EU Regulatory Regime · High
EUDR — Deforestation Regulation — importer obligations + worked example
Status
Status: Active — large operators since 30 December 2025; SMEs from 30 June 2026. Key dates: 2025-12-30: large operators in force. 2026-06-30: SMEs in force. 2026-12: first European Commission review.
What you must do as the importer
Submit a Due Diligence Statement (DDS) per consignment via the EU Information System. Must include: geolocation (polygon or point) of plot of origin, supplier identity, evidence goods are deforestation-free (cut-off: 31 December 2020) and produced in compliance with origin-country law.
What goods are covered
- 0102 — Live cattle
- 0201 — Bovine meat (fresh)
- 0202 — Bovine meat (frozen)
- 0901 — Coffee
- 1201 — Soya beans
- 1208 — Soybean flour
- 1507 — Soybean oil
- 1511 — Palm oil
Worked example: a typical shipment that triggers
A €50,000 shipment of machinery (HS 010200) from CN into the EU triggers EUDR — Deforestation Regulation. The customs duty + VAT are calculated as normal — but on top of that, the importer must satisfy the obligations above before the goods can be placed on the EU market.
Non-compliance is not a duty event — it is a market-access event
A common misunderstanding: importers focus on duty + VAT and treat compliance as a tickbox. EU customs increasingly hold goods at the border for missing documentation (DDS for EUDR, CBAM declarant status for steel/aluminium, EU Responsible Person for cosmetics). Holds become storage charges; storage charges become forced re-export. Validate before booking the freight.
Related OrcaTrade resources
See whether this regime applies to your specific shipment
Six questions, all four calculators (sourcing, routing, customs, warehouse), full landed cost — with this regime flagged on your specific HS code if applicable.
Build my plan with this regime checked →