legal, FLEGT, and mixed-material certificates for finished wooden furniture and handicrafts. This post is a different topic entirely: raw timber. The rules are different, the certificates are different, and one category is banned from export altogether.

Finished Goods vs Raw Timber: Why It Matters

Finished wooden goods — furniture, handicrafts, decorative items — require V-Legal or FLEGT. That applies from a small carved figurine to a large dining table. The certificate confirms that the timber used to make the item was legally sourced.

Raw timber is a separate category. This means logs, construction-grade wood, and unprocessed wood in its rough form. The Indonesian government treats raw timber differently because the risk of illegal logging is higher when the wood has not yet been processed into an identifiable product.

The LS Wood Certificate

Raw construction timber that meets the export criteria requires an LS Wood certificate — Laporan Surveyor, or Surveyor Report. This is different from V-Legal. It is issued by a licensed survey company, not the SVLK certification body.

LS Wood applies to logs and construction-grade wood with a maximum diameter of 8 centimetres. This is a hard limit, not a guideline.

The 8cm Rule and the Export Ban

Raw logs exceeding 8 centimetres in diameter cannot be exported from Indonesia. Not with any certificate. Not with any documentation. The ban is absolute.

This restriction exists to prevent the export of valuable unprocessed timber that should be processed within Indonesia before it leaves the country. It is a long-standing regulation, and Indonesian customs enforces it.

An Oversize Raw Wood Log

If someone offers to ship large raw logs from Bali on your behalf, be cautious. There is no legal pathway for it.

Where Do Wood Slabs Fit?

Wood slabs — large flat cuts of timber used by designers and furniture makers — are increasingly popular for export from Bali. Buyers sometimes ask whether slabs fall under the raw timber rules.

They do not. Wood slabs are classified as processed/finished goods, not raw timber. They require V-Legal or FLEGT, the same as furniture. LS Wood does not apply.

The distinction matters practically because slabs can be large and heavy. A 250cm suar slab weighing 150kg is still a finished good for export purposes. Its size and weight affect shipping costs and container planning — but not the certificate category.

Quick Reference: Which Certificate for Which Wood?

• Finished furniture and handicrafts: V-Legal (or FLEGT for EU).

• Wood slabs: V-Legal (or FLEGT for EU). Treated as finished goods.

• Raw construction timber, diameter 8cm or less: LS Wood certificate.

• Raw logs, diameter over 8cm: export banned. No certificate exists for this.

If you are unsure how your goods will be classified, reach out before you order. Classification affects certificates, timeline, and cost — and it is much easier to resolve before the goods are produced than after.

Jerry Gusti Made — PT Intai Rainbow. Assurance, Delivered, since 1989