The recent Senate inquiry into the effectiveness of sanctions against the Russian Federation has highlighted evidence that Russian timber products continue to enter Australian supply chains after being processed or rerouted through third countries.
Throughout the inquiry, several industry submissions cited scientific timber verification as an important part of the discussion. Many of those submissions drew on an independent report prepared by Source Certain for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Using forensic scientific analysis, the report found that half of all imported timber products assessed failed origin or taxonomy claims, while every Australian-grown sample was accurately labelled.
The report was independently referenced throughout the inquiry as evidence of both the challenges facing the sector and the practical role scientific verification can play.
Documentation, certification and supply chain due diligence remain important elements of timber import compliance, and due diligence is a mandatory requirement under the Illegal Logging Prohibition Act 2012 (ILPA). However, the Committee has heard evidence that these measures alone have not been sufficient to identify timber that has been processed or rerouted through intermediary countries before entering Australia.
Source Certain can confirm that it continues to detect Russian fibre in products at its service locations around the world, including in Australia. This timber fibre frequently enters the market accompanied by supply chain documentation and due diligence indicating the product is traceable to a sustainable source certified under third-party certification schemes.
This cannot be the case for Russian-sourced fibre as all certificates associated with Russian sources were terminated after the conflict began. The misrepresentation of third-party certification, combined with the inclusion of timber of misdeclared species and origin, means the true source of this timber is unknown.
Accordingly, regardless of the final position on the extension of sanction mechanisms or tariffs, the ILPA continues to apply. Source Certain’s findings demonstrate that documentation-based due diligence, without verification, is not detecting timber that would be considered illegal.
Scientific verification provides a necessary layer of independent evidence when organisations and regulators need greater certainty about timber species and their geographic harvest origin. Together, these approaches strengthen sourcing decisions and provide more robust evidence when claims are subject to scrutiny.
Modern timber supply chains operate at a scale that cannot be addressed through isolated testing alone. Effective verification requires scalable, cost-effective programs that integrate with procurement, quality assurance and due diligence processes while supporting the volumes of testing needed across suppliers, products and markets.
Source Certain is working with the Australian timber industry to develop verification programs that are commercially practical and built for the realities of modern supply chains. This includes new verification approaches for engineered wood products, designed to address the complexity of layered construction materials while remaining scalable for high-volume procurement and compliance programs.
Through risk-based sampling and independent scientific verification, we provide organisations with evidence that strengthens sourcing decisions, supports regulatory and customer expectations, and helps them get ahead of supply chain risk.
About Source Certain
Source Certain is a forensic science company specialising in origin verification. Through independent scientific analysis, it verifies where products and materials truly come from, helping organisations substantiate sourcing claims, protect brand integrity and get ahead of supply chain risk.
Media contact information
Rose Aitken
M: +61 434 749 574
media@sourcecertain.com
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